Time was when calling a cop a “pig” was enough to get a nightstick to your noggin — or worse — in some jurisdictions. But after the recent revelation by the Burlington Free Press that as many as 30 Vermont State Police cruisers have been unwittingly sporting a porcine portrait deftly concealed in the most sacred of Vermont’s sacred cows, the joke’s been on them. Online, the story has gone more viral than swine flu.
Whereas most of Vermont’s law enforcement have taken the insult in stride and politely chuckled about the creative handiwork of the as-yet unidentified prison inmate, the Shumlin administration immediately swung into action and called for the immediate de-porking of all VSP patrol cars — at an estimated price tag of $780.
Enter the Facebook “Save our Pigs” campaign. Local radio announcer, TJ Michaels and local musician Cid Sinclair have organized a campaign to get the governor to handle the matter “in a manner more consistent with Vermont’s famous laid-back demeanor.” The group has now swelled to well over 500 members and an online petition has garnered more than 200 signatures in just a few days.
“The public response has been incredible and strongly in our favor,” says Sinclair, in a press statement this afternoon. “The outpouring of support from law enforcement across the country, and literally from around the world, has been the biggest surprise thus far. I think folks generally feel like the Shumlin administration is missing an opportunity to have some fun and acknowledge an awesomely played prank. Vermont has a tradition and history of quirky events that are a part of what makes us unique as Vermonters. People feel like this should be revered as another chapter in that tradition.”
No word back from the Shumlin folks yet as to whether they think this campaign is kosher. Stay tuned.
Photo courtesy Vermont State Police
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This article appears in The Love & Marriage Issue 2012.
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Let’s keep the decals as is. I think our troopers have enough self-confidence to laugh at the situation (and themselves).
My first reaction last week was to fire those that missed this situation and re-sentence the prisoners responsible. Upon advice from a relative I have softened my thoughts.
Lets preserve the paintings of the bovine swines, auction them off on e-bay, have the state donate the money to the city of Burlington, to help pay off the 17 million dollar Burlington telecom debt, thanks to Mayor Kiss, and then imagine that these troopers cars will be transporting the Mayor to prison, and then put on the side of the troopers cars in BIG LETTERS,KISS TRANSPORT.
The pigs will be gone as soon
as the cars can get to colchester. the order was placed for 100 new
decals last week and was supposed to be ready by this monday. all that is left
after that is destroying the unused decals and removing the ones that
are on the cars right now.
Some people here need to grow up and it ain’t the prankster that put a pig in the decal. Get over it, you’re professionals. If it bothers you that much maybe a job at the kleenex factory is more in order…