12A008
Pigs Fly in Vermont
by Jim Davies, 2/4/2012
Not a thousand miles from where this is being written, there's
a ladies' prison at Windsor, VT and about four years ago one of
its inmates (so far, sadly, un-named) who is accomplished in
computer graphics was commissioned to design a new decal to
decorate the cars of State Troopers. Prisons provide states with
a handy source of slave labor, so this arrangement did save VT
taxpayers a little money - though not nearly as much as will be
saved when states are abolished and prisons are replaced by
systems of justice.
The design is shown here and centers around the VT
State Seal, which depicts the pastoral nature of this beautiful
area. This decal has been sported on cop cars for the last three
years, and so has been seen every time one flies by. Look closely at
the flank of the cow, and you'll see the reason for the
brouhaha.
I'm told that pigs in Vermont are a
big improvement on those in a certain neighboring State, because
there are far fewer of them. My reliable informant says it's normal to
drive all day without seeing a single one lurking behind a bush,
trotter on the trigger of one of those revenue generating radar
thingies. Governor Peter Shumlin (D) huffed and puffed that there are
none finer in the land / than police under his command,
but did add that he has "a sense of humor." He then proved the
opposite by promising that taxpayers would bear the cost of
replacing the decals. Why not just leave them in place? - they could
stimulate Vermont's economy by helping attract tourists from all over the world.
Shumlin also said "the state of Vermont is not going to crumble because
there was a prank played on us" and there, I fear he was correct. If only
it were that easy.
The story has set New England laughing its socks off this
weekend, and has reportedly "gone viral", but I've seen
no mention of, or speculation about, the yellow patch on the bovine
rump. It does look to me very much like the silhouette of the
head of a young lady. Might it be the artist's way of
"signing" the work, with a self-portrait?
I do hope she gets out soon, or if she's already released that
she makes it known that she created the masterpiece. It could
launch her on a profitable career, and that's extraordinarily
difficult for a victim of government incarceration systems.