Yes, from that famous case from the 1932 Supreme Court decision “Benign v Banal” where it was was ruled that for the average citizen it is far better to be aligned with kindness than inanity.

I think of the word “benign” and can’t help but hear Arnold Schwarzenegger’s voice: “It’s not a tumor”. Granted, I have a closer relationship with the first definition, but there is another meaning: “Gentle and Kindly”.

Banal has a single definition: “so lacking in originality as to be obvious and boring”. Wont someone please nudge me, I’m not sure if I have passed out, or if the national discourse has literally bored me into unconsciousness.

It’s not that there is an absence of policy, but there is a cacophony of noise. Just this morning I heard a candidate say ” The chain is derailed” rather than the “Train” is derailed. I don’t need to tell you which candidate, but I try to put myself in his supporter’s shoes and I realize immediately that he was making a reference to pro bicycling, where there is indeed a chance of catastrophic chain derailment. You have to dig deep.

My office used to be a bedroom. When we bought our home the closet doors were glassed. While yes, I do spend hours peering into the looking glass admiring myself; of greater importance is their use as a white board. Early one morning a few weeks ago I was on my feet after watching the Tubes, and scrawled 4 words.

And so this is my recommendation to my fellow human beings – chose one or the other. Do it now. Do it before you head to the polls. Honor the Supreme Court decision.