Thursday, December 09, 2010

Q: What does industry, the seagull, a blue spruce, sego lily and a .45 caliber pistol have in common?

A: They are, or soon will be, the official motto, bird, tree, flower and handgun for the State of Utah.
Yup.  Utah State Representative Carl Wimmer is proposing legislation that will make the Browning 1911 .45 caliber pistol the official state handgun of Utah.
I have just one question for the illustrious representative: Will using an official state handgun increase or decrease the penalties for armed robbery?
(Yes, I did pick the goofiest picture I could find of Wimmer, not that one was hard to find.)

9 comments:

21 Wits said...

At first reading I knew the sea gull Utah's state bird, but the gun confused me...figured it was going to be a movie....and I thought our State picture was a bit odd, only because the actual meaning and the reality of the picture are different. I think this man is asking for crazy trouble. Really.

carmilevy said...

An official state handgun? Seriously? The Canadian in me finds that...I don't know, unbelievable!

Why not an official state drug and an official state street corner for prostitutes?

Pardon me while I shake my head for a bit.

Anonymous said...

He looks like he's constipated and constantly inhaling his own mustache. Not a good combo pack, really.

A .45 as the state gun? Hmmm. I dunno. Go big or go home. They should've chosen the Gatling gun; as least they'd have come down on the right side of archaic and folksy while being hopelessly wedged in the 19th century.

The Gearheads said...

I wonder if using a .45 to kill a seagull would equal two counts.
-Mr

Max Sartin said...

Karen - the problem is that is very well might pass. Utah is a huge NRA (National Rifle Association) supporter. We have one of the most, if no the most, relaxed concealed weapons permit laws, people come from other states to get one here. Add to that a State Legislature that has a history of passing laws that makes most rational people shake their heads and I'd bet dollars to donuts that it happens.

Max Sartin said...

Carmi - Yup, an official state handgun. Now, drugs and prostitution are immoral, so we wouldn't want that. But maybe a state prescription drug, like Oxycontin or Prozac. We could name the jackrabbit the official state huntin' target.
I gave up shakin' my head at our politicians long ago, too much time in the emergency room with whiplash.

Max Sartin said...

Titanium - Inbreeding gives people that look, and we've got quite a few legislators that look like that.
I do, though, like the idea of the Gatling gun, at least you could fire it to a tune.

Max Sartin said...

Mr. - How about shooting seagulls with the state gun while stomping on a bed of sego lilys? Would that be an automatic three-strikes and you're out?

A Paperback Writer said...

Yes, Carmi, we know. Bizarre, isn't it?
The gun was actually invented here in Utah, but STILL.....