Satan, Get The Hence!

[marie.m]

C'est le titre d'un article de Robert Silverberg publié sur le site de la revue Asimov's.

A few years ago a small town in Florida declared itself a Satan-free zone, and the idea has stuck in my mind ever since. It’s a fascinating notion: dealing with the evils of the world by legislative fiat. Out here in California, it’s quite a standard thing for city councils and other minor municipal bodies to issue resonant decrees calling for an end to this or that troublesome contemporary activity—whether it be planetary warming, gum-chewing in school, noisy car stereos played in quiet neighborhoods, or the sale of irradiated lettuce in grocery stores, some community around here has gone on record staunchly decrying it. But decrying is one thing and an outright ban by law is something else again. I think we ought to give more thought to the practice.