Posted on 05/24/2012 7:39:16 AM PDT by Sub-Driver
Senate approves bill striking word 'lunatic' from federal law By Pete Kasperowicz - 05/23/12 11:33 PM ET
The Senate on Wednesday quickly approved legislation that would remove the word "lunatic" everywhere it appears in the federal code.
The Senate approved S. 2367 by unanimous consent, giving the House a chance to act if it wishes, although no House member has introduced a similar bill.
Sen. Kent Conrad (D-N.D.) introduced the bill back in late April with Sen. Mike Crapo (R-Idaho). Conrad said the bill was the result of a conversation with a constituent, who said current law casts a stigma on people with mental disabilities. "Sen. Crapo and I agree that federal law should reflect the 21st-century understanding of mental illness and disease, and that the continued use of this pejorative term has no place in the U.S. Code," Conrad said in April.
The word "lunatic" appears in the U.S. Code in Title 1, Chapter 1, which covers rules of construction. Chapter 1 holds that when determining the meaning of any law, "the words 'insane' and 'insane person' and 'lunatic' shall include every idiot, lunatic, insane person, and person non compos mentis."
According to Conrad's bill, it also appears in laws related to banking that deal with the authority to take receivership of estates.
In April, several health groups supported Conrad's decision to introduce the bill.
those lunatics!!!
‘the lunatic is on the grass’
Huh...???!!
But, it’s OK to put one in the WH??!!
Let’s just cut back government to half time.
That would keep these loonies, from making work for themselves.
Boy, am I glad they did that. No need to pass a budget for an economy that’s totally destroyed. No. We hadda’ get rid of “lunatic” from federal law.
Every word in the English dictionary could be misconstrued as pejorative by someone or something! This feel-good LUNACY is mind-numbing. Lunatics don’t take offense to being called the same.
I’m sure glad that the Senate’s priorities are in order.
Good to see a focus on the most important stuff. Never mind the deficit.
I’m so happy to learn that we live in such times that our US Senate has nothing better to worry about than this.
Apparently, they have solved all our problems except this one....................(Maybe they are getting tired of being called lunatics?)
Yeah! Its not like they have any real work to do (like passing a budget maybe?)
Exactly. Members of Congress want their feelings to avoid being hurt.
Meanwhile the nation’s debt increased by - oh who cares.
Lunatics want to colonize the Moon.
only a lunatic would care
Remember, political “correctness” is the only thing that makes a language smaller.
If one wants proof that “lunatic” is a useful term, just play back a speech by the Obamadork, the Peloswitch, or Reid the Undead.
There is no dark side of the Moon, really. Matter of fact, it’s all dark.
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