OPINION — Editorial

What's the point?

It may be about the attention

"Tell me what you pay attention to, and I will tell you who you are."

--Jose Ortega y Gasset

You have to hand it to Gary Stubblefield. That Arkansas state senator doesn't overstate things: "There are some issues in the state with that issue."

Yes indeed. And after he dropped that piece of brilliance on our reporters, the good senator declined to elaborate. Just saying there are issues with an issue is apparently enough.

The issue that he thinks the state has issues with, is bathrooms. And, yes, Gentle Reader already understands. Why should North Carolina get all the attention, bad and worse, when our own lawmakers are out to save Arkansas' kids from all those transgender types crowding into the girls' bathroom and peeking under the stalls? Not that we've ever heard of that happening even once in these parts. But attention must be paid! At least to those lawmakers who want attention drawn to themselves.

It's a good way to get in the papers. And get a few radio interviews. And get re-elected. Which might be the real point of this bathroom bill.

Well, it's not really a bathroom bill. Not yet. Sen. Stubblefield and Sen. Greg Standridge have filed a "shell bill" that'll wait around for a while until less important things like taxes and constitutional amendments are out of the way. Then the state's brave lawmakers can tackle the stuff that'll make national news.

Oh, you can bet Sens. Stubblefield and Standridge have a good chance to make Drudge and CNN. Just look at all the attention that North Carolina drew when it decided to make a brave stand against a non-problem. After North Carolina lost the NBA All-Star game, other games pulled by the NCAA and the Atlantic-Coast Conference, and PayPal decided North Carolina wasn't putting on a business-friendly face, and the CoStar Group decided its 730 jobs should go to Virginia instead, etc. etc., the current governor of the Tar Heel State is trying to undo the damage. Whether he's successful is anybody's guess.

But why learn from the mistakes of others when there's attention to be had? Is that the New York Post on the line? We can see the headlines now.

Even the governor of Arkansas, the always pragmatic and level-headed Asa Hutchinson, doesn't see the need for this kind of fight in Arkansas. But he's no fun. After all, there are real concerns: "There are some issues in the state with that issue."

When asked if he expected an uproar on his bathroom shell bill, Sen. Stubblefield huffed at pesky reporters: "You know what? I have been in an uproar since I have been here. Who knows? Who knows? North Carolina is not bankrupt yet, are they?"

Another bit of brilliance. No, according to the press, North Carolina isn't bankrupt yet. But if certain lawmakers get their way, Arkansas could lose as much business as Charlotte. Or at least until we go bankrupt. Then that'll show 'em!

Who cares if the kids are perfectly safe in the bathrooms already, or if schools with a transgender kid here or there have already made bathroom arrangements, or if this bill is a solution in search of a problem? There are headlines to be made! Attention to be had!

And if it's the wrong kind of attention for the state? It's a small price to pay for fame and fleeting glory.

Editorial on 02/16/2017

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