File this under “More Government Silliness.”
A Seattle suburb is cracking down on “unpleasant body odor.”
Yup.
Burien, Wash., just passed a law that bans folks with bad B.O. from “publicly-owned property” and “property generally open to the public.” First offense, you’re banned for a week. More than once, expect to be banned for up to a year. You might even end up in the clink.
The city politicos consider bad B.O. to be “bodily hygiene or scent that is unreasonably offensive to others.”
I’m sure Seattle courthouses will soon be clogged with “expert witnesses” testifying about what odors are or aren’t “unreasonably offensive to others.”
The American Civil Liberties Union is understandably fighting this ordinance as unconstitutional. Their spokesguy says the law’s too vague and gives cops too much power and leeway in deciding when stink is so bad it qualifies as illegal.
A Burien councilwoman is even protesting that the law’s denial of equal access to government facilities is a violation of the United Nations’ Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
Sheesh!
Does all this strike anyone besides me as a bit silly, like something you’d see lampooned on “Saturday Night Live”?
But that’s the function of government, I suppose. If it isn’t droning Syria, it’s checking people’s underarm stains.
There is sooooo much more positive stuff to spend our time on, isn’t there?
Like making money (before the government can get its hands on it).
Take a look here…
