Idiotic referenda

The “Bring Our Troops Home” radicals in Monona, Wisconsin are all up in a tizzy because their ballot referendum has been declined for legal reasons. As the group states in a press release:

Monona – Monona city officials have ruled that the “Bring our Troops Home” referendum will not be on the ballot in Monona. Over 570 Monona citizens had signed a petition to get the referendum on the ballot, and their right to vote on this important issue is being denied because of an incorrect interpretation of the law by the Monona City Attorney.

Basically, members of the group failed to do their homework and submitted an improper referendum, which has now been rightfully rejected:

The original petition read “Should the United States bring all military personnel home from Iraq now?” Wisconsin Statutes for direct legislation states that the petition must be submitted in the form of a resolution containing a statement. But Section 9.20 of the Wisconsin Statutes for direct legislation gives petitioners the legal authority to make amendments in the form of the petition. Petitioners amended the petition to read “Resolved: The United States should bring all military personnel home from Iraq now.”

Now, the legality of the question at hand withstanding, I am a touch confused. What could possibly be the point of such a referendum?

Do the radical activists of Monona really think that the Oval Office and Pentagon are looking to them for advice on how to handle the war in Iraq? “Well, the wise people of Monona think that our expertise is misplaced. Let's call the French, borrow a white flag and give Cindy Sheehan the Congressional Medal of Honor!”

This reminds me of when ASM makes a fool of itself by weighing in on topics like this – perhaps most notably being the time the student government demanded Chancellor John Wiley condemn the USA PATRIOT Act. This is egotism and self-importance blown so monstrously out of proportion that it is astounding these people even have the basic intellect to assemble a referendum (though it now appears they may not even have that basic level of knowledge, ironically enough).

There are, of course, similar resolutions on various ballots around the state – a cheap tactic to draw out radical voters and help a far-left agenda – and frankly I just feel bad for whatever squid gave its life in the creation of the wasted ink that will be used to print these voting slips.