The US Senate’s Rule XIX, which dates back to 1902,
states that a US Senator cannot insult their colleagues.
In high school I took AP Comparative Government
where we watched compilation videos of MPs booing
loudly, making rude comments, and openly mocking
members of the other party. I often wished the US
would take that one lesson from its parent nation.
Maybe if our politicians had a better sense of humor
we would tune into the nightly news
and watch Ted Cruz and AOC throw whipping-cream-filled
pie tins across the aisles, see Mitch McConnell get
caught in crossfire as Nancy Pelosi sprayed a watergun
at her opponents. Bills would be introduced to boos,
laws would be made under raucous jeering. We can’t pretend
we’re not all just people running this country, that it wouldn’t
be more fun just to make decisions the old-fashioned way,
by beating our siblings with plastic swords
until we could watch what we wanted on TV.
By Adriana Barker