(March 24, 2015 at 11:36 am)KevinM1 Wrote: There is a way to vote against the bill tactfully and professionally. Groen certainly didn't exhibit any tact. Burt was borderline, IMO. I dunno...maybe I'm weird, but I try to not be a dick to kids. That doesn't mean I think everyone needs to cave in and give the kids what they want, but if they choose to explain why they voted against it, it can be done in a more constructive way than "your idea sucks and is a waste of time." Even if it is a shitty idea and a waste of time. Something as simple as "While I don't see a reason to vote for naming a state raptor at this time, I'd like to thank you for your interest in learning how the political process works." Boom, short, sweet, polite, and professional. The bare minimum of what the situation required.
Yup. I would assume that Oliver was using the most absurd of the responses in his bit for comedic purposes, but I agree that the way to handle this situation would have been to thank the kids for their proposal but that a raptor does qualify as a bird and the state already has an official bird, or something to that effect. Basically what one of the speakers in the Oliver bit said, but without the assholery.
Teenaged X-Files obsession + Bermuda Triangle episode + Self-led school research project = Atheist.
