God's a Smoker

When I say I love England, I mean it. It's not my fault if they consistently prove themselves to be better than Americans in oh so many ways - and now I have to add clergy to their list of awesome. While American ministers and priests are busy building creation museums or molesting children, English vicars are apparently punk rock.

A vicar who lit his pipe in a Kent police station as a protest against the smoking ban has failed in his attempt to get himself arrested.

The Reverend Anthony Carr, of East Peckham, walked into the station in Tonbridge, asked to report a crime and then started smoking.

He said he flouted the ban to protest against the erosion of civil liberties.

I'm kind of sad he didn't get arrested. I mean, sure, he's not blowing up an abortion clinic like an American clergyman would, but surely this protest against the erosion of the civil liberties of badass smokers is worth a few hours in a cell!

When officers told him he would not be "bundled into" the back of a van he said "what a pity".

"What a pity," is what he said. How awesome is that? Though your protest didn't achieve your desired effect, you're still a hero in my eyes, Reverend Anthony Carr. I'll bring over a carton of Marlboros just for you, cowboy.