Until recently, the bookstore at the University of Tennessee sold breath mints in little boxes that had a photograph of Obama on the outside, with the caption: “This is Change? DisappointMINTS”
Talk about honest marketing.
Apparently, the bookstore sold similar mints when George W. Bush was president (the caption on the package then read: “National EmbarssMINTS”).
Anyway, although it was okay for the bookstore to sell “EmbarassMINTS,” Tennessee Representative Joe Armstrong decided it was not okay to sell the “DisappointMINTS.” Thus, after receiving a complaint from one student who was offended by the mints, he personally went into the UT bookstore and told them to pull the mints.
(In case you haven’t figured it out, Armstrong is a Democrat.)
On what grounds did Armstrong do this? On the grounds that the First Amendment doesn’t protect mints, because they’re not “educational” (according to Armstrong). But what Armstrong doesn’t realize is that these mints have become quite educational, inasmuch they drew him out of his hole just long enough to show us how very much the left despises free speech and free expression.
As a matter of fact, by reading Armstrong’s statements about the incident it’s clear that it wasn’t just the mints that got him so riled up, but the whole idea of being able to sale “politically specific products ” on the campus of a university that receives “state and federal dollars.”
In other words, Armstrong’s basic contention is that universities which receive federal funds ought to think twice before allowing campus-speech which maligns those providing the funds. (Which is the same thing as saying our current Marxist-loving, budget-busting, big-eared president can’t be ridiculed by the students.)
As absolutely ridiculous and unconstitutional as Armstrong’s behavior over the mints appears to be, no one who’s looked at his voting record will be surprised. This guy is all about using government to control the lives of his constituents.
A few examples: He supported legislation that disallows you from using your cell phone to text while you’re in your car (the government knows best). He opposed legislation that enlarged the number of places into which concealed carry permit holders could carry a weapon (which is the same thing as voting to disarm law-abiding citizens in more places). And he’s voted a number of times to raise the taxes on cigarettes in Tennessee (the government is just looking out for your own good).
Wow. Talk about a control freak.
I can only hope that the company that made the “DissapointMINTS” can quickly get around to a new product for its line called “Joe Armstrong’s Intrusive GovernMINTS”.
That’d be a top-seller for sure.
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