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U.S. Congress puts an end to lunacy!

Started by Syt, December 09, 2012, 02:02:30 AM

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Syt

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-20628988

QuoteUS Congress bans word 'lunatic' in federal legislation

The sharply divided US Congress has been able to agree on one thing at least - that the word "lunatic" should be banned.

The House of Representatives voted 398-1 on Wednesday to strike the term from all federal legislation, after the Senate did the same in May.

The measure is designed to remove language that has become outdated or demeaning from the US code.

The bill will now go to President Barack Obama for his signature.

Senator Kent Conrad, one of the sponsors of the measure, said: "Federal law should reflect the 21st Century understanding of mental illness and disease, and that the continued use of this pejorative term has no place in the US code."

The word still appears in some parts of federal law - a section of financial regulation, for example, addresses the power of a bank to act as a "committee of estates of lunatics".

The only "no" vote came from Texas congressman Louie Gohmert, who said it was madness for lawmakers to waste time on such a measure when more high-profile issues loomed, such as the federal debt.

"Not only should we not eliminate the word 'lunatic' from federal law when the most pressing issue of the day is saving our country from bankruptcy," said Rep Gohmert in a statement.

"We should use the word to describe the people who want to continue with business as usual in Washington."
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Martinus

Quote from: jimmy olsen on December 09, 2012, 03:06:05 AM
It does seem like a waste of time.

Don't be too harsh. Sometimes they do something useful.

Syt

I am, somehow, less interested in the weight and convolutions of Einstein's brain than in the near certainty that people of equal talent have lived and died in cotton fields and sweatshops.
—Stephen Jay Gould

Proud owner of 42 Zoupa Points.

Viking

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Louie_Gohmert

he seem to be one of the kookier ones. Its good that they removed the use of the word lunatic since it doesn't mean anything. Though, why this couldn't have been done by the department of HHS with an internal memo I don't know.
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garbon

Quote from: Viking on December 09, 2012, 11:24:12 PM
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Louie_Gohmert

he seem to be one of the kookier ones.

I'd rather not be blown up by terror babies and am glad that he's willing to stand up in support of caribou sex.
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