Hint for the ideologically committed – or for those who should just be committed.

Hi. My name is Joel, and I’m an ideologue.

(Hi, Joel!)

It has been six months since I’ve done something as stupid as this. Okay, it really wasn’t this stupid. Or evil, or destructive. My lapse was just a little embarrassing and I don’t choose to discuss it.

But I’d like to offer a pointer on how to know when your ideological commitments have jumped the shark. When you find yourself doing this:

Hunter Spanjer says his name with a certain special hand gesture, but at just three and a half years old, he may have to change it.

“He’s deaf, and his name sign, they say, is a violation of their weapons policy,” explained Hunter’s father, Brian Spanjer.

Grand Island’s “Weapons in Schools” Board Policy 8470 forbids “any instrument…that looks like a weapon,” But a three year-old’s hands?

You know it’s time to back away from the crack pipe. You really want a 3-year-old kid to change his name because a hand gesture scares you? Dude. Let go and let God, y’know?

Thanks for listening.