The Periodic Attention Whore Award

That old internet meme "Look at me - I'm an attention whore" can serve as a guide for this increasingly necessary award. Some people just can't resist doing something that would cause them to be noticed, no matter how trivial or superfluous it might be. Okay, just let me 'splain things by giving this current awardee:

The Tennessee General Assembly. Very recently the Tennessee Senate has revived a bill to make the Bible the Official Book of the State of Tennessee. Now just what is this all about? Is this to bait liberals, or to make a pious statement, or because all the legislators want to come together and sing "Kumbaya"?

My point is that this is unnecessary, same as if the General Assembly made "Goodnight Moon" the Official Book of the State of Tennessee.

There's an allied example: when one of the 50 states passes legislation that might be socially unpopular, some state or city official pronounces a ban on travel to that state for state employees. Yes, it looks sexy as hell: they come across as socially responsible and right-minded when what the other state did may be wrong but is none of their damned business! Specifically, when North Carolina recently passed legislation possibly bad for gays and transgender people, New York and other entities forbade travel to that state.

Seriously, why should Carolinians give a damn? And how often do New Yorkers officially travel to North Carolina? Holy empty gesture, Batman!

My point is, legislatures should keep to acting on necessary matters, and not make purely symbolic gestures.

And state or local officials should mind their own business and not act like moral compasses for others. That played very well in school years ago, but they come across as insufferable prigs now!