Exclusionary.

One might point out that supporting a constitutional amendment to ban gay marriage is a fairly unconscionable position for a President to take, seeing as how the constitution (and America at large) is about inclusiveness, and such an amendment would be about exclusion.  And it’s true that I don’t support this amendment.

However, I am not necessarily opposed to a philosophy of exclusion, and I don’t want the struggle over marriage rights to obscure the point that the constitution could be very powerfully used to legislate against deserving parties. Here’s a list of minority groups that I believe it’s acceptable to discriminate against, even to the point of establishing a federal mandate.

People who bring their children to my desk to buy candy bars and other crap for their schools and bands.

People who use an apostrophe in decades (1970’s) and in a possessive form of the word “its.”

People with any form of a fish on their cars--I don’t care whether it says “Jesus” or “Darwin.” Knock it off.

Naked fat old men who have their gym lockers right next to mine and instead of changing into their clothes they stand there and scratch themselves and preen.  Listen, I wouldn’t want the statue of David striking a pose in my vicinity when I’m trying to change, and you’re no work of art, saggy.

People who think that Blink 182 are punk.

People who sell Amway products.

People with “KILL YOUR TELEVISION” bumper stickers on their cars.  If you’re so hip and progressive, why the hell are you driving a car?

People who are taller than me.  I’m at a networking event and I end up talking into this 6’4” guy’s sportsjacket.  I take a break to shout “SAY IT LOUD: I’M 5’8” AND I’M PROUD,” but he can’t hear me because sound doesn’t carry in the upper atmosphere.

Anyone who links to “Geese Aplenty” but then de-links it.  Oh, not funny enough for you, eh?  If you want professional comedy, you’ll have to pay for it.  I’m just a talented amateur.

People who don’t vote because they don’t think their vote counts.  You know what else doesn’t count?  People who are dumb.

People who are dumb.

People who are stupid.

Dumb people who are stupid and who annoy me.

Tough, but fair.  I’ll start collecting signatures.

Posted by Orange  on  03/09  at  04:20 AM

oy, 6:15 a.m. and you’re already on the warpath ... did you have a nightmare about the quizzno’s creatures again?

p.s. there IS an apostrophe in “quizzno’s,” right?

Posted by romy  on  03/09  at  04:31 AM

Well then, what about the people who voted for that guy in California who wants to give the vote to 14-year olds? 

Posted by Peggasus  on  03/09  at  05:00 AM

Word.  Can you also add people who add an apostrophe when making someone’s last name plural, when that name ends with a vowel (for example, the Stee’s)?  I know that’s really specific, but it would get rid of my mother-in-law so easily. 

Posted by Em  on  03/09  at  05:19 AM

Hee hee! Bryan doesn’t count any more.

I’d like to add to your list:

Brother Jed, televangelists, any person peddling religion door-to-door, and anyone who takes direct marketing to the level of religion.

Posted by Gopi  on  03/09  at  05:50 AM

wait, wait. people actually de-link you? now i’m thinking that maybe i’m not such a loser cuz people were de-linking me right and left a few weeks ago. i feel eons better now. i STILL rock! woo-hoo!

-- oh, uhm, yeah. people who de-link you suck eggs. let’s send them to mars. Yeah!

Posted by Patricia  on  03/09  at  06:29 AM

Im not stupid, your stupid!  And how asked you anyways?  Your just a grammer snob!

P.S. - Delinking Greg is the new black.

Posted by cw  on  03/09  at  06:40 AM

Apostrophe use is tricky.  If you succeed in your Constitutional amendment, the court system will be backed up for years with cases like Till V. ‘Til and 70’s V. ‘70s.  Not to mention the hotly debated “Jenny *heart*’s Steve V. Jenny *heart*s Steve.”
For the record, my way old-school sister writes “ ‘phone.” I hope she has a good lawyer.

Posted by  on  03/09  at  06:50 AM

>>sniff<<

I’m taller than you...here you were my blog crush and now you’ve hurt my feelings…

I may have to de-link you.

Posted by Miss Lis  on  03/09  at  07:25 AM

Ok...what about the fish I saw in traffic a while back: inside the fish it said ‘n chips.

Posted by  on  03/09  at  07:53 AM

Heh.  Fish ‘n chips.  Okay, I like that.

Posted by Greg  on  03/09  at  08:32 AM

cw- Even when I know it’s intentional, using your instead of you’re annoys me.

Posted by ffoiii  on  03/09  at  09:24 AM

Well then, my day is complete.

Posted by cw  on  03/09  at  10:03 AM

Killing your television will put me out of a job. So yes, we don’t like those people.

Posted by anna  on  03/09  at  10:17 AM

impressive list.
i am not properly scrutinizing my use of the apostrophe. i am shamed.

Posted by snowy  on  03/09  at  11:05 AM

With apologies to W.S.Gilbert

As some day it may happend that a victim must be found,
I’ve got a little list-I’ve got a little list.
Of society offenders who might well be underground,
And who never would be missed-who never would be missed.

From the idiot who brings, whith smirk and mamma’s pride,
Her little darling to me to purchase junk I can’t abide,
To the uneducated clod spreading apostrophes here and there
Who thinks if “Sally’s“‘s good, then “it’s” (possessive) must be fair,
To the bearers of fish emblems and bumper stickers with political grist
For argument, I say, none of them will be missed,
They never would be missed.

So let me be dictator of the world, and some changes you will see
No shorts on fatties, nor halter tops, nor bare middles wide as the sea.
No whining after special privilege allowed for folks who just won’t work,
No demands the world provide a living by those who prefer to shirk,
No parodies of comic lyricists by those with no talent for meter,
No anti-hunter tirades from those shopping at markets who remain meat-eaters.
So when all the people who disturb Greg, and the blogsters, have been placed upon a list,
Why none of them will be missed, they never would be missed.

Posted by Dad  on  03/09  at  11:05 AM

“Listen, I wouldn’t want the statue of David striking a pose in my vicinity when I’m trying to change, and you’re no work of art, saggy.”
Gold. 

Posted by abby  on  03/09  at  11:34 AM

Wouldn’t it be fish ‘n’ chips?  I will defer to Doctor Greg Howard, master of the English Language.

Posted by  on  03/09  at  02:11 PM

All bets are off in regards to pub food spelling, the specifics of which are generally debated after 3 or 4 glasses of Guiness.

Posted by Greg  on  03/09  at  02:22 PM

Greg, I know I’m engaged and all that, but will you marry me anyway? I think I may be deeply and frighteningly in love with you. Any man who matches my hatred of Those Who Use Apostrophes Improperly (see my post about this some months back) must be my One True Love. So what if you’re short? I can overlook that!!!

Marry me, damn it!

Posted by Daniella M  on  03/09  at  04:20 PM

Aww, you’re not short. You’re tall enough to reach the ground. That’s what my mom always used to say.

I know. I don’t get it either.

Posted by gimmy  on  03/09  at  04:46 PM

Wow.  This little piece of hate was just what I needed, though personally I might add people who go to networking events to the list.

Posted by jennn  on  03/09  at  05:54 PM

Greg: Dumb people who are stupid and who annoy me have been driving me nuts all week.

Gregdad: Wow.

Jennn: Dammit!  Just when I thought I’d avoided the list.  What if we go to a networking event day after tomorrow, not because we have any desire to or really understand what a networking event is but because we’re terribly, terribly desperate?  May I please have a dispensation, ma’am?

Posted by srah  on  03/09  at  06:21 PM

Amen, except I think 70’s is perfectly acceptable.  The spelling, I mean, not the decade itself.  And I love the fish wars.  The counter of the Jesus fish with the Darwin fish was pure genius.  Then there’s the “Truth” Jesus fish eating the Darwin fish, which was a worthy comeback.  I say, Don’t let it end here.  Darwin fish need to retaliate. It’ll all end in bloodshed, I know, but as someone who’s only rear-end adornment reads “Ford Escort.” I say, “Let the games begin.  Or continue rather...”

Posted by Rob E.  on  03/10  at  02:48 AM

Don’t forget the Gefilte Fish…

Posted by Jess  on  03/10  at  09:49 AM

I just saw the Gefilte fish!!!  That’s what I get for living in a predominately Swedish/Norwegian neighborhood though. 

Posted by  on  03/10  at  12:43 PM

Except one thing . . . the last three groups are not minorities.

And one more thing:  Dad - no more meth and Poe.

Posted by  on  03/10  at  04:02 PM

I once made the owner of a hair salon scrape the apostrophe out of the giant letters of the establishment’s name in the front window.  The name of the place was “Hair Trend’s”.  And no, the gentleman’s name was not Mr. H. Trend.  I asked.

Posted by  on  03/10  at  05:48 PM

oh man. 

greg for president.  totally.

Posted by the mighty jimbo  on  03/10  at  08:06 PM

people who use exclamation points! at the end of every sentence! and sometimes between sentences! and sometimes more than one at the end of a regular sentence!!!!

Posted by liz  on  03/11  at  05:18 AM

but your vote doesn’t count because the noise in the measurement devices ... oh forget it. 

*de-links greg*

Posted by bryan  on  03/11  at  09:25 AM

and, by the way, i’m 5’ 10”.  count those extra two inches, bitch.

Posted by bryan  on  03/11  at  09:27 AM

Maybe you get delinked because you don’t stop by and post often enough.  *raises eyebrow*

Posted by Casey  on  03/12  at  11:35 AM