Which amendment comes first?

Homer’s Brain: “Use reverse psychology.”

Homer: “Oh, that sounds too complicated.”

Homer’s Brain: “OK, don’t use reverse psychology.”

Homer: “OK, I will!”

It’s important to acknowledge life’s priorities. If you’re like most Americans, you can name family members from “The Simpsons” more readily than you can name the freedoms listed under the First Amendment.

Cowabunga! This great bit of news comes from a survey conducted by the McCormick Tribune Freedom Museum (bet that’s an exciting place). But the stuffed shirts from McCormick actually lamented the survey’s results.

Come on! What’s more important: understanding some boring stuff about freedom of expression, freedom of assembly and freedom of religion that form the basis for our proud democracy or watching a show where they teach you the number for 911?

Hey, if we want reality, we’ll watch “Survivor.”

This land is whose land?

The Washington state Legislature was oblivious to the rising contempt for the cost of vehicle license tabs. Into this leadership vacuum rushed initiative baron Tim Eyman, with a simplistic initiative fix that is still bedeviling governments.

The same might happen with private property rights if the Legislature continues to ignore the U.S. Supreme Court ruling that allowed a government to take private property in Connecticut and turn it over to another private citizen – in this case a developer.

A bill that would spell out the rights of a citizen vs. the rights of government in these types of eminent domain cases is languishing because many lawmakers don’t see the problem.

But to gauge just how strongly people feel about property rights, they need only look to Oregon, where citizens adopted an initiative that may cripple government efforts to control growth in that state. Oregon’s Measure 37 goes too far, but if Washington state lawmakers won’t listen to the frustrations that give rise to such laws, they will only have themselves to blame when they get mowed down by voters.

Disrespect shot down

The University of Washington student Senate may not be able to recognize a hero when it hears about one, but the Washington state Senate can.

Three weeks after student senators rejected a UW memorial to Pappy Boyington, a World War II Medal of Honor winner and alumnus, state senators passed a resolution honoring “his courage and valor as a member of the United States Marine Corps.” Sen. Luke Esser, R-Bellevue, proposed the measure to set matters straight after the “unfortunate incident at his old school,” according to the Seattle Post-Intelligencer.

Meanwhile, the student Senate, shaken by the firestorm triggered by careless comments and rejection of a proposal Feb. 7 to memorialize Boyington, is considering a memorial that will honor Boyington and the other four alumni who earned the Medal of Honor.

This controversy about Coeur d’Alene native Boyington has had a bright side. The University of Washington has learned about a hero who once walked on campus. Student senators have learned the consequences of disrespecting such heroes. Baby boomers and their children have been reminded of the sacrifice for freedom made by their parents and grandparents. Four other Medal of Honor winners likely will be memorialized along with Boyington: Deming Bronson, Robert Galer, Robert Leisy and William Nakamura.

Rarely do such bad decisions have such good outcomes.