Good Neighbors

I’m not going to suggest that the state of Texas is governed particularly well, or even all that intelligently most days. Texas is benefited by some smart decisions made a long time ago which greatly restricts the amount of damage the state government can do. However, it doesn’t hurt us at all that our neighbors are often even more amazingly idiotic and venal. Exhibit one, is of course, the entire state of Louisiana.

Working hard to overcome the immense disadvantage of not being Louisiana are the Okies. There is now a law in Oklahoma that makes it a criminal offense to use in advertising without permission pictures of members (both active and former) of the Armed Forces of the United States.

That’s right, bitches. All you folks who try to cash in on the immense cachet of being associated with YPS by using my picture to advertise your wares? You’re going down! That’s a year in the pen! Of course, you may obtain my permission subsequent to such use. We’ll talk. How much is a year out of your life worth to you?

Now that I’ve gloated over the possibility of sending people who advertise with my likeness to jail (or using the laws of Oklahoma to extort money from them), I’d just like to state that this is one of the dumbest things I’ve read lately. I’m not bright enough or lawyer enough to give an opinion on the constitutionality of the law, although it’s prima facie absurd. I just think litigating this one out in court is at some point going to get expensive for the state.