first jesus, now santa?
it's the first day of December and the war on Christmas is in full swing:
On Thursday, the Maine Civil Liberties Union Foundation filed a lawsuit claiming government censorship after the Maine Bureau of Liquor Enforcement refused to allow Massachusetts-based Shelton Bros. to sell Santa's Butt and two other beers with label illustrations that the agency deemed "undignified or improper." The MCLU claims the denial is a First Amendment violation restricting freedom of expression.
State law requires beer distributors to register labels with the liquor enforcement bureau. Maine State Police Lt. Patrick Fleming said the agency reviews 10,000 to 12,000 applications a year and typically denies about a dozen. Applicants who are denied are given a chance to alter the label and reapply, he said. The Santa's Butt label depicts Santa Claus from behind, sitting on a barrel. It is intended to have a double meaning, Shelton said, in that "butt" is also a term used to identify the 126-gallon barrel on the label.
what's wrong with marketing a dark brown porter called Santa's Butt? I bet it's tasty enough for even a freedom-hating muppet like Newt Gingrich to enjoy. Let's hope the Maine Civil Liberties Union is victorious in their battle against the tyrannical liquor enforcement bureau. Christmas wouldn't be the same without a cool, brown pint poured straight from Santa's rump.
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