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There is a disconnect between average citizens and the people voted into office representing them in office.

I know that’s a no-brainer but it needs to be mentioned.

Yesterday, the Senate passed the guns in bars and restaurants bill in Tennessee, which I spoke of last week with our old friend, Mr. Jimmy, who has had more choice words to stay about in recent days that I can’t print here because it would make your brain freeze up.

I’m second amendment. I know a lot of people that carry and have their permits to do so. I have a deer in my freezer right now courtesy of a hunter. My father and grandfather had guns and rifles that we were not allowed to even look at cross-eyed when I was a child.

That’s not the point.

The point is that it’s common sense that guns and booze do not mix. It’s that simple. And our legislature in this state had to debate this? Let me help, guns and booze do not mix. It’s not about guns. It’s not about booze. It’s about that a law will go into effect that say you can mix them together and the simple fact that I’ve talked to a lot of people who own these kinds of businesses that are unclear on some things. Not everyone has a computer to go look up the bill.

And, there should have been a very distinct line between restaurants and bars in this legislation. That’s my opinion.

The disconnect that I speak of comes from the appalling fact that people here in Hoots that make their livelihood in small juke joints (for lack of a better word) were not approached about this bill. Just talking to the local chamber or buddies at a Fish Fry/Strawberry Festival/Iris Festival at a luncheon where the local clique is does not speak to the entire voice of a community. (For that matter, neither do I which I own.) I do know they were approached by these folks that don’t fit into the political demographic of those who gets consulted and those who doesn’t. If your political representative is only going to be around from 12:08 p.m. to 1:12 on their agenda when they are going to be on a float in a parade, some folks can’t lock up their businesses and run them down. And politicians are notorious for calling at the last minute saying they are going to be in town. Not everyone can get there because of this crazy thing called a job.

And that is where my disappointment lies in our leadership in Nashville. One of the pat answers was “Well, they can put up a sign.” Signs are already up, dudes which I think speaks volumes.

All righty then, let’s look at the dollars. If a drunk person enters a bar after they’ve been drinking somewhere else, that bartender can opt not to give them a drink. Yeah, that’s seem simple. So drunk dude is having a coke, has a gun on him and someone says something he doesn’t like. (I’m being very simplistic here, I realized, but just setting up the situation.)

Bars can sometimes be volatile. Argument breaks out and the worst case scenario happens. Let’s pray it doesn’t, but let’s say it does. (Of course, it’s happened before this bill but work with me here.)

So, the bar did the right thing. They didn’t serve this person. They knew the person had been drinking but they didn’t serve them alcohol during their stay in the juke joint. They may or may not have known dude/chick had a gun. Drunk dude/chick didn’t buy a beer as he was carrying.

Something happens.

But the question remains very simple. Who is held liable if there is an incident?

Is the bar held liable because they followed the law or is the drunk person held liable (the criminal part will be taken care of by law enforcement)?

A sign doesn’t really discuss those things, now does it.

Many people think that it won’t make a big difference, and that’s good. I want to look at both sides of the story, but what I’m talking about is that there questions that went unanswered to the people it affects them the most. Once again, I speak of communication in geographically challenged areas like Hoots. That connection between places like Hoots and Nashville has a large gap, as usual. It’s not like some of us haven’t tried, but still …

Politicians will keep talking to the Chambers, to their buddies and to other folks who basically agree with them on everything. Believe me, I’ve seen this first hand, but the bottom line is there are a whole lot of subcultures in this state which may not get the attention that they should but that are also of value.

When the laws impact those subcultures, the politicians need to talk to them. If you can wave to the crowd in a parade, you can talk to folks who will be impacted by the laws you are creating.

And they don’t need to be so disconnected, because those people vote too. One place I spoke to has raised over $100,000 for the Special Olympics over the years. Another place has also raised hundreds of thousands of dollars helping citizens with supplements to their insurance or lack of when that person is sick.

Everything may not be what it seems on the surface. And those people are talking about who they will vote for more than a year before the election because they feel very disconnected by the people representing them now.

There are different kinds of constituents, campers.

Were they asked about the bill?

You know the answer to that question.

They aren’t to happy with all of this. Don’t say I didn’t warn you.

Well, we have hit the three of the Big Gs in this legislative season (Guns and God), let’s move on to the gays now.

Unemployment and education can wait, she says with a great deal of snark.

I’ve been in a puppy zone for so long that politics has been on the back burner to a large degree.

Puppies have to eat, you know and be delivered to homes and my time has been canine friendly and politics poor over here at Chez Coma. (Only two left for adoption: Handsome and Dot at the low, low price of free!!)

On to pontificating politics with the disclaimer that this is my opinion and not the opinion of Mabel, the puppies, anyone I know and my sister, Homer:

I spoke to a few politicians recently and I realized a sad fact.

I was asking good questions wanting data from my area on economic development and recruitment of new industry, wanted to know why they were voting the way they were voting on some bills that I thought were complete junk and discuss reorganization because our local folks are adjusting to a new way of doing things here. They also mentioned hiring a Republican to do their website. A quick reminder of the Bill Freeman fiasco to a few members and I think they realized that might not be such a great idea.

I realized after a few moments of talking to my elected dudes that each time I had a conversation, that I was being placated to a large degree. Not on purpose necessarily but pacified nonetheless on issues that I found to be important.

Not as a blogger or a reporter, just in general.

Needless to say, I had to think about that. I try not to be blinded by things and Kool-Aid breaks me out into an unpleasant rash. I mean, politicians placate and it doesn’t matter what side of the political aisle they may be on, it’s something that they just do. Not all of them, but a bunch because elections are always right around the corner in this new day and age of campaigning.

The issue for me comes down to is that I think politicians pacify whomever they are talking to at the moment. I’m guessing we are just going to have to stay two steps ahead of them. Tiresome, but true. I’m not throwing out their talking points if I don’t think they have value. And this year, some of the bills in the Assembly have the smarts of a roll of toilet paper, so what’s wrong with talking to them about it.

Now, politicians have been appeasing us for years. It’s no big secret. And, with politicians wanting more and more to meet “privately” with bloggers is really no different than having lunch with a reporter if it were the old days when we smoked at our desks. I did it once last year but I most likely won’t do it again because it just wasn’t my thing and I’ve talked enough about the Three G’s to last a lifetime. The bottom line is that elected officials should be meeting in public when they want to meet with bloggers or it should at least be part on the record. If a politicians wants to have a beer with me, that’s cool too. I’m not going to talk about their PBR habit as it isn’t pertinent to the big picture.

You have to take into consideration while meeting with these politicians to stay on base with what YOUR objective is. It’s hard to be critical of someone when they are smiling at you, talking about their cat and fielding phone calls from their kids. Yes, politicians are people. Yet, they are people voting on your day-to-day lives.

I honestly don’t like being placated very much and I guess I’ve been around these folks long enough to know when they are trying to slide me off of them like a fur coat on a Tennessee August day.

I want to add to these elected guys that they forget one important thing when talking to bloggers or getting tabloid-like coverage on their antics is that Google-Fu is strong. Do politicians clearly understand that anytime they do something and it’s posted online, that it’s going to show up? Do you want your bills to show up or the fact that Gary Odom’s dog is running for office. (Yes, I ran Mabel for President so I don’t really have a problem with it but I’m going to have to practice what I preach and see what bills he has his John Hancock on this a.m. I’m also not an elected official and my dog is Secretary of Steak because it amuses me.)

I think politicians are learning that the Internet has potential (finally!) and bloggers are a bit dangerous because in many ways we are wild cards. Traditional journalism and blogger pontification are changing in this new landscape of communication and instant social media. I can only give one piece of advice and you can keep it or throw it in the road, but as a blogger, you don’t want to confuse personalities and issues.Not that we do that, but the game is changing.

I like a lot of politicians, but I don’t want the issues I think are important to get muddled either because I like the cut of their suit or that their kids are adorable. If anybody is being fed information, there is a reason WHY they are being given it, and that’s because somebody wants some play on that issue of the moment.

With that said, I’m finding that I’m fighting battles that I wish my elected politicians were fighting. When I bring it up, they basically pat me on my head to a large degree. That, my friends, is dismissive and makes me stabby.

So, some of these people want us to fight but don’t want to give us all the information. All-Righty then.

I don’t know, I guess my point is that it’s better to be a bit of a rebel than get blinded by pretty words.

Deeds mean so much more in the long run.

We did a poll which is a Twitter is an in joke. Zombie information you need to know.

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