# Congressman attacks student for daring to ask him a question **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [June 15, 2010, 12:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/congressman-attacks-student-for-daring-to-ask-him-a-question/543227 "2010-06-15T00:25:07Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 27
**Author:** ![BwanaBob](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bwanabob/32/2985_2.png) [@BwanaBob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BwanaBob)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2010, 4:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/congressman-attacks-student-for-daring-to-ask-him-a-question/543227/521 "2010-06-18T16:49:26Z")
> [@Bosstone](#): > > I don’t disagree at all, and even people who aren’t scared of physical confrontation would have been shocked at Etheridge’s reaction. I’m just amused at the people saying the kid should have kicked Etheridge’s ass. The world would be a safer place if someone who is the recipient of an initial physical attack could defend themselves to the nth degree with impunity. Once that jackass politician touched the kid, all bet’s are off, he should have handed the guy his own liver. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2010, 5:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/congressman-attacks-student-for-daring-to-ask-him-a-question/543227/522 "2010-06-18T17:21:48Z")
> [@BwanaBob](#): > > The world would be a safer place if someone who is the recipient of an initial physical attack could defend themselves to the nth degree with impunity. > > Once that jackass politician touched the kid, all bet’s are off, he should have handed the guy his own liver. I take it we’re still pushing the “kid” angle? :rolleyes: ---
**Author:** ![elucidator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8edcca/32.png) [@elucidator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elucidator)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2010, 6:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/congressman-attacks-student-for-daring-to-ask-him-a-question/543227/523 "2010-06-18T18:00:56Z")
Dumbest idea I’ve heard all day. All a guy would have to do, a guy with murder in his heart, would be to provoke someone enough so that they try to punch you, and you can kill him. With impunity. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2010, 6:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/congressman-attacks-student-for-daring-to-ask-him-a-question/543227/524 "2010-06-18T18:04:08Z")
> [@elucidator](#): > > Dumbest idea I’ve heard all day. All a guy would have to do, a guy with murder in his heart, would be to provoke someone enough so that they try to punch you, and you can kill him. With impunity. It’s that “Might makes Right” mentality, which usually runs hand-in-hand with “I needs to defend my Honor!” ---
**Author:** ![cosmosdan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a6a055/32.png) [@cosmosdan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cosmosdan)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2010, 6:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/congressman-attacks-student-for-daring-to-ask-him-a-question/543227/525 "2010-06-18T18:21:35Z")
> [@elucidator](#): > > Dumbest idea I’ve heard all day. All a guy would have to do, a guy with murder in his heart, would be to provoke someone enough so that they try to punch you, and you can kill him. With impunity. I’ve seen that work in a lot of westerns. ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2010, 6:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/congressman-attacks-student-for-daring-to-ask-him-a-question/543227/526 "2010-06-18T18:23:19Z")
I don’t hate Rand Rover. He’s guilty of not being as funny as he thinks he is, though,. ---
**Author:** ![heatmiserfl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/df705f/32.png) [@heatmiserfl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/heatmiserfl)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2010, 9:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/congressman-attacks-student-for-daring-to-ask-him-a-question/543227/527 "2010-06-18T21:08:49Z")
> [@Bryan\_Ekers](#): > > I don’t hate Rand Rover. > He’s guilty of not being as funny as he thinks he is, though,. Rand Rover? Never heard of him. ---
**Author:** ![Oakminster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/77aa72/32.png) [@Oakminster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oakminster)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2010, 10:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/congressman-attacks-student-for-daring-to-ask-him-a-question/543227/528 "2010-06-18T22:19:43Z")
> [@Rand\_Rover](#): > > You are mising several points here. > > 1. Interaction in the Pit is much different than real-life interaction, so your statement aboiut what yoiu would have done in a real-life interaction is a complete non-sequitur. > > 2. I didn’t say anything “about” his kids. I don’t know his kids. I was just getting Dio’s goat by playing off his apparent deathly fear of youngish girls having sex. Even in the Pit, there are limits. That was Ed’s whole point with the “cunt rule”. And, by your own summary, you admit saying you bet his daughters are sluts. When you learned that you’d wagered on young children being sluts, you amended that to say you think they’ll grow up to be sluts. In the Book Of Oak, that’s over the line. In real life, I’d consider it an invitation to violence. On a message board, it’s inappropriate. I’m not nearly as controversial as you are, but it’s fair to say I’ve had my share of heated exchanges here. I don’t like **Dio** , as I mentioned above. I doubt he’s my biggest fan. We’ve argued in the past. We will likely argue in the future. But at least I respect him enough as a human being that I’m not going to insult his children. That’s just wrong. ---
**Author:** ![Rand\_Rover](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/db5fbb/32.png) [@Rand\_Rover](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rand_Rover)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2010, 11:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/congressman-attacks-student-for-daring-to-ask-him-a-question/543227/529 "2010-06-18T23:28:30Z")
> [@Oakminster](#): > > But at least I respect him enough as a human being that I’m not going to insult his children. And we’ve reached the core of our difference of opinion. A person with Dio’s political beliefs deserves no “respect as a human being.” He’s gutter trash. ---
**Author:** ![Bosstone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/22d042/32.png) [@Bosstone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosstone)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2010, 11:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/congressman-attacks-student-for-daring-to-ask-him-a-question/543227/530 "2010-06-18T23:39:19Z")
> [@Rand\_Rover](#): > > And we’ve reached the core of our difference of opinion. A person with Dio’s political beliefs deserves no “respect as a human being.” He’s gutter trash. Look in the mirror, precious. ---
**Author:** ![Fear\_Itself](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fear_itself/32/19637_2.png) [@Fear\_Itself](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fear_Itself)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2010, 12:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/congressman-attacks-student-for-daring-to-ask-him-a-question/543227/531 "2010-06-19T00:05:36Z")
> [@Rand\_Rover](#): > > And we’ve reached the core of our difference of opinion. A person with Dio’s political beliefs deserves no “respect as a human being.” He’s gutter trash. And that is why objectivism will always fail. You guys always let your inner self peak out from behind that facade of reason. ---
**Author:** ![Rand\_Rover](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/db5fbb/32.png) [@Rand\_Rover](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rand_Rover)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2010, 12:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/congressman-attacks-student-for-daring-to-ask-him-a-question/543227/532 "2010-06-19T00:06:54Z")
> [@Bosstone](#): > > Look in the mirror, precious. I did. I found a person who likes to order his affairs with other people based on exchange for mutual benefit, not someone who wants to take from others by force but is too cowardly to do so himself. ---
**Author:** ![Rand\_Rover](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/db5fbb/32.png) [@Rand\_Rover](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rand_Rover)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2010, 12:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/congressman-attacks-student-for-daring-to-ask-him-a-question/543227/533 "2010-06-19T00:10:56Z")
> [@Fear\_Itself](#): > > And that is why objectivism will always fail. You guys always let your inner self peak out from behind that facade of reason. My inner self? I’m someone who wants to benefit others instead of take from them. How’s that a bad thing? ---
**Author:** ![Fear\_Itself](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fear_itself/32/19637_2.png) [@Fear\_Itself](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fear_Itself)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2010, 12:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/congressman-attacks-student-for-daring-to-ask-him-a-question/543227/534 "2010-06-19T00:14:20Z")
> [@Rand\_Rover](#): > > My inner self? I’m someone who wants to benefit others instead of take from them. How’s that a bad thing? That is not the inner self you let slip above, junior. ---
**Author:** ![Rand\_Rover](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/db5fbb/32.png) [@Rand\_Rover](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rand_Rover)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2010, 12:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/congressman-attacks-student-for-daring-to-ask-him-a-question/543227/535 "2010-06-19T00:20:02Z")
So what is it? ---
**Author:** ![Fear\_Itself](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fear_itself/32/19637_2.png) [@Fear\_Itself](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fear_Itself)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2010, 12:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/congressman-attacks-student-for-daring-to-ask-him-a-question/543227/536 "2010-06-19T00:31:42Z")
> [@Rand\_Rover](#): > > So what is it? > [@](#): > > A person with Dio’s political beliefs deserves no “respect as a human being.” He’s gutter trash. This reveals who you really are. You are incapable of reasoning with your politcal adversaries, so you dehumanize them in a vain attempt to avoid confronting them. It requires no further explanation. But it is why you will always lose. ---
**Author:** ![Oakminster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/77aa72/32.png) [@Oakminster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oakminster)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2010, 12:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/congressman-attacks-student-for-daring-to-ask-him-a-question/543227/537 "2010-06-19T00:45:20Z")
> [@Rand\_Rover](#): > > And we’ve reached the core of our difference of opinion. A person with Dio’s political beliefs deserves no “respect as a human being.” He’s gutter trash. You really think someone that disagrees with your politics deserves no respect as a human being? What the fuck is wrong with you? ---
**Author:** ![Rand\_Rover](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/db5fbb/32.png) [@Rand\_Rover](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rand_Rover)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2010, 1:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/congressman-attacks-student-for-daring-to-ask-him-a-question/543227/538 "2010-06-19T01:10:35Z")
> [@Fear\_Itself](#): > > This reveals who you really are. You are incapable of reasoning with your politcal adversaries, so you dehumanize them in a vain attempt to avoid confronting them. > > It requires no further explanation. But it is why you will always lose. I reason with the likes of Dio all the time. It doesn’t do any good, because they aren’t interested in reason. They are interested in violence. > [@Oakminster](#): > > You really think someone that disagrees with your politics deserves no respect as a human being? > > What the fuck is wrong with you? I didn’t say that anyone who disagrees with my political beliefs deserves no respect as a human being. ---
**Author:** ![SteveG1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/bb73d2/32.png) [@SteveG1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SteveG1)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2010, 1:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/congressman-attacks-student-for-daring-to-ask-him-a-question/543227/539 "2010-06-19T01:24:37Z")
Is this still going on? Sheesh. ---
**Author:** ![Knorf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/58956e/32.png) [@Knorf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Knorf)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2010, 1:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/congressman-attacks-student-for-daring-to-ask-him-a-question/543227/540 "2010-06-19T01:37:12Z")
> [@SteveG1](#): > > Is this still going on? Sheesh. It’s long since ceased to have anything to do with the OP. It’s all about a troll and the people who feed it. For those not paying attention, **Rand Rover** , political hack and shit stain of a human being, is the troll. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/congressman-attacks-student-for-daring-to-ask-him-a-question/543227.md?page=26) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/congressman-attacks-student-for-daring-to-ask-him-a-question/543227.md?page=28)