As the terrible details about the deranged Arizona shooter trickle out, one begins to wonder if brain rot is contagious in certain susceptible populations, such as liberal politicians and pundits. Maybe Loughner was on to something about mind-control grammar, and his word-salad spewings tripped a switch in softer brains. E.g, the sheriff who admits they don't know what made the gunman shoot Giffords, BUT he's sure Palin has something to do with it. Nifty and evidence-free! If this guy starts claiming he's Napoleon would anyone be surprised?
Next in the copy-cat madness brigade is one Representative Peter King, who has the bright idea of
forbidding those nasty guns from being 1,000 feet or closer to government officials. Now, there are a few wrinkles in enforcement or even obedience to this proposed law, namely as long as government officials have their human disguises on they look exactly like everyone else. How to tell who needs the 1,000' radius? I suggest Snarkatron's Amendment to this legislation: That all government officials wear identifying marks -- say, a large circle of concentric red and white rings-- on both front and back so they will be known as someone you should not shoot. Possibly even on either side of the official, if they are of a large disposition. Oh, and a helmet with a flashing light. This would have the added benefit of allowing decent people to avoid them and protecting the innocent minds of children who might otherwise grow up thinking a career in government would be appropriate.
I'm not saying that's the only way to solve the problem. We could also institute Government Reservations, where all government officials must live and work, complete with barbed wire and guard towers. It would be easy to keep weapons the proper distance if all the "protected individuals" were isolated to a few easily-avoided locations. I mean, we have no *evidence* that there is a connection to government service and paranoid schizophrenia, but I "feel sure" if we look hard enough we'll find one!