You Want It, Take It

This whole red state/blue state fallacy is reaching what I suppose would be its logical, nonsensical conclusion: sagacious state senator Bob Morton (R-Orient) has decided that the only solution to opposing political ideologies is obviously the Balkanization of Washington state. He has a proposal to split the state down the middle, along the spine of the Cascades. "It's not sour grapes," Morton said. "It's common sense. People who think alike should be united."

When confronted with this type of thinking, I don't even know where to begin. These are people who would make this t-shirt into national policy. Fortunately, the framers of the Constitution gave a little thought to nutballs like Morton (smart guys, those Framers).

Has Morton given any thought to the fact that taxes from the more affluent West disproportionately flow across the mountains (much like how Wyoming gets 7 times the Homeland Security budget per capita than New York). This new state, which I will dub "Scablands," would have about as much political clout as the butt end of Nebraska. What is truly ludicrous about this entire plan is the idea that people should be grouped by geography and ideology. I'm of the opinion that we have a little bit to learn from people who are different from ourselves. Morton's proposals also lose a little of their luster when placed under the rubric of "ideological purity," as we know what that leads to.