This is a short outing this morning due to routine medical appointments in a town thirty miles away from Refuge Farm. Nothing alarming, just assessment interventions based on age. But time consuming and an extravagant allocation of energy resources in an increasingly austere environment that Washington told us they could do little about.
Splash snickered at that, since shutting down pipeline construction seemed to be one of the initial interventions in distribution on the first moments of the current regime, but our Attorney clapped her hands and told him to cool his jets. The grounds for that are clear, and the reason for her presence at the Fire Ring and the morning production meeting of the Refuge Farm Writer’s Section. The military members subject to prosecution under provisions of the UCMJ pursed their collective lips. No one needs a summons to court, and we are inclined to obey legitimate guidance from our former professions.
Buck and Melissa are not under the same restrictions, neither receiving Federal pension money, though both receive Federal funding from other sources that do not include statutory prohibition on speech. Buck is a retired Economist, though, and retains an Emeritus status from previous government service in a State-funded institution. The Chairman has shrugged at his liabilities, since the University where he taught has not currently issued a warning to retired staff. Our Attorney was happy that Splash was quiet.
Buck saw the lull, and asserted himself by standing upright, giving Melissa an appropriate and respectful touch on the shoulder before speaking. “Is it time for the Writer’s Section of the Daily Socotra to define what Whoopi Goldberg calls a “Yee Haw Gun? You guys know what that is from a professional standpoint.”
DeMille muttered something non-controversial. “We no longer speak the same language. That is a non-partisan observation I think Amanda will agree with.”
Our Attorney is no fool and knew she was being set up. “That is as far as you want to go with that. I have consulted US Code, and that is not partisan, since it is a grammatical flourish.”
DeMille smiled. “Specifically, I will not address why the prefix “semi” actually means the opposite of “fully” in terms of a mechanical description of the word “automatic.”
Amanda frowned. Buck smiled. “Yeah, and the company Armalite is not the same thing as the word “assault.” An Armalite rifle is a product, not a capability. Automtic-fire rifles have been rigidly controlled by the Federal Government since 1934, or almost ninety years. We are having a public policy disagreement in which words do not mean what they sound like.”
“Enough,” said Amanda. “We are not going to get into a grammatic discussion this morning.”
“I imagine that includes discussion of the diameter of things that might be associated with kinetic tools. Someone just stated that nine millimeters is a dangerous diameter. I seriously doubt that many citizens in America knows what a millimeter might be.” Buck was all smiles now, since he had said nothing that could be used against him.
Amanda looked at DeMille sternly. “I will not approve anything that suggests public figures are uttering nonsense.”
Buck smiled again. “What she said on the television show The View was that the AR-15s got to go,” but citizens could keep the other yeehaw things.”
“Just so long as we are speaking English.”
There was general agreement that future meetings should be conducted in a common tongue to avoid misunderstanding. Splash suggested Sanskrit. There was some nodding around the circle and someone thought a toast to that at lunch would be a splendid idea.
“वे मुस्त स्पेअक् थे समे लङ्गुअगे ओर् वे विलल नोत उन्देर्स्तन्द् ऍच् ओथेर्,” said Splash. There was some general nodding and then the meeting was over. Until we could find a translator, anyway.
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