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At what point did we as a nation lose our sense of humor? 

Yesterday, Vice President Dick Cheney spoke at the National Press Club and mocked his own heritage, saying that there were Cheneys on both side of the family tree. “And we’re not even from West Virginia,” he joked, clearly implying that in-breeding is accepted in some parts of the country. 

By morning, Sen. Robert Byrd of West Virginia was full of righteous indignation, saying that now the Bush administration didn’t need West Virginians to vote for them so they felt it okay to insult the fine people of his state. 

Cheney issued an apology for the inappropriate remarks. 

Geez! What happened to the ability to poke fun at ourselves? 

Cheney was, in effect, saying that he is in-bred. We know, historically, that the royal families of Europe were so in-bred that they developed genetic disorders, specifically hemophilia, as a result. 

Couldn’t Sen. Byrd just have said something fun like, “Yup, we’re in-bred too, but at least we don’t accidentally shoot our hunting companions?”   

This incessant need to always be politically correct and never say anything that might offend anyone else is crazy. Worse yet, it prevents us from saying what we really think and actually resolving our differences. 

Growing up in Colorado, we had a habit of referring to all tourists as “Damn Texans!” Now, to be fair, it wasn’t always a Texan we were cursing. It was usually some flatlander who had no idea how to drive in the mountains or simple rules of mountain etiquette. For example, when on a single lane mountain road, if you meet another car, the car headed uphill has the right of way. It is the responsibility of the car headed downhill, which presumably has more power and maneuverability to pull over and get out of the way. 

In deference to Texans, most of them weren’t taught this. Why would they be? It wasn’t a complete dislike of Texans that spurred the prejudice or even an actual belief that Texans should be damned. It was encounter after encounter of people doing things differently. 

While aspersions on a person’s heritage are a bit different, the simple truth is that most of the time, people take statements like Cheney’s with the humor it intended. No one, at least no thinking person, listening to Cheney’s speech derived from it the idea that all West Virginians are in-bred. 

Listening to Senator Byrd, however, one might determine that West Virginians have no sense of humor. 

I have no special love for the vice president. He has in many ways seemed like a non-entity during the Bush years except as a scapegoat for all those blaming the administration for higher oil prices. But really, Senator Byrd, I realize you are old, but try to remember to have fun once in awhile and quit being so self-important that you can’t allow the vice president to make fun of himself.

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