Politics NewsTaco February 13, 2012

Mississippi’s Gulf Of America Representative Is My Hero

Mississippi State Representative Stephen Holland has become my personal hero. Seriously. He’s the guy who filed a bill in the Mississippi state legislature (HB150) to change the name of the Gulf of Mexico to the “Gulf of America.” He’s taken a  tumble across all media channels because the gesture is the kind of thing that’s a couple of steps past ridiculous. To quote the (short) bill:

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MISSISSIPPI:
SECTION 1. For all official purposes within the State of Mississippi, the body of water that is located directly south of Hancock, Harrison and Jackson Counties shall be known as the “Gulf of America.”

At face value the bill is idiotic, but see, that’s what got my attention. The thing is too over the top to be taken seriously, so it’s either buffoonery or brilliant. Here’s what a little digging found about the Mississippi Representative:

  • He’s a Democrat;
  • He was elected to the Mississippi State Legislature in 1984;
  • He’s a Shriner and a Mason;
  • He’s Methodist;
  • He owns a funeral home;
  • And as far as I’m concerned his greatest claim to fame is that he was born in Tupelo, Miss., the birthplace of Elvis Presley.
And here’s something else I picked up, this from boston.com: he is a populist, known for his over-the-top gestures. Not only that, he said he was “tickled” at the attention his bill received, especially on the Internet, since he says the whole thing was a joke. And this is why he’s my hero, again, according to boston.com:

Holland says the measure is meant to mock other bills that would crack down on illegal immigration. At least six such bills have already been assigned for committee consideration in the state’s current legislative session, and more could be on the way.

You gotta love his gumption. So here’s what I propose. Let’s give this guy a hand.  If you can think of more ridiculous fodder for bills that Rep. Holland can champion, that will help him mock the immigration bills in his state, let him know. Here’s his state capitol website.

Anything that mirrors the ridiculousness of Mississippi’s anti-immigrant laws and proposals is valid — all within the limits of decency and propriety, of course (we don’t want to denigrate his satire with anger or nastiness). He gets a special pat on the back form me. Sometimes, when you’re surrounded by ridiculousness you have to laugh at it.

[Photo By ballotpedia]

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