The Oklahoma House rejected a resolution today to name a song by The Flaming Lips as the state's official rock song because one of the band members wore a T-shirt bearing a symbol associated with the Communist Party while at the state Capitol last month.
Rep. Corey Holland, R-Marlow, debated against the resolution, saying he was bothered one of the band members wore a red T-shirt with a yellow sickle and hammer on it when The Flaming Lips came last month to the Capitol when results of an online voting contest showed their song to be the clear-cut winner.
Rep. Mike Reynolds, R-Oklahoma City, also spoke against the measure, saying the band has a reputation for using obscene language, recalling band members used offensive language several years ago when the city of Oklahoma City named an alley after the band.
"Their lips ought to be on fire," Reynolds said.
When I first heard this news, I thought it was joke. But then I realized that I live in Oklahoma, and am represented by a right-wing nutjob group called the Oklahoma Legislature where arcane and illogical thought is encouraged and embraced. Fortunately, though, we have a normal Governor who balances out this crazy group, and came to the rescue just a few hours after the resolution failed: