Blaze pink

[Belsnickel]

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-36339028

Quote:Laws to permit the colour "blaze pink" for hunters have been proposed in five states in the US. How did this become a legislative trend?

As the legislative session drew to a close last week at the Minnesota state capitol, a curious piece of legislation became the focus of ire for lawmakers - a bill to make something called "blaze pink" legal for hunters to wear.

"Midnight - 24 hrs to go. Voting AGAIN on blaze pink," complained Minnesota Representative Diane Loeffler on Twitter.

"Taking up $1 billion+ dollar bonding bill with 42 minutes to go in session," wrote Zach Rodvold, director of external affairs for the DFL Caucus. "Good thing we talked about blaze pink three times though."

While "blaze pink" became a stand-in for government dysfunction in Minnesota, it is also a peculiar new legislative trend in the US - five states have considered or passed a version of the bill so far.

In many states, it is required that big game hunters wear "blaze orange" garments - an eye-catching, fluorescent colour - to help them see one another in the field and prevent accidental shootings.

Last spring, Wisconsin Representative Nick Milroy had the idea that "blaze pink" might also be an acceptable safety colour as well as a way to get some new blood into the sport.

He even got a textile scientist at a local university to investigate whether there were any safety concerns.

"The fastest growing segment in new recruits into hunting are females, and that's one of the big reasons that companies have been marketing things like pink camouflage, pink guns, pink knives," he says.

Participation in hunting in the US has been on the decline for decades, and the sport is overwhelmingly dominated by men.

But not everyone likes the concept. Not long after Milroy held a news conference with a bipartisan contingent of supporters wearing "Hunt Pink" shirts, a women's hunting group in Wisconsin made their own shirts with the phrase crossed out on a more traditional green camouflage print. The group felt that the blaze pink bill was sexist for suggesting women would take up hunting just because of the new colour choice.

"We felt like it was demeaning to us," said Sarah Ingle, president of the Women's Hunting and Sporting Association, to National Geographic.

"My response is nobody has to wear blaze pink, and everybody can wear blaze pink," Milroy said. "This isn't something that's specifically tailored for specific sexes or ages or whatever."

Despite the objections, the bill passed the Wisconsin legislature and was signed into law by Governor Scott Walker in February. Soon after, legislators in Minnesota, Louisiana, New York and Colorado all introduced blaze pink bills.

This came across my Twitter feed and I found it rather interesting. Yea or nay on this? Do you think it is sexist? Do you think pink would be as effective as orange?