On this day in 2012, two Michigan lawmakers were censured over language in debate, and in 1976, Detroit’s Hudson’s retired its giant flag to the Smithsonian.
TRANSCRIPT
It was today in 2012 that national headlines were made on the floor of the Michigan House of Representatives as, during a heated debating of an anti-abortion measure, two women representatives, Lisa Brown and Barb Byrum were both censured by the house Republicans, and not permitted to speak during the next day’s session. GOP spokesperson Ari Adler said “It is the responsibility of every member who serves in the House of Representatives to maintain decorum on the House floor and when they do not do that, there can be actions because of that.” While Representative Brown replied “I used an anatomically correct word. I said ‘vagina,’ Can I not say ‘elbow?’ I don’t see what the difference is.”
And today in 1976, Detroit’s Hudson’s Department Store retired the world’s largest flag. The 7-story flag used for patriotic holidays required 55 people to place it on the department store and over a mile of rope. After retiring it, the flag was donated to the Smithsonian Institution where it remains.