Bumper Stuck

I remember having only two bumper stickers ever on my cars. One was 

IF YOU CAN READ THIS,

THANK A TEACHER.

The other was

POETIC LICENCE.

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The second best bumper sticker I ever saw was

NEVER RE-ELECT ANYBODY.

I have always relished that bit of political advice. It seems to be the cure for sclerotic government—new ideas entering the public arena with each election. However, I have been unable to act on this advice. It has been that the opponents to the incumbents in my neck of the woods are worse than useless, troglodytes who have barely made it out of their caves. 

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The other day I saw the stupidest ever bumper sticker on an SUV in the parking lot of my bank. (Actually, to be completely accurate, it wasn’t on the bumper but on the tailgate of the vehicle—making it even stupider because it will mar the paint.) It read:

EQUAL RIGHTS FOR BABIES IN THE WOMB.

Now, of course, the geniuses behind the sticker are still chortling over their stealing  the equal rights slogan from the supporters of the Equal Rights Amendment, who, I guess, will not be inviting the bumper stickerers to any party soon. 

On January 27th, Virginia became the 38th state to ratify the Equal Rights Amendment, which thereby has achieved the necessary ratification by three-fourths of the states.

Advocates say the amendment would provide an explicit guarantee of protection against discrimination on the basis of sex that is as strong as the protections that exist against discrimination based on race or national origin.*

Outlawed would be discrimination in hiring, promotion, compensation, lending, housing, voting, etc.

The proposal on the bumper sticker has led me to wonder how fetuses** would avail themselves of their new rights. (Oh, and at what age—minutes, days, weeks, months—would they be eligible?) I can’t imagine them applying for any jobs (what credentials do they have?). Housing is not a problem for them; it’s already provided. It’s equal access to the ballot box I wonder about. Would there be enough certified electoral obstetricians to provide the fetuses with voting machines?

So until that last problem is overcome, I will continue to believe that that was the stupidest bumper sticker I’ve ever seen. 

*

Oh, the best bumper sticker I have seen seen?

PASS WITH CARE

DRIVER CHEWS TOBACCO.

Something for the fetuses to remember, when they get their driver’s licences.

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• https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2020/01/15/virginia-passes-era-38th-state-amendment-women/4477813002/

      ** I don’t recognize a baby as a baby until it’s born.

Safe--or Sorry?

Today we have a thought experiment:

Imagine a community of any size you want—town, city, state, whatever. There is no poison—no arsenic, no cyanide, etc.— within its boundaries. 

One day, a single vial of poison is introduced into the community. 

Would you say that the community was as safe as it was before? Or more safe? Or less safe?

Shortly thereafter a second vial of poison enters the community. 

Again I ask: As safe? More safe? Less safe?

What if a hundred vials of poison appear? Or a thousand?

As safe? More safe? Less safe?

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Let’s begin again. You have your community, but this is a community with no swords within its boundaries.

A sword is introduced. 

Is your community as safe as before? Or more safe? Or less safe?

Then a second sword appears.

Are you as safe as before? More safe? Less safe?

OK. Let’s up the number of swords to ten or a hundred or a thousand.

The question again: As safe? More safe? Less safe?

*

Of course, this isn’t really about poison or swords but about guns.

I invite you to work out the analogy yourself.