Mood:
party time!Topic: "Mississipp' Sippin'"(2)
Governor Sonny Perdue of the Great State of Georgia is a bald, born again, overweight, teetotaller Republican (Frodo recognizes that one of these tends to beget the others). Perdue has stated his personal opposition to the heavily-publicly supported legislation to allow Sunday sales of beer and wine. His exact words were that although the legislation may pass "it'll have a pretty tough time getting the last vote." This perceived threat to exercise his veto authority has given rise to discussion about the hypocrisy of those who argue for less "government interference," but have some sort of need to offer legislation relative to how every one should behave, whether they want to or not.
Frodo's favorite exhibition of true government leadership extends back to a gentleman known as Noah S. "Soggy" Sweat, Jr. who acceeded to the Mississippi State Legislature in 1952. Soggy gave a speech in that year commenting on distilled spirits in the Magnolia State (Frodo notes that friend "Verboten" is awash with anticipation at this moment).
He began, "You have asked me how I feel about whiskey. All right, here is how I feel about whiskey. If when you say whiskey you mean the devil's brew, the poison scourge, the bloody monster, that defiles innocence, dethrones reason, destroys the home, creates misery and poverty, yea, literally takes the bread from the mouths of little children; if you mean the evil drink that topples the Christian man and woman from the pinnacle of righteous, gracious living into the bottomless pit of degradation, and despair, and shame and helplessness, and hopelessness, then certainly I am against it."
"But;
"If when you say whiskey you mean the oil of conversation, the philosophic wine, the ale that is consumed when good fellows get together, that puts a song in their hearts and laughter on their lips, and the warm glow of contentment in their eyes; if you mean the stimulating drink that puts the spring in the old gentleman's step on a frosty, crispy morning; if you mean the drink which enables a man to magnify his joy, and his happiness, and to forget it, if only for a little while, life's great tragedies, and heartaches, and sorrows; if you mean that drink, the sale of which pours into our treasuries untold millions of dollars, which are used to provide tender care for our little crippled children, our blind, our deaf, our dumb, our pitiful aged and infirm; to build highways and hospitals and schools, then certainly I am for it.
"This is my stand. I will not retreat from it. I will not compromise."
Soggy served but a single term in the Mississippi State Legislature. It is to be noted that bootleggers and Baptist preachers have flourished ever since.
"Where have you gone Joe DiMaggio? Our Nation turns its' lonely eyes to you. . ."
incredulous
irritated
happy
celebratory
on fire
d'oh