From time to time during the campaign season, the candidates vying for the GOP nomination have been set upon by marriage equality activists at public appearances and subjected to "glitter-bombing." This tactic has been highly effective, as each of these candidates have, post-glittering, completely reversed their opposition to same-sex marriage.
Ha! Just kidding! It's actually just sort of been a mild annoyance. But after Mitt Romney's post-primary speech in Colorado Tuesday night, stuff finally got real for a glitter-bomber, as Romney's newly-assigned Secret Service detail immediately apprehended 20-year-old University of Colorado Denver student Peter Smith, and turned him over to police. He now faces a $1,000 fine and up to six months in jail for his troubles. It's as if local law enforcement authorities are treating the glitter-bombing as something dangerous. Well, guess what? It actually is.
But Stephen Glasser, an optometrist in downtown Washington, tells [The Hill] that while they might seem harmless, glitter bombs can cause real damage: "If it gets into the eyes, the best scenario is it can irritate, it can scratch. Worst scenario is it can actually create a cut. As the person blinks, it moves the glitter across the eye and can actually scratch the cornea." Although not likely, it can even cause a potential loss of sight.
That's almost what happened to one of Glasser's patients, who was out at a New Year's Eve soiree where partygoers were tossing glitter around: "It literally scratched not the cornea, but the white of the eye ... [S]ince [glitter isn't] exactly what you'd call sterile, there's not only a chance of a scratch, but giving the person an infection."
Yeah, as soon as we get to "scratch the cornea," I'm done. So, how about we all agree that "glitter-bombing" is totally played out before anyone else gets blinded and/or arrested? Okay? Terrific. Good talk, guys.
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