OK, sure-it’s shooting at the proverbial broad side of the barn to give an American Idiot Award to Bill O’Reilly. So I am asking Bill to share it with the equally idiotic Victoria Taft. Ms. Taft is a radio talk show host hailing from the east side of the Portland, Oregon metropolitan area who loves to bash Portland for its progressive attitudes. From the very efficient light rail system to attempts to attempts to help education, if it makes sense from a progressive point of view in Oregon, she rails against it. But that in itself is not enough for an American Idiot Award, right? Of course not. What distinguishes Ms. Taft and puts her in the unenviable position of being as big an idiot as Billo?
As fate would have it, it is the “naked neighbor.” Jimmy McKenzie, who lives near the town of Rainer, Oregon likes to strut his stuff, so to speak. He very often walks around his property naked or very lightly clothed. And that has some of the locals quite upset. There have been complaints made over Mr. McKenzie and his public display of “little Jimmy” for a couple of decades. So why has nothing been done? He isn’t breaking the law when he is naked. According to Oregon law, he can walk down his driveway and get his mail naked as the oft mentioned jaybird and he isn’t breaking any laws.
Oregon’s law on public nudity unless the person engages in sexual intercourse or attempts arousing sexual desire with themselves or someone else. As Lt. Jerry Simmons of the Columbia County Sheriffs Department says “Just walking around in your birthday suit is not a crime.” When the Sheriff has appeared on television he seems like he would be happy if the whole thing just went away.
There is something else that has so many people peeved. The “naked neighbor” was charged for having child pornography and will go to trial in September. Again, I say charged. So count on good ole’ Billo to grab the story and hype it up. And Victoria Taft, being the Billo wanna be that she is, was more than happy to go on ‘The Factor” and enter that “no spin zone.” Once the story made it on a local station (KATU-2) it was off to the races and Billo.
Never mind, Bill, that there have been attempts at the Oregon Legislature 3 times in the past 16 years to make nudity a crime, and all of them failed. Let’s take a look at what Billo did to really rankle me. He starts his segment saying “every afternoon, the school bus comes by, he runs out naked.” Even though that has not been alleged and his house is down a driveway off the road with much of the property surrounded by trees and bushes. Bill says he “wants everyone in the country to know what’s going on in Oregon.” And Ms. Taft can’t wait to jump on the bandwagon “this guys a pervert.”
What really pushed it over the top was when Victoria Taft said the man is “clearly attempting to arouse himself.” And that it is “contemptuous behavior.”
What really kicks it is when Billo says “this is what happens when secular progressives control the legislature, as they do in Oregon. This is the best example I can give everybody watching what our society will look like in ten years if this continues.” And Ms. Taft nodding enthusiastically saying “you’re right!” In the background. OK, Idiots! The Oregon legislature has both houses controlled by the Democrats-Bills “secular-progressives” for the first time in years after the November election. That’s like saying the new Democratic majorities in Washington are responsible for tax cuts for the rich. The new legislative session has barely started and bill wants to blame them for a naked guy that has been going “full monty” in his own yard for decades. “No Spin Zone?” Spinnin’ like a top. Billo! Congratulations, you and Ms. Taft are indeed ‘American Idiots.”
