# Being an intentional dumbass. **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [January 12, 2005, 8:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/being-an-intentional-dumbass/284434 "2005-01-12T20:34:24Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 19\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![QuickSilver](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quicksilver/32/7832_2.png) [@QuickSilver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/QuickSilver)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2005, 8:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/being-an-intentional-dumbass/284434/1 "2005-01-12T20:34:24Z")
I don’t know why this got my back up this morning but I’m still fuming and feel the need to spew venom. So here we go… Early this morning on some network news show (can’t recall which), a local (DC) minister is ranting about how he plans to sue the US Secret Service for their memo which specifically prohibits all packages, containers and (his gripe) crosses from admittance to the pending innauguration ceremony. Now, he admited that in the interest of public safety, prohibiting containers which may be used to hide explosive devises was a good idea. But by god, why would the Secret Service prohibit the cross?! A religious symbol?! Surely nobody would even think of hiding a pipe bomb inside such a sacred and holy symbol of Christian religion!!! Surely this was a deliberate plot by the US Secret Service to deny free speach to the Christian attendees. In fact, he called it a deliberate attempt to prevent free speach! Now look, I’m a big fan of free speach. I like to hear what people are thinking even if I don’t agree with many of the things they say… but this is the presidential inauguration! This is not a freedom of speach rally. This is not a Christian revival conference. If you’re a fan of this administration, it’s a chance to whoop and holler for the pres and his re-election. So enjoy the occassion. Party it up. But, just cuz you can say whatever pops into your dull witted head, doesn’t mean it’s got to come out of your mouth that very moment! And why must you be so deliberately stupid to assume that the secret service is discriminating against your particular religion? It was a security advisory memo to the attendees telling them that certain necessary precautions were being taken for this event and (here is my assumption) that large crosses which may have been permitted in the past are now considered a potential conveyance for explosives bombs in the wrong hands. So look, you dumbass… it’s not about you… your religion… or your delicate little ego! Shut the fuck up! Glue your religious symbol of choice to your forehead if you feel you must wear your religion and freedom of expression on your sleeve for everyone to see and calm the fuck down with the pay attention to me rhetoric!!! Fuckwit. :rolleyes: ---
**Author:** ![Phlosphr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/c68b51/32.png) [@Phlosphr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Phlosphr)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2005, 8:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/being-an-intentional-dumbass/284434/2 "2005-01-12T20:45:29Z")
Yeah! Damn it! ---
**Author:** ![Lord\_Ashtar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ea924/32.png) [@Lord\_Ashtar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lord_Ashtar)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2005, 8:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/being-an-intentional-dumbass/284434/3 "2005-01-12T20:47:33Z")
> [@QuickSilver](#): > > But by god, why would the Secret Service prohibit the cross?! A religious symbol?! Surely nobody would even think of hiding a pipe bomb inside such a sacred and holy symbol of Christian religion!!! Great idea! Let’s give the terrorists _ **MORE** _ ideas. ---
**Author:** ![lieu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c2a13f/32.png) [@lieu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lieu)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2005, 8:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/being-an-intentional-dumbass/284434/4 "2005-01-12T20:50:43Z")
One . . . two . . . four! ---
**Author:** ![QuickSilver](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quicksilver/32/7832_2.png) [@QuickSilver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/QuickSilver)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2005, 8:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/being-an-intentional-dumbass/284434/5 "2005-01-12T20:52:51Z")
> [@Lord Ashtar](#): > > Great idea! Let’s give the terrorists _ **MORE** _ ideas. I think that 9/11 is proof that terrorists are far more ingenious than we give them credit of being. ---
**Author:** ![tdn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/94ad74/32.png) [@tdn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tdn)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2005, 9:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/being-an-intentional-dumbass/284434/6 "2005-01-12T21:00:08Z")
> [@lieu](#): > > One . . . two . . . four! Five, sir. Anyhoo, yeah. It’s clear that the Bush administration is on a path to destroy Christianity. They have a track record of persecuting Christians. ---
**Author:** ![Ludovic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ab992/32.png) [@Ludovic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ludovic)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2005, 10:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/being-an-intentional-dumbass/284434/7 "2005-01-12T22:12:02Z")
Did anyone else thing this was going to be about **Karl**? ---
**Author:** ![Cat\_Whisperer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cat_whisperer/32/4839_2.png) [@Cat\_Whisperer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Whisperer)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2005, 11:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/being-an-intentional-dumbass/284434/8 "2005-01-12T23:37:58Z")
I have to say this, cause you typed it like, 10 times in the OP - it’s “speech”, not “speach.” Ah, heck, while I’m at it - “occasion”, not “occassion.” Whew, that felt good. I should go around correcting people’s spelling more often! ---
**Author:** ![Giraffe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/giraffe/32/129_2.png) [@Giraffe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Giraffe)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2005, 11:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/being-an-intentional-dumbass/284434/9 "2005-01-12T23:43:25Z")
> [@featherlou](#): > > I have to say this, cause you typed it like, 10 times in the OP - it’s “speech”, not “speach.” Ah, heck, while I’m at it - “occasion”, not “occassion.” > > Whew, that felt good. I should go around correcting people’s spelling more often! Want a cigarette? ---
**Author:** ![akira5822](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/53a042/32.png) [@akira5822](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/akira5822)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2005, 11:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/being-an-intentional-dumbass/284434/10 "2005-01-12T23:48:15Z")
gimmie an amen !!! 😛 ---
**Author:** ![Bippy\_the\_Beardless](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ac8455/32.png) [@Bippy\_the\_Beardless](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bippy_the_Beardless)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2005, 12:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/being-an-intentional-dumbass/284434/11 "2005-01-13T00:58:00Z")
Does this mean I won’t be able to smuggle in the giant Menorah with TNT candles? ---
**Author:** ![betenoir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/258eb7/32.png) [@betenoir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/betenoir)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2005, 9:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/being-an-intentional-dumbass/284434/12 "2005-01-13T09:47:18Z")
Didn’t I see that in the Warner Bros. classic “Oy Vey, Bugs”? ---
**Author:** ![Shade](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/2bfe46/32.png) [@Shade](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shade)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2005, 12:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/being-an-intentional-dumbass/284434/13 "2005-01-13T12:14:23Z")
I admit, I am puzzled about crosses. Are we talking something big enough to hide a bomb in, or a 2 inch crucifix round the neck? But yeah, defending the US govt from charges of christian persecuction is the last argument i thought I’d be making 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Ferret\_Herder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e47774/32.png) [@Ferret\_Herder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ferret_Herder)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2005, 2:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/being-an-intentional-dumbass/284434/14 "2005-01-13T14:04:29Z")
> [@Shade](#): > > I admit, I am puzzled about crosses. Are we talking something big enough to hide a bomb in, or a 2 inch crucifix round the neck? When I saw this story on the news, a representative for the Secret Service said they didn’t mean little crosses, just the big ones you could hide stuff in. ---
**Author:** ![Ponder\_Stibbons](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ponder_stibbons/32/343_2.png) [@Ponder\_Stibbons](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ponder_Stibbons)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2005, 2:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/being-an-intentional-dumbass/284434/15 "2005-01-13T14:14:06Z")
> [@Bippy the Beardless](#): > > Does this mean I won’t be able to smuggle in the giant Menorah with TNT candles? Naw. But “Spike TV” stickers should be OK. ---
**Author:** ![Homebrew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/c89c15/32.png) [@Homebrew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Homebrew)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2005, 2:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/being-an-intentional-dumbass/284434/16 "2005-01-13T14:17:30Z")
> [@featherlou](#): > > I have to say this, cause you typed it like, 10 times in the OP - it’s “speech”, not “speach.” Ah, heck, while I’m at it - “occasion”, not “occassion.” Used as a conjunction, it’s clear that “cause” is a contraction of because. An apostrophe should be used to indicate the omitted letters. The correct form of your sentence is “I have to say this, 'cause …”. I’ll leave it to someone else to correct the punctuation. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![butter\_pie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/aca169/32.png) [@butter\_pie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/butter_pie)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2005, 2:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/being-an-intentional-dumbass/284434/17 "2005-01-13T14:27:27Z")
Some of them just love to feel persecuted. It must be a Christian thing. They all want to be a martyr. I quit trying to understand it a long time ago. This ex-friend of my boyfriend spent several weeks trash-talking me to all our other friends, trying to turn everyone against me and making up all these stories about how I hated him, getting together with a couple of his other buddies trying to break us up… even though I’d given him a Christmas gift only a few weeks before and he’d come to a little party I had. One of the reasons he had convinced himself that I hated him was that I drew cartoons poking fun at Bush and right-wingers, and pointing out IMO religious hypocracies. And he had sat there and imagined I drew every last one of them just to personally piss him off. Crazy crazy stuff. My favourite part is when they call you a “whiney loser” and rub in how they’re in charge now, then turn around and whine about how they’re treated like second class citizens and discriminated against. Yeah. Riiiiiiight. ---
**Author:** ![Cat\_Whisperer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cat_whisperer/32/4839_2.png) [@Cat\_Whisperer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Whisperer)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2005, 3:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/being-an-intentional-dumbass/284434/18 "2005-01-13T15:52:19Z")
> [@Homebrew](#): > > Used as a conjunction, it’s clear that “cause” is a contraction of because. An apostrophe should be used to indicate the omitted letters. The correct form of your sentence is “I have to say this, 'cause …”. I’ll leave it to someone else to correct the punctuation. > > 😉 When, oh when are we going to get the animated raspberry smiley? ---
**Author:** ![sturmhauke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e47c2d/32.png) [@sturmhauke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sturmhauke)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2005, 5:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/being-an-intentional-dumbass/284434/19 "2005-01-13T17:46:07Z")
> [@jinwicked](#): > > Some of them just love to feel persecuted. It must be a Christian thing. They all want to be a martyr. I quit trying to understand it a long time ago. Maybe the answer to “What would Jesus do?” is “Act like a martyr.”