The nanny-state bureaucrats are at it again . . .

My mind boggled a bit to read this report.

Boulder has really been going overboard with the unnecessary rules lately. First, there was the controversial e e-cigarette ban that made it so the only place you could smoke a tobacco product in Boulder was ... outside of Boulder. Then, they banned dispensary coupons. Yes, coupons, the widely known source of evil and immmorality. You read that right.

And now, Boulder has extended its 1984-style government reach even further into the personal lives of its people by ... drum roll, please ... banning the artful stacking of rocks.

. . .

The ban is a direct result of an issue that local "rock artist" Gravity Glue had with the Boulder Police Department. According to a statement he made on his Facebook page, a police officer got sick of his beautiful, meditative rock sculptures and saw to it that this kind of gravity defiance could be punishable by law. Here's the back story from that same statement:

For the past 7 years i have been creating this art in and around Boulder, Colorado, USA. nearly every day! it has become a huge part and long standing positive aspect of the local spirit of Boulder. I'm not the first, and i definitely will not be the last.

just this weekend, one police officer has decided that balancing rocks in Boulder, Colorado is now illegal, obscurely referencing two city codes about "destruction of public property" in relation to rocks.

Boulder city codes: 5-4-8, and 5-4-2

. . .

Yes, because balancing river rocks is one of the greatest threats to health and safety in Boulder County, and enforcing its illegality is a smart and exacting use of police resources.

There's more at the link, including photographs of this heinous activity and a video clip of the 'artist' doing his thing.

Fortunately, the Boulder City Attorney seems to have had a (rare) attack of sanity over the issue.

Boulder police spokeswoman Kim Kobel today said that an officer did talk to Grab because he was concerned Grab was violating two city municipal codes: rolling or throwing rocks on public property and damaging public property.

The officer did not issue a ticket, and later consulted with the Boulder City Attorney's Office to find out whether the Grab's rock-stacking was a violation of the ordinances, and was told it was not.

In addition, Kobel said patrol officers have been made aware of the city's position on rock-stacking.

Boulder City Attorney Tom Carr also has sent letters of response to people who have been inquiring about the city's policy on rock-stacking.

Again, more at the link.

It's a good thing I don't live in or near Boulder.  I think I'd be torn between hysterical laughter at such nanny-statism, and an overwhelming desire to drum some sense into the fool heads of all the city officials concerned!

(I might do both, of course.  I mean, if one's going to be politically incorrect, why not go the whole hog?  Or is the addition of a porcine element additional evidence of insensitivity?)




Peter