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Hearing about the brouhaha in the US House Friday reminds me of my continuous fascination with the rules of decorum in the House of Commons in Merry Olde England.
If you missed it, two honorable (sic) US House members engaged in a "back-and-forth", in which one told the other to "shut up", with the other (71 years old)
replying, "Come over here and make me, you fruitcake wimp!!" Call the cops, right?
Well, Britain's House of Commons may have "written the book" on decorum 'do's and dont's', even if sometimes it appears totally void of the more traditional
courtesies of debate. Forbidden is the calling of names, such as coward, "git", hooligan, rat, or guttersnipe, of all things. But NOT forbidden is the unmistakable
rumbling and guffawing of the members... either in support of, or in opposition to ... just about every sentence the speaker utters. Let me give it a go...eh, what?
"I rise to address the Honourable Chamber with praise for this Yankee publication, the Fortnight Weekly...
aarrrgghhh grouse rumble mumble nay nay geezzzee rumble gritch
"...And it's author, who I am proud to say is before you today."
rawww barf rumble grouse mumble nay nay rawww mumble jerk grrritch
"Here's a Yank who spends every fortnight, researching topics of interest to this Honoured Body...
ohhhh rumble mumble for cryin rumble nay nay out loud aaarrrgh toss rumble this bloke
"...And I thank you for the use of the Honourable Chamber."
grouse rumble who is arrrrghh rumble this pathetic mumble growl slob rumble
.....And, don't you dare call me, guttersnipe!
mumble rumble ..... wimp !
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