Take The Issues Seriously. Don't Take Yourself Too Seriously.

As the Education Interim committee began a very detailed discussion of education issues today, I took a moment to bring a little levity after the past several months of passionate debate.  Here's a resolution to make the Oreo the official state sandwich cookie:

Whereas, State symbols are established by statute, specifically in Utah Code Section 63-13-5.5;
Whereas, the Oreo Sandwich Cookie, manufactured by the Nabiso Corporation, was the best selling cookie of the 20th Century and continues to dominate cookie sales;
Whereas, nearly 500 billion Oreo Sandwich Cookies have been sold since first introduced in February, 1912;
Whereas, the origin of the name, Oreo, as dramatized in a television commercial, comes from a meeting held at the Nabisco Corporation in which employees were asked to suggest names for the sandwich cookie, and when one employee, whose mouth contained several of the sandwich cookies being discussed, replied, "I don't know," his distorted reply caught on and was eventually accepted as the name of the sandwich cookie;
Whereas, the removal of trans fats from all Oreos in January 2006 proved conclusively that Oreos could reflect the times in which we live without compromising their classic taste;
Whereas, Psychologists have discovered that the manner in which people eat Oreo
cookies provides great insight into their personalities, and have managed to identify ten different eating methods and the personality traits they signify;
Whereas, the rich and varied educational applications of Oreos include their use as unit of measurement (San Francisco's Golden Gate Bridge is 28,800 Oreos long); and, by scraping off the needed amount of cream from several sandwich cookies, as a compelling representation of the phases of the moon;
Whereas, if every Oreo ever made were stacked on top of each other, the pile would reach from the earth to the moon and back more than six times;
Whereas, in recent months, significant focus and public discussion has highlighted that Oreos can be a valuable tool in explaining economic and monetary issues;
Whereas, the Legislature recognizes that Oreos can be effectively utilized as mathematical manipulatives in public education; 
Whereas, it is entirely fitting that Utah take this step in recognition of Oreos' impact on the citizens of the state:
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Legislature of the state of Utah pass legislation designating the Oreo as the state sandwich cookie.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that a copy of this resolution be sent to the Nabisco Corporation.

Sue Carey, a local constituent who also serves in the PTA, helped me with a little lesson.  I placed 10 cookies on the table and then divided them into 2 groups.  When asked what the stack of 4 cookies represented, she reponded the voters who supported Referendum 1.  When asked about the remaining 6 cookies, she identified them as the voters that opposed Referendum 1.

The message:  Take the issues seriously.  Don't take yourself seriously.  You need to be able to laugh at yourself.

(Note:  This is not a serious resolution.  Also, Oreo is a registered trademark and is the property of its trademark owner.)

Update:  Check out this Daily Herald editorial cartoon: Hey...What happened to my Oreos? which set this resolution in motion.

Comments

[Craig Johnson]

The committee is also considering a resolution to deem Governor Huntsman the official state waffle and the Eyres as the official state syrup.

[rmwarnick]

Although I posted an image of a flaming Oreo on election night, I want to say I still enjoy destroying Oreo cookies with my mouth. More than ever.

[John Talcott]

I believe that approximately 62% of the public who saw the deliberately misleading Eyre's Oreo Cookie Voucher commercial and then voted against school vouchers will not find your resolution funny. I know that I do not. Where is the humor in spending millions of dollars to defeat a voucher law that the public made clear that they didn't want in the first place?

John Talcott
Retired Teacher and fed up Democrat in Utah County

[Monte Bateman]

Wow, now I know how to write my new years resolutions:

Wherefore, Wherefore, Wherefore, Wherefore, Wherefore, Therefore Be it Resolved, and Be it Further Resolved, the end.