Arizona enacted a new immigration law. I'm not up on current events - I haven't voted since 1980, and I have no opinion on outside issues - but I do know that it's a very controversial law, in that a lot of people (who aren't in Arizona) don't want Arizona to have that law.

Yesterday, it seems, some federal judge knocked down the new law - knocked it right out of commission - again, I have no idea what the reasons were (and if you do, please don't tell me. This is not a forum for political argument. This is my diary : )

So my co-workers were standing around complaining about it (well, most of 'em, anyway; I believe that there is a small minority who don't like it, and they were probably in a broom closest having some sort of congratulatory deal) and the complaining got very strong, with discussions on states' rights and separation of powers.

Now, I duzzen't know nuthin' 'bout no immigration laws, Miz Scarlet, but I duz know sumpthin' about states' rights and having the federal gummint come into your state and tell you what to do - so I made the only rational suggestion that any Alabamian could make - I said "hey, you guys should secede!"

My friend Jason looked at me and said "What? Didn't you Southerners learn anything from the last time that you tried to secede from the Union?"

I said "Why, sure - we learned a lot of good lessons". (I really had no idea what sort of things we might have learned, other than "if they are carrying a bag made of carpet, shoot 'em quick"- but, as so often happens, my mouth was leading its own life - it was taking a ride, and dragging me along for fun).

Jason said (just as I was hoping he wouldn't) -  "okay, then, I'll bite - what did you learn?"

I sorta shrugged, pursed my lips, and my mind went blank - and then, then, it came to me - it came to me like a flash, like a vision, burnt across the clouds - and I said it. I spoke right up, right away. I said -

"Well, if at first you don't secede....try, try again!"

Thank you, thank you very much. I'm here 'till Thursday. Try the veal!