We can’t wait for the Tennessee Legislature to pass the law allowing us to get vouchers so we can set up the Scientology school we’ve been wanting to organize.

Meanwhile, we’re urging some friends to set up that madrasa they’ve talked about for years.

It’s such an unexpected burst of fair-mindedness by a Legislature known for its Freudian attachment to guns and its pride in its own anti-intellectualism.  Finally, the Tennessee Senate has struck a blow for religious freedom with the approval of vouchers for private, church-related, or other independent schools.

For us, any time that arbiter of fair play, Germantown Senator Brian Kelsey, speaks, we listen.  After all, his “Equal Opportunity Scholarship Act” surely isn’t designed to hurt our public schools, because no thinking legislator would want to do that (although hearing “equal opportunity” come out of his mouth is like Charlie Sheen talking about moderation).

Perhaps, this new attack on public education will in fact become an example of the law of unintended consequences.  While trying to bulk up the budgets of Christian schools, they may in fact have opened the doors for all kinds of new religions to be created in order to get some of the voucher money.

Guns and God

Some say that’s also the case with the law intended to allow teachers to talk about creationism in the classroom, but could be used to protect a hardcore Darwinian to go deeper into the evolution of the species and to say intelligent design is unintelligent.

And just when you think it’s safe to go back into the water, this bunch in the Legislature comes up with something certifiably crazy like allowing guns on college campuses.  University of Memphis President Shirley Raines said it well:

“I state on behalf of the University of Memphis that I oppose Tennessee Senate Bill 51 allowing University faculty and staff to carry concealed handguns on campus. I join with the Tennessee Board of Regents, our director of police services, Bruce Harber and his staff, as well as law enforcement agencies across this state and the country in opposition to this legislation.

“We all support the right for individuals to protect themselves, however, at the University we must look out for the welfare of everyone, and we believe our campus is safer because of the current laws and want them left in place.   Please contact your state representatives and senators as soon as possible to express your views. Contact information can be obtained from the Government Relations website: http://www.memphis.edu/govern/.”

Inside Game

Meanwhile, some of the small town mayors want to join a federal lawsuit to protect the dual vote requirement for city-county consolidation because one-man, one-vote is anathema to them.  Interestingly (and unsurprisingly), the mayors just happened to hire the law firm of Tennessee Senate Majority Leader Mark Norris.  There’s nothing like a little insider dealing to remind us how the game is played.

Speaking of the small town mayors, remember how they used to rail during the consolidation debate about how badly the suburban cities in Davidson County are treated by Metro Nashville government.  Germantown Mayor Sharon Goldsworthy mentioned horror story after horror story about how they were abused and how their residents wished there was no consolidated government.

Well, a few weeks ago, the city of Lakewood in Davidson County voted to dissolve its city charter and to become part of the Nashville government.  It was a close vote, but it did belie some of the sky is falling rhetoric of the small town mayors.

Maybe, it’s some of our elected officials who need vouchers most to go back to school.