On Tuesday, May 18, the Olympia (Washington) City Council voted to draft a resolution opposing the impending visit by the nuclear sub USS Olympia - which is named after the city apparently. Councilman TJ Johnson made the motion and drafted the resulting resolution ostensibly out of concerns for the city's safety and secrecy surrounding the sub's visit. Indeed the draft of the resolution is all about those reasons and doesn't seem too terribly disconnected with reality, although I doubt I would have voted for it. But, in making the motion to draft the resolution, Councilman TJ Johnson made an incredible statement that belies his real reason for opposing the shore leave visit by the USS Olympia.

The Olympian quotes him as saying, "It is a publicly financed killing machine; there is no other way to look at this." This during the meeting where the Council voted 4 - 3 to draft the resolution.

Now let's examine that statement of Johnson's. I've looked and can't find anywhere that Councilman Johnson has ever called for a resolution to prevent Olympia City Police officers from bringing their guns to work with them each morning. Yet, the guns worn by police officers absolutely are "publically financed killing machines." I wonder if the City Council were to, God forbid, be taken hostage by a madman threatening to blow them all to kingdom come with a bomb, if Councilman Johnson would want the SWAT team to show up minus any "publically financed killing machines?"

What just blows me away about Johnson's statement is the kind of totally befuddled logic underpinning it. One can only hope that the Olympia City Police Department isn't part of his portfolio.

Olympia City Councilman TJ Johnson gets my Lunatic Fringe award for talking first and thinking later.