Gunsmoke, Utah-style

Per New York Times columnist Gail Collins, Utah is mulling a bill that will make the Browning M1911 pistol the official state firearm. You can be forgiven for asking, Forrest Gump-like, "Are they crazy or just plain stupid?" Since I have no idea what's in the Utahan drinking water, I won't attempt an answer. But to be fair, the bill didn't emerge out of thin gun smoke. The pistol's inventor, one John Moses Browning, is a native son. Also, the trusty .45 caliber Browning was a standard-issue side arm for US military officers from 1911 to 1985 (as a Marine, I was once an expert shot with the weapon). So, there's some legitimate history here. Besides, if an object isn't nailed down in Utah, the Beehive State will officially recognize it. That includes an official state star (Dubhe), cooking pot (Dutch oven) and snack food (Jell-O). Nevertheless, is it really a good idea to fetishisize a gun by official state proclamation? Given our propensity for violence (esp. after the Tucson massacre), common sense says no. But, as Collins drolly says, "It is generally not a good policy to dwell on the strange behavior of state legislators since it leads to bottomless despair." She's right. If you'll pardon the pun, just shoot me now.