Tennessee legislators seek to make the Bible the official state book

[Rapscallion]

Originally Posted by protege

That's exactly what they're doing. They come up with this legislation, hope some group wants to deny it, it gets retracted...and then they scream "persecution."

Quite possible they're also or alternatively working on a basis of throw enough at a target and something will sneak through the defences and stick.

Rapscallion

[TheHuckster]

Originally Posted by Estil

Okay if no one else is gonna ask I will...since when did any state even have any kind of "official book"?

States have "official" everything now. My state has an official bird, rock, mineral (different from rock), fish, flower, tree, shell, fruit, ship, folk art, beverage, and most recently state appetizer. No, none of that is hyperbole.

[Estil]

Well yeah but how many of those do people care about? I mean Tennessee I think has several state songs...but in practice THE state song is good ol' Rocky Top. And that was quite beautiful West Virgina using John Denver's Take Me Home Country Roads as theirs. As for ours (KY), you don't get much better than this (he was not only a governor but also the second Commissioner of Baseball too!):

https://youtu.be/fsQj46swDvI

[Andrew B]

Don't forget, the state song of Oklahoma is Oklahoma! from the musical of the same name.

[Estil]

Also makes perfect sense. I mean having official state flag, state flower, state bird, state song, state seal and other traditional state/national symbols make perfect sense. But yeah sometimes it does get a bit out of hand.

And while I am proud to be a born and bred Kentuckian, I love UK basketball, I love even more having two BAs from UK, and while it may not be the kind of culture you'd find in a multicultural festival or anything I do think we have a very nice distinctive culture I think. That being said, I am beyond embarrassed that the Kentucky General Assembly put off until 1986 (not 1966, 1986) changing that one line in "My Old Kentucky Home" to "the people are gay" to, eh, what it used to be. :P

[Racket_Man]

UPDATE:

The state Governor VETOS the bill

http://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/ten...7Kz&OCID=HPDHP

[Bloodsoul]

Is it wrong of me to want Kansas' official state book to be Action Comics #1?

[HYHYBT]

Great idea! Though they'd probably go with something easier to get, like "The Wonderful Wizard of Oz."