On a campaign for the bluegill

bluegillIt’s been a while — thankfully — since Kansas had a debate about whether to designate this or that its official something or other. But some Tonganoxie schoolkids will lobby the House Agricultural and Natural Resources Committee today to name the bluegill (Lepomis macrochirus) the official state fish. Let the defenders of walleye and crappie speak now or forever hold their peace.
Some will recall the ’90s debates over whether to designate the polka the official state ethnic dance and the square dance the official state folk dance (Richard took flak for a 1996 cartoon depicting same-sex square dancing). The Tonganoxie kids have a precedent to point to: In 1994, some OK Elementary School second-graders in Wichita won over legislators to making the barred tiger salamander the official state amphibian.

8 Comments

  1. Regular
    Posted January 24, 2008 at 6:56 am | Permalink

    I vote for the carp. With all the up and coming Leftist Libs about, they need a bottom feeding, scum sucking fish to represent their fishy side.
    :)

  2. TDT
    Posted January 24, 2008 at 9:56 am | Permalink

    Seriously Reg, get some coffee in you before you put up posts like that.

  3. J R
    Posted January 24, 2008 at 11:55 am | Permalink

    Oh leave the kids alone.

    They are learning about state affairs and civics. We can’t have enough of that.

    It’s fluff? So?

    They should get used to that in civics too.

    Making the bluegill the state fish is no less valid an issue than amendments banning certain marriage or “protecting” the flag.

  4. mrcontroversy
    Posted January 24, 2008 at 12:37 pm | Permalink

    Lest we forget Harley Silt Loam–the official state dirt!

  5. sotheysaid
    Posted January 24, 2008 at 12:39 pm | Permalink

    Representative Peggy Mast had some school children that wanted to name the state fish a few years back. Just because it happened once does not mean it should happen again. It is a waste of money.

  6. ksfarmgrrl
    Posted January 24, 2008 at 12:44 pm | Permalink

    Peggy Mast? Isnt she the one that wants to also outlaw rap music or some such nonsense?

    WTF? I guess she’d rather dither than address the REAL issues in Kansas.

    Drizzle, drazzle, drizzle, drone. Time for this one TO GO HOME!

  7. Tom Paine
    Posted January 24, 2008 at 1:28 pm | Permalink

    not outlaw, just a state sanctioned condemnation, which other than waste time does nothing

  8. Janet
    Posted January 25, 2008 at 7:27 pm | Permalink

    It is really important for our school children to learn the process that a bill goes through to become a law. What better way than to lobby for something in which they believe! To belittle their work or to call it a waste of time lets them know that what they have to say is unimportant. I know young people today who don’t vote and are not politically active because they feel like their opinions are not valued by people in power and ultimately do not count. How do we create thoughtful, responsible young people who want to be involved in the world of politics if they don’t have positive experiences like lobbying for and seeing the blue gill become the state fish? it may seem small in the realm of raising taxes and school finance bills but for these children it is huge! This is a real life experience these third grade students will never forget. I hope it goes well for them!

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