Thank Heavens!
As we sit down today to what is arguably the finest dinner we will eat all year, we in Massachusetts can relax a bit more.Tom Reilly has protected us.
In stern letter to WalMart, he scolded them that in the Sacred Commonwealth, WE have 'Blue Laws', which forbid stores to open on Sundays and Holidays. Except, of course, for convenience stores, and other establishments that have convinced the Legislature that they are exceptional. The sacred underpinnings of the ancient Blue Laws mean a great deal to us here, Atty. General Reilly wrote. Why, they mean so much to us that the enormous spruce tree on the Boston Common will be called a 'Holiday tree', provoking rage in the man in Nova Scotia who sent a Christmas tree here. They mean so much to us that our own Senator O'Leary has filed a An Act Relative to Archaic Crimes, Senate 938, whic among other things relaxes the penalties for bestialtiy.
But that matters little to Tom Reilly - he is an upholder of the law.
Of course, he also wants to allow in-state tuition rates at Massachusetts public colleges for illegal immigrants, as they must pay out-of-state rates now. The fact that their presence is illegal is no deterrent for him. The fact that they cannot be legally employed in Massachusetts upon graduation is of no concern. The fact that a Federal law states that if illegal immigrants are allowed to pay in-state tuition, then the state must offer that rate to all comers, effectively wiping out million of dollars in revenue to the underfunded state college system seems to mean the least of all - after all, we can blame George Bush for that!
No, we can all be thankful to know that we are protected from WalMart and Whole Foods. We can be thankful that Tom Reilly is a man of the law - at least the ones he likes.
UPDATE: Well, it appears that Reilly's actions and the expose Walmart movie are indeed having an effect - see story HERE. Did they learn nothing from the way Michael Moore's movie energized Bush's base? On the other hand, will Reilly give a 'bye' to the Chinese supermarkets who defied his order (story HERE) in the name of cultural diversity? Their excuse is they 'don't celebrate Thanksgiving'.
It has come to my attention that the day after Thanksgiving is the beginning of Christmas shopping. For those who would prefer to stay at home instead of brave the elements, I invite you to visit my new store, PORCUPINE'S GAZETTE, located at the top of the page just above my picture, where trinkets of the highest quality are obtainable. Any would make a fine gift for a devotee of my works, and I hope you will peruse my humble offerings.
posted by Peter Porcupine at 1:07 PM
3 Comments:
Despite your sarcasm, I think more holidays should find businesses closed. Precious few offer vacation time to employees, never mind the basics of health insurance. One day closed, when people can take a moment to rest and enjoy the company of family, that is worth protecting. I like the Blue Laws. I don't need to buy alcohol on Sunday, or worry about having to missing big family dinners. I think we need a few more of the Blue Laws.
Hey don't feel so bad. Here in NYS we have Elliot Spitzer who will indict anyone who works near Wall Street.
You tackle many issues (most political) in this one post, but two caught my eye.
Blue Laws: I still don't understand what those things are. When my dad came for Thanksgiving, he said he'd read that there was some law that stores couldn't be open on Thanksgiving, and I'd never heard of it. I'm going to have to read through the state page on it.
Chinese & Thanksgiving: Whether or not Chinese Americans celebrate Thanksgiving depends upon how Americanized they are. My family did for years, with the dinner being held at my Nga Boo's (grandma's) house until she was no longer able to host large groups. Last Thanksgiving was quite enjoyable for me, as we got Chinese take-out and brought it to my Nga Boo for lunch at her Jewish nursing home. Then dinner we spent with my Chinese best friend and her immediate family over traditional cold duck rather than turkey. It was some of the best food and most wondeful company I could be thankful for.
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