City Council may restrict "facial gestures" (my title since there isn't one...)

san fran chronicle ^ | april 7 03 | AP wires

[KneelBeforeZod]

PALO ALTO, Calif. (AP) -- The city council is wrestling with a code of conduct that urges elected officials to control facial gestures. Experts say the council's plan to discourage nonverbal forms of disagreement or disgust is odd, unenforceable and almost an infringement on free speech.

[kinsman redeemer]

My wife says that I SHOULD always be thinking, "What expression do I have on my face?"

[conservativemusician]

With apologies to Californians, only the left coast could come up with something as ridiculous as trying to regulate facial expression.

[CROSSHIGHWAYMAN]

Council member Judy Kleinberg, who led the committee that drafted the guidelines, believes members should show each other more respect.

What planet did these California freaks alight from?

Didn't Colorado Rep. Pat Schroeder always have a pinched, pained, sourpuss expression on her face?

It's just too hard for some people to smile..........I guess......like Tom Dashle.....

I am saddened.........

[aruanan]

I've got a few other gestures for them.

[sirchtruth]

I have just slapped my forehead so hard my handprint still remains and will most likely be there all day.

I kept looking for the "onion" or "bsn" source, but I see it's the SFC which is just as credible!

This truly is absolutely absurd.

Council member Judy Kleinberg, imbecile at large.

[Happygal]

If city council meetings in Ireland are anything like yours, boredom is the over riding facial expression I encounter. :-)

[Snake65]

BB Dayorder facecrime doubleplus ungood.

Think in Newspeak! Oldthinkers unbellyfeel INGSOC.

[KneelBeforeZod]

Those who have handprints on their forehead will be asked to leave the council chambers so as not to intimidate others in the audience

[Charles Henrickson]

"Young lady, wipe that puss off your face!"

[ZeitgeistSurfer]

A future recipient of the George Orwell Trophy in junior league totalitarianism. Let Ms. Kleinberg know your thoughts.

judy_kleinberg@city.palo-alto.ca.us

[TroutStalker]

Check this out:

Schools Ban Childish Behavior, But Are They Going Too Far? -- The 'Re-Engineered' Child

[Havoc]

But don't forget they'll eschew conservatives under the pretense that they would do something like this while they do it openly. A conservative wouldn't do this.

[KneelBeforeZod]

I have to admit that most people in Palo Alto would be better served with a concierge service rather than a police dept.

[O.C. - Old Cracker]

Issue one of these to every council member.

[DonQ]

Have all the members of the city council wear paper bags over their heads for the duration of the meetings to assure compliance.

And, while we're at it, duct tape over their mouths.

[martin_fierro]

No need to apologize.

This loopiness could only happen here in Kalifornia (specifically, Palo Alto).

[freesia2]

If this is all this council has to do with their time, they should just disband. Bet all their facial expressions would improve then, too. :p

[TontoKowalski]

Any day now, we'll set up "The Ministry of Funny Walks"

[KneelBeforeZod]

even worse, we don't vote for mayor... the city council picks the mayor after they are seated