no, not that one! This one:
Minutes after weighing in on the Ichthys conversation on WebTycho, I saw one of these guys headed down the road. I chuckled, said the obligatory "That truck's got some balls" and that was that. But then, my friend informed me that as of Oct 1, the balls are ILLEGAL IN MARYLAND. Here's the Bill: Ball Bill.
Am I the only one who finds "Prohibiting a person from displaying on a motor vehicle a specified item that depicts or resembles anatomically correct, less than completely and opaquely covered, human or animal genitals, human buttocks, or human female breasts; and applying a specified penalty (500 dollars) to the offense," ridiculous ? Is this really where we are with civil liberties?
If this is where we are headed, then there are some horses on the corner of Greenspring and Tufton that should really be "prohibited". Also, my next door neighbor has a dog that she should really buy some "opaquely covered" boxers for. Give me a break. And so much for that sticker I got in Florence of my favorite painting, "The Birth of Venus", better not put THAT on my car.
And why is it just female breasts that are considered sexual? What about my big fat boyfriend who has larger breasts than most females? He's allowed to ride in his car with the windows down. Ok, I made him up- but trust me, they're out there.
An article in The Herald quoted:
They're only a toy, but they're also unpleasant to look at, said Bragunier, worried what his 2-year-old girl might think someday.
"My daughter's going to see this," he said. "She's going to ask what this is. I don't want to be put in that spot. I don't think I ever want to be in that spot."
He doesn't ever want to be in that spot? He doesn't ever want to explain genitals, body parts, and reproduction to his child? Leave that to the mommy? I don't get it.
I LOVE the defense by the ball manufacturer:
Pamela Campbell, whose Bullhead City, Ariz., business sells fake bull testicles, suggested that the swinging decorations can prompt healthy discussions about anatomy and reproduction.
10 comments:
I've been haunted by these things (truck nutz or bull ballz as they call them) since I first laid eyes on them a few years ago. As vile as I think they are (it doesn't help that they're usually paired with an array of equally offensive/aggressive bumperstickers), you make some very valid points about the hypocrisy and idiocy that occurs in legislation, especially when it comes to making seemingly arbitrary rulings on what constitutes "indecent". Even though the law is ludicrous, I certainly won't miss seeing those things waving back and forth in front of my face off the truck of the asshole who just cut me off in traffic....
Well, I heard about this a while back on 98 Rock, thanks to Josh Spiegel. Here are his comments from his site on this one.
Here's an update on Washington County, MD Republican Delegate LeRoy Myers' bill to prohibit drivers from displaying items that depict or resemble fake bull testicles, human genitals, buttocks and breasts in places like the hitches of pickup trucks. Under the Myers bill, if you violate the law, you could be fined up to $500.
Maybe his crusade against fake bull testicles should begin on his Father's farm in Clear Spring. A HUGE statue of a bull is on display and it's GIANT genitals are exposed for all the world to see. Of course, Myers does not believe that's the same as displaying fake bull testicles from a vehicle. The intent of the drivers is to be vulgar, he claims. However, unless Delegate Myers is also a Psychologist who has evaluated every driver displaying those items, he cannot speak on such issues. The motive of each individual driver could be different. Assuming all of them are trying to be vulgar is wrong. How do we know his family did not intend to be vulgar by displaying the GIGANTIC bull sporting ENORMOUS testicles on the family farm? Figuring out one's motive is tricky business.
In the opinion of the News Genius, Delegate Myers should be concentrating on more important matters, unless there are no important issues that currently need to be addressed in Washington County. If that's the case, perhaps after he's done with his crusade against fake bull testicles, he can introduce a bill that would force himself to get a new hairstyle. (2/24/07)
Also, as far as I can tell, the bill was not passed. I believe it died that day.
Really? I heard it went into effect October 1...hmmm. This calls for some balls research.
Could the bill be amended to include currency? Would the U.S. Treasury incur a $500 fine for every 2005 American Bison nickel?
You gotta love the balls! It makes being stuck in traffic not so bad after all. On a recent trip south on Route 81, I saw all sorts of offensive items on trucks that made me look twice, thank God for my family, and speed on past without making eye contact! But it's a free country! You wouldn't catch me dead with a set of testicles hanging from my bumper, but I don't think the government should keep others from hanging their manhood from the tow hitch.
Why is our culture so crass that we don't see a problem with exposing anyone that just happens to be passing by to human genitalia (out of context)? We wonder why kids think and act the way they do now. It's because adults aren't responsible enough to realize that adult jokes, issues, ect. shouldn't be exposed for all to see/ hear.
Things like this strip kids of their innocence.
I certainly don't like the truck balls or think that they have any merit, but trying to make something like this illegal is simply ridiculous. What's next? It's censorship at its worst.
I did a little research on the bill pages, and when a bill makes it through, the dates of when it was introduced, passed by the house and senate, and then when it is Ratified(whatever the word is), are all listed on the page. In this case, it was just when it was introduced.
Yikes. This is yet another example of mixed up priorities in government and laps in judgment in society. Personally I think these things are gross- no need to make it illegal though- that's ridiculous. Why people feel the need to hang these and other perverse decorations to their vehicles is beyond me- and just because they can doesn't mean they should. Why not just a mere piece of advice rather than legislation... keep your balls to yourself, fake or otherwise.
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