Captain Oblivious :: Pahrump, Nevada Proves that Truth is still Stranger than Fiction

If you watch Aaron Sorkin's latest drama, "Studio 60 on the Sunset Boulevard," you've heard of Pahrump, Nevada. It was the scene of most of the past 2 episodes, entitled "Nevada Day." I'll leave the details of the episodes out of this, since we TiVo owners are notoriously late to watch shows and I don't want to spoil anyone's fun. But I will say this: it is more than a little odd that, several days after those episodes were broadcast into millions of American homes and Aaron Sorkin once again showed Americans why stereotyping is a Really Bad Idea, specifically using an apparently obnoxious redneck of a judge (John Goodman) who ultimately demonstrates a good deal of wisdom, Pahrump, Nevada's town council voted to make it illegal to fly a foreign flag.

Yes, that's right. They're a bit upset, in Pahrump, that some people carried Mexican flags in a demonstration march to protest immigration policy. So they decided the First Amendment doesn't apply in their town. Want to fly the Irish flag on St Patrick's Day? Better move to another town. Want to wave a Canadian flag after your favorite hockey team wins the Stanley Cup? Not in Pahrump, you won't. And, yes, if you want to parade around with any damn flag you choose in any sort of demontration march to protest any damn thing you like, in that most fundamentally American celebration of our right to freely and openly debate any political topic at all - you will have to break Pahrump's podunk little law, be charged with such, and then sue their moronic pants off.

Sorkin's stereotypical redneck judge would not have been impressed. Nor am I...

Comments

1 - I'm against thier law, too, but I suggest you read it. It does not forbid the flying of foreign flags. It requires that you fly a US flag if you are going to fly a foreign flag.

Posted by pdxWoman At 09:52:46 PM On 11/26/2006 | - Website - |

2 - Ok, when I read my comment it sounded really snarky. Which it wasn't. I'm just sayin' "check it out". Emoticon

Posted by pdxWoman At 09:56:14 PM On 11/26/2006 | - Website - |

3 - It's a bit more specific than that, isn't it? It requires that the American flag be flown *above* the other flag. The practical effect of that is that you will be unable to march in a demonstration that includes a non-US flag (ever tried to wave two flags? they're heavy...), which of course is their intent.

In any event, I appreciate the clarification. My general impression is the same, though, because there's no legal difference between what they've done and what I thought they did.

PS I enjoyed reading your exchange of emails with the councilman who sponsored this inanity on your blog. He seems to be just as much of a winner as one would expect.

Posted by Captain O At 06:26:43 AM On 11/27/2006 | - Website - |