Posted on 05/01/2003 3:16:36 AM PDT by sarcasm
Lawmakers have been known to split hairs.
Splitting tongues, they're not so crazy about.
So David Miller, the state representative from Calumet City and a practicing dentist, is serious when he talks about recent legislation he's introduced.
Miller, a Democrat, is sponsoring a bill that would all but ban what has become the latest craze in "body modification"--slicing the tongue in half to create a reptilian appearance.
It's a practice akin to body piercings and tattoos. But detractors like Miller say it carries risks of infection and even death if not performed by licensed medical people and surgeons.
That's why Miller wants to ensure that only physicians perform the procedure, and for sound medical reasons.
If properly done the procedure isn't necessarily harmful, he acknowledges. Still, it's a trend he'd rather not see catch on.
"You know how fads are," he said. "You just never know what's going to happen. We just thought we'd be pro-active."
According to a Web site devoted to the practice, as well as other procedures such as body piercings and tattoos, tongue splitting is the "central bifurcation of the tongue, so as to achieve a 'forked tongue' appearance."
Some people have split their tongue by getting a large number of tongue piercings, stretching them, and then cutting between them, said Shannon Larratt, who runs www.bmezine.com, and had his own tongue split in 1997.
Others have turned to oral surgeons or tattoo parlors. An Albany, N.Y., doctor did his, Larratt said, and he encourages those who want their tongues split to seek a surgeon, too.
But many medical professionals highly discourage the practice.
Among the risks are striking an artery or the tongue becoming so swollen the patient can't breathe. Massive tongue hemorrhage, edema, abscess formation, tetanus and nerve damage are other reported complications, doctors say.
Larratt doesn't deny those risks. In fact, he said, the danger of people seeking poorly done "back alley" jobs are precisely why it should be legal.
"A lot of these laws are worded in ways that make it very difficult for a doctor to do it," he said. "What that means is that the qualified practitioners and doctors don't want to risk losing their licenses. So the only people left doing it are hacks that shouldn't be doing it in the first place."
The bill, also endorsed by state Sen. James T. Meeks and similar to legislation in Michigan, has passed the Senate Judiciary Committee and now awaits consideration by the full Senate.
"There's really no reason someone should be splitting his or her tongue," Meeks said. "We are simply trying to keep people from hurting themselves."
Larratt sees it differently. "We don't question a person if they want to go in and get just about every other procedure," he said. "Why target this one in such an extreme fashion?"
That was a swifty reply. Over 2 years ago? Good God man, stop smoking the crack.
Why not?
Yes, but body modification isn't.
I don't suffer from any mental illnesses and I'm modified.
They should worry more about arresting and deporting illegal aliens than about tongue splitting.
i really don't think its self-hate that drives someone to want to do that to themselves.
I know a girl that hung from four hooks in her back and i think shes really happy with herself.
Its kind of funny really...you can judge someone for what they wear or do to themselves such as the splitting..but you dont know anything about the people that do it. Truth be told..i would rather be around tounge splitters, branded, cut, pierced, tattooed people anyday rather than people like you.
You're closed minded and you all think alike.
its people like you who made going to school hard for people.
i dunno, the word nazi comes to mind when i think about you.
All other problems having been solved, the State legislature invents more things to legislate... Gotta keep the lights on don'cha know...
"I know a girl that hung from four hooks in her back and i think shes really happy with herself. "... "i dunno, the word nazi comes to mind when i think about you."
Welcome to FR
xnastynatex
June 28, 2006
Notice how many "tounge splitters" are coming out of the woodwork today? It's cracking me up.
i think there is a nuthouse that is missing a buncha nuts today! ; )
You know, you really can use your shift key.
Honest, I am not making this up.
Can you say, "Click it or Ticket"? The painful, bumpy ride down that slippery slope has already begun.
Heheh!
BTW, see your FReepmail.
You got that right, buddy! People's sins get so bad God turns them over to all kinds of despicable perversions!
You got that right, buddy! People's sins get so bad God turns them over to all kinds of despicable perversions!
Never happen though, because then they would have to adjourn and never reconvene.
You might need to say that again, using shorter words next time. :-)
Heh.
It's really a pet peeve of mine.
LOL, I agree. YOu should see how they operate in the workplace. The government needs to be governed.
I was holding up well until you mentioned how they'd look in old age..and it's just a disgusting mental picture!
Have you noticed the spelling and punctuation? Who would have guessed tongue splitting, body piercing, branding and the ability to use spell check are related? Really very strange.
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