In the movie "The Philadelphia Experiment" the destroyer USS Eldridge is part of an experiment to make warships invisible and everything goes wrong. Well maybe Delegate Jeff Eldridge (D-Lincoln) needs to become invisible, because he has gone all wrong.
Delegate Eldridge has proposed a bill to ban the sale of Barbie. Yes, Barbie, the Mattel doll that is turning 50 years old this year. The same doll that has taught generation of young girls they could strive for more. In 1965 Mattel introduced Astronaut Barbie years before real life women were accepted into NASA's Space Program. Barbie has worn the uniform our all branches of our armed services, competed in the Olympics and been part of the corporate world. While Barbie may just be a doll in the world of the imagination she has shown lots of young girls what they could be and many have gone on to achieve more than even Barbie, because they dare believe in themselves.
Now it has not been reported if Delegate Eldridge is going base his bill off another law. One law that I did find that was similar was passed by Saudi Arabia in 2003 in which Saudi's outlawed the sale of Barbie dolls, saying that she did not conform to the ideals of Islam. Perhaps the real reason for outlawing Barbie in West Virginia is because she is shown taking career paths that are unlikely to be available in our state because of the tax and legal structure that keeps us at 50th in the states rankings?
Delegate Eldridge should be introducing legislation to improve the economic conditions in West Virginia by putting in a business friendly tax structure and revamping our legal system to attract businesses to the state. Let's create the economic opportunity for the young girls in this state to actually have the jobs that Barbie shows them are available, so they don't have to leave the state to find those careers. Instead changing West Virginia for the better, what the delegate proposes is to take away the young girls dreams of being something better because his party is unwilling to offer it to the people of this state and they don't want the people to leave to find it.
If the state doesn't have anything else to consider besides a doll, we have all the wrong people in there serving us. I can think of a lot of items to consider to better this state, and I'm only a commom person with only a high school education.
ReplyDeleteIf I lived in Lincoln Co., and this guy was MY representative, I would be so angry. What a huge waste of time and resources. He should be ashamed of himself. I'm truly embarrassed for our state right now -- Eldridge, I think you may be semi-retarded. If you actually follow through and introduce this bill, you may be fully retarded.
ReplyDeleteWake up WV.....we need to actually check out/interview/write letters/email or communicate in some fashion with these folks before they are elected. Delegate Eldridge now has 4 full years behind him.....and this is what a seasoned Delgate has to offer! I judged a social studies project yesterday at our middle school. The topic Barbie: An American Idol. I asked the presenter (female) what her favorite Barbie was....she told me the one that looked like Jackie Onassis with a pill box hat and conservative suit. I also asked her why she thought Barbie's were still popular given the "craze" of electronic games. Her answer: "When you are playing with a Barbie you can achieve all your dreams!" She never once mentioned the word beauty or any words that would be formed from the word beauty. Come on....someone run against this "man".....how about a Barbie girl!!!
ReplyDeleteThis is an absolute embarrassment to our state, Del. Eldridge's bill to ban the sale of “Barbie” was featured on Hannity tonight, people around the Country & the world must be amazed by the foolishness of a Delegate that has nothing better to do than blame the economic problems of young women in our state on a Barbie doll rather than focus on the economic policies he & his party have pushed though the legislature for nearly 80 years!!! Gary, good article & thank you for bringing it to light…
ReplyDeleteTake care & God Bless,
Tommy
Is that all he has to worry about. It just shows government has become way too big. How about we let each individual decide what they like and dislike. Smaller government equals more freedom.
ReplyDeleteWV legislators had to realize proposing a Barbie ban would cause a big media stir but, then again, maybe this was strategic...
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