Thanks to all of you who have wished me happy birthday today.

Someone said I have three birthday wishes; so here they are:

• That the Pittsburgh Pirates will win tonight and go on to win the World Series;
• That, even though I’m distressed by the stupidity of the NFL and am being hypocritical, the Steelers will continue winning;
• A third that I’m thinking may be easier (than my first two wishes) to get done. Let me explain:

The Raleigh News & Observer reports this morning that a firearms advocacy group called “Grass Roots” is pushing for the recently enacted legislation permitting concealed weapons to be carried practically everywhere here in North Carolina to also apply to the up-coming state fair, which up until now has had a strict rule against firearms of any sort on the fairgrounds.

If the Grass Rooters have their way, which I suspect they will (it’s that kind of moment that we live in right now) and everyone can “pack and carry” as they like when the fair opens in a few weeks, here’s my third wish: that those of us who disagree with permitting guns, concealed or otherwise, at the state fair simply not go and let the world know, best we can, what that will mean.

It will mean, for one thing and maybe the most important thing, a considerable loss of potential revenue both for vendors at the fair and for the state, a considerable economic impact, in other words, the kind of thing legislators tend to pay attention to.

Think about it. If only 500 families or extended families (parents and grandparents taking the kids and grandkids) decided not to go, and those 500 families would have otherwise spent $250 each, say, on the outing, that would mean a loss of revenue of $125,000. If a thousand of us did it, it would mean $250,000, and so on. To be Dirksenesque (sic) about it: “Pretty soon we’re talking about real money”…and pretty soon people begin to pay attention…and pretty soon maybe things change.

Sure, it’s a boycott. But boycotts frequently work. And it’s a simple one. I’m not talking about petitions and signatures and all that stuff. I’m only wishing — birthday wishing — that if enough of you were to agree and decide not to go to the fair this year while also letting your friends, neighbors, and legislators know why (maybe by liking this on Facebook and sharing it with them?), we could begin to change some of the craziness.

Yes, I suppose the kids will squawk some when they find out they’re not going this year. But isn’t the kind of world they will inherit from us more important?

Thanks as always for listening.

— Bernie