[humorix] Weblog Changes Results Of An Election!

[James Baughn <jbaughn@ldd.net>]

Weblog Changes Results Of An Election!
June 30, 2002

LIZARD LICK, OHIO -- According to research conducted by the
Humorix Vast Spy Network(tm), over 12,000 weblog sites are
currently active on the Internet, mindlessly propogating an
average total of 52,100 website links per day.  However,
our spies were unable to uncover any documented cases of a
weblog posting having any effect on the Real World.  Until
this week.

Last Tuesday, voters in the city of Lizard Lick cast
ballots on Proposition A, which would require a "five day
waiting period and background check" before the purchase of
any violent video game within city limits.  One city
resident, Bradford Perre, happened to read an editorial on
a weblog called "Bob Weikert's Soapbox Of Mystery" about
the vote, and immediately changed his mind and voted "NO"
on the proposal.  As a result, the proposition failed by
one vote.

"This is absolutely stunning," Bob Weikert posted to his
website.  "To think that I actually had an impact on
meatspace?  Wow!"

If Mr. Perre hadn't seen the weblog editorial, he would
have voted "YES" and the measure would have passed,
612-611.  "I originally thought we should place limits on
video games to protect the children," he explained.  "I
mean, we all know that the violent game 'Microsoft Flight
Simulator' was what inspired the terrorists to fly planes
into buildings. But the editorial argued that we would then
head down a slippery slope and that, for instance, adult
videos and magazines could be targeted next for mandatory
background checks.  Since I maintain one of the largest
private collections of pornography in this state, I didn't
want to support anything that might impact my... uh,
'hobby'.  So I voted no."

The Coalition Of Outraged Soccer Moms expressed outrage
over the failure of their iniative to pass.  Last year the
group successfully lobbied to eliminate the ultra-violent
games of dodgeball and tag from the city's public school
system, but they simply couldn't muster enough support to
keep Johnny from buying "Civilization", that insidious
video game produced by the evil Sid Meier that encourages
players to wipe out whole cities and civilizations for fun.

"This is an outrage," said Amber Brundage of the
Coalition.  "Some kid with a website was able to
single-handedly defeat our ballot initiative?  We can't
stand for that!  Society can't allow these subversive
websites to subvert society.  We need a law!"

Undoubtedly the Coalition will gather enough signatures to
put the proposition on the ballot again next year.  But Bob
Weikert will be ready. "Now I only have three or four
regular readers -- but next year I might have a dozen. 
That will be more than enough to win another election!"
--
Humorix:      Linux and Open Source(nontm) on a lighter note
Archive:      http://mail.nl.linux.org/humorix/
Web site:     http://www.i-want-a-website.com/about-linux/