Download the text version of the First Inaugural Address of Ronald Reagan.

Download the text version of the First Inaugural Address of Barack Obama.

Of note is the latest piece of legislation coming out of the House of Representatives on Wednesday, December 5, 2012 that would ban the use of the word “lunatic” in any federal documents and law.

One of the inmates in the Congressional asylum voted against the action…just one. Representative Louie Gohmert refused to take his political Prozac and wash it down with popular political Kool-Aid. According to news reports, Mr. Gohmert stated that use of the word lunatic “really has application” to Washington.

There remains little in the way of predictability in American politics. While we watch our $16 trillion dollar debt climbs to $17 trillion and taxes on all Americans (that’s right, all Americans) go up on January 1, 2012, our elected officials are spending their time determining, legalizing and controlling what words can and cannot be used in Washington.

One cannot help but ask, is this banning of the word “lunatic” being done as yet another government stepping stone in the process to control speech, editorial comments and thoughts? On its face the action Congress took seems trivial, silly and laughable.

This is serious business. While the folks are all working every day to pay their taxes and keep their families afloat, Congress is handling the top priorities of the day by controlling speech by means of legislation outlawing the use of certain words.

Once the lunatic legislation is passed, it will be automatically applicable to any State receiving Federal money. The legislation will be applicable to all Federal agencies and the language they can use in email, memoranda and of course, policy statements, analysis and most importantly, law. The FCC will ultimately decide if the term “lunatic” can be used by those who give opinions over the airways. It could well be that radio commentators, news reporters and opinion-makers will all be affected.

Of course, after Obama signs the legislation, all of us can think “lunatic” and “lunacy” but saying the words will be increasingly viewed as hateful and harmful to our fellow Americans who suffer from various forms of mental and emotional problems. After all, the use of the word “lunatic” is offensive to some and its use might stigmatize some people. Naturally, health groups lined up behind the legislation to endorse its passage.

Obama will gather up a group of health care providers who can stand behind him during the signing of the legislation into law. Obama will smile, hand out ink pens, shake hands and perhaps make comments about how America is made better when we don’t offend others. More importantly, from the Obama perspective he will have added another “group” of Americans to his pantheon of special interest voters who keep him in power.

Welcome to the great big American nut house where the big issues that are destroying our country are ignored and the trivial matters are elevated to the status of statesmanship.

All of this makes us ask, “Are we being controlled by lunatics?”