# NEW Stupid Republican Idea of the Day (Part 4) **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [February 22, 2025, 9:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day-part-4/1014678 "2025-02-22T21:08:19Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 220
**Author:** ![Broomstick](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/broomstick/32/246_2.png) [@Broomstick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Broomstick)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2026, 11:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day-part-4/1014678/4381 "2026-05-14T11:19:54Z")
> [@Smapti](#): > > > [@wguy123](#): > > > > She was an adult when indoor plumbing was invented. > > As a humorous aside, my late grandma (born 1941) once told me a story about her own grandpa, who grew up in rural Arkansas in the late 19th century. He refused to ever have an indoor bathroom installed in his house and used an outhouse for his entire life because, in his words, “I don’t want that shit in my house!” It was the only time I ever heard her swear, and when I told my aunts and cousins about it at her wake they were all shocked to hear me say that she’d used that word. My spouse used to tell me of some of his relatives who, well, into the 20th Century, refused to install a flush toilet in their home. I guess for some who grew up and spent much of their lives with outhouses the notion of performing such functions inside one’s home was disgusting. Perhaps not entirely rational, but understandable in some contexts. I should also note that these were not the outhouses/latrines typical of summer camps and highway rest stops. These were, I am told, weather tight, decorated much like a modern bathroom, kept clean, and I’m told one family installed a small heater for winter and had a small cistern to provide running water in the sink also installed. Quite sanitary, really. They just didn’t want it _in their house._ Their kids, however, opted for more modern arrangements. In their houses. Or double-wides, as applicable. ---
**Author:** ![Shoeless](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/shoeless/32/7099_2.png) [@Shoeless](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shoeless)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2026, 11:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day-part-4/1014678/4382 "2026-05-14T11:49:44Z")
> [@LSLGuy](#): > > I didn’t mean to imply any criticism of your decision to cite them. I’m not sure you took it that way, but I’m also not sure you didn’t. > > I agree the timeline has gotten really bizarro. We can have legit reporting but only with RW rage-bait attached (NYP), or we can have pure fantasy (Fox et al), or we can have sanewashing bothsiderism (MSM). What’s a thoughtful individual to do? Once again, I’m going to advocate for independent media outlets like Talking Points Memo. Thoughtful news journalism untainted by corporate ownership. ---
**Author:** ![enipla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/54ee81/32.png) [@enipla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/enipla)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2026, 11:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day-part-4/1014678/4383 "2026-05-14T11:51:08Z")
> [@Broomstick](#): > > My spouse used to tell me of some of his relatives who, well, into the 20th Century, refused to install a flush toilet in their home. I guess for some who grew up and spent much of their lives with outhouses the notion of performing such functions inside one’s home was disgusting. Perhaps not entirely rational, but understandable in some contexts. The mayor of little Alma Colorado was murdered because a resident within the town limits was forced to remove his outhouse and go on the sewer system. The man then stole a loader and proceeded to destroy the water works, flooding the town in the middle of January. The main road through town was covered in ice. ---
**Author:** ![Thing.Fish](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thing.fish/32/9168_2.png) [@Thing.Fish](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thing.Fish)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2026, 12:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day-part-4/1014678/4384 "2026-05-14T12:39:20Z")
I’m guessing that this plan failed, insofar as he is once again living somewhere without access to an outhouse. ---
**Author:** ![Mollie\_Magill](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mollie_magill/32/20882_2.png) [@Mollie\_Magill](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mollie_Magill)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2026, 12:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day-part-4/1014678/4385 "2026-05-14T12:59:46Z")
> [@Smapti](#): > > Here, BTW, is a performance of the piece in question; I have three responses: 1. That is a really good, exciting, and inspiring piece of music. 2. Say, nice contra-bass saxophone. 3. Oh nos! I’ve turned trans! ---
**Author:** ![Horatius](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/horatius/32/3572_2.png) [@Horatius](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Horatius)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2026, 1:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day-part-4/1014678/4386 "2026-05-14T13:44:52Z")
> [@Smapti](#): > > It’s awesome. Frankly, if I were these kids’ teacher, I’d put my job on the line and have them perform it anyway and dare the board to do something about it. Play it, but call it by a different name. What are the odds any of the outage mongers would actually recognize the piece? ---
**Author:** ![Folacin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/folacin/32/3195_2.png) [@Folacin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Folacin)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2026, 2:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day-part-4/1014678/4387 "2026-05-14T14:09:27Z")
> [@Broomstick](#): > > My spouse used to tell me of some of his relatives who, well, into the 20th Century, refused to install a flush toilet in their home. I guess for some who grew up and spent much of their lives with outhouses the notion of performing such functions inside one’s home was disgusting. My father-in-law used to tell a story of how a neighbor installed a BBQ pit in his backyard after the city came through with sewers for his neighborhood. The pit was where the outhouse had been, so he’d joke that now they crapped in the kitchen (apparently the indoor bathroom was installed off of it) and cooked in the crapper. ---
**Author:** ![Stratocaster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/stratocaster/32/16393_2.png) [@Stratocaster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stratocaster)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2026, 3:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day-part-4/1014678/4388 "2026-05-14T15:10:05Z")
I think that’s a great idea. Anyone actually familiar with the piece will smile and keep mum when the music teacher announces _America, Land of the Awesome_, by Seymour Whiteman. ---
**Author:** ![Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba9def/32.png) [@Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Just_Asking_Questions)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2026, 4:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day-part-4/1014678/4389 "2026-05-14T16:55:29Z")
> [@enipla](#): > > The man then stole a loader and proceeded to destroy the water works, Did he armor plate it and arm it? Alma is only a couple hours from Granby. Those wacky freethinking Coloradans! ---
**Author:** ![Atamasama](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/atamasama/32/12961_2.png) [@Atamasama](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Atamasama)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2026, 6:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day-part-4/1014678/4390 "2026-05-14T18:20:18Z")
Killdozer 2.0. (Killdozer was actually the first thing I thought of when I read about destroying infrastructure with a construction vehicle.) ---
**Author:** ![DesertDog](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/desertdog/32/11503_2.png) [@DesertDog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DesertDog)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2026, 8:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day-part-4/1014678/4391 "2026-05-14T20:06:42Z")
> [@Horatius](#): > > Play it, but call it by a different name. What are the odds any of the outage mongers would actually recognize the piece? Or find a venue outside the school to play it in. The Streisand Effect would practically guarantee more would hear it than would have had the board not stirred things up. ---
**Author:** ![Sherrerd](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sherrerd/32/8_2.png) [@Sherrerd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sherrerd)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2026, 10:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day-part-4/1014678/4392 "2026-05-14T22:04:58Z")
> [@Jihi](#): > > Not to put too fine a point on it, as I’m sure most everyone reading this thread considers this self-evident, but it’s those exact lessons that triggered Foxx’s unhinged response. MAGA doesn’t want people to think critically. They want people to swallow the propaganda wholesale without thinking about it. Gaslighting isn’t a problem to them, it’s a strategy. Foxx’s whole problem with the situation isn’t that the kid was being taught propaganda, he wasn’t, it’s that he was being taught how to resist propaganda. I agree that the lesson-plan @Chronos proposed is excellent. And also that the right would object to what _should be_ self-evidently unobjectionable (on the grounds you suggest). As soon as Republicans succeed in destroying the public school system—and they’re doing great in my part of the country (Florida)!—they will surely stamp out every bit of critical-thinking curriculum that may still exist. ---
**Author:** ![Smapti](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smapti/32/17938_2.png) [@Smapti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smapti)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2026, 1:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day-part-4/1014678/4393 "2026-05-15T01:09:42Z")
> [@LSLGuy](#): > > I didn’t mean to imply any criticism of your decision to cite them. I’m not sure you took it that way, but I’m also not sure you didn’t. I didn’t. I just feel an automatic need to justify posting articles from the NY Post or the Daily Mail any time I do so, because their reputation as trashy scandal sheets is rightly deserved even though they’ve done some surprisingly good reporting a few times recently. ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2026, 1:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day-part-4/1014678/4394 "2026-05-15T01:10:16Z")
Makes sense. I think the same. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2026, 1:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day-part-4/1014678/4395 "2026-05-15T01:19:59Z")
> [@Smapti](#): > > It’s awesome. Frankly, if I were these kids’ teacher, I’d put my job on the line and have them perform it anyway and dare the board to do something about it. Given that they already had a walk-out, I wouldn’t be surprised if the student performers play it anyway. Which can be followed by the director berating them for not following directions, and explaining why they were specifically prohibited from playing it. > [@Love\_Rhombus](#): > > Yeah, screw the planet, our wallets and our engines! And never mind the fact that ethanol actually requires more fossil fuels to produce than just using straight gasoline. > [@Sherrerd](#): > > I agree that the lesson-plan @Chronos proposed is excellent. I didn’t propose it; that’s the actual assignment the teacher gave that had Rep. Foxx in such an uproar. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2026, 1:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day-part-4/1014678/4396 "2026-05-15T01:26:35Z")
Oh, and now I’m wondering if I can talk our instrumental music teacher into putting that piece into a concert next fall. A Catholic school performing it should really get right-wing heads to explode. ---
**Author:** ![Smapti](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smapti/32/17938_2.png) [@Smapti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smapti)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2026, 2:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day-part-4/1014678/4397 "2026-05-15T02:19:44Z")
Not an SRIotD itself, but a consequence of one; the city of Seattle is preparing to declare a state of civil emergency because so many LGBTQ people from red states have relocated here fleeing bigoted legislation that the system is struggling to keep up with their needs. > **[SGN:: City of Seattle poised to declare a civil emergency for LGBTQIA+...](https://www.sgn.org/story/166221/News/Seattle/City%20of%20Seattle%20poised%20to%20declare%20a%20civil%20emergency%20for%20LGBTQIA%2B%20refugees%20fleeing%20red%20states)** > > On the Trans Day of Visibility last month, Seattle’s LGBTQ Commission submitted a letter of recommendation to the Mayor’s Office, City Council, and City Attorney’s Office that requested that City officials declare a civil emergency in response to the... ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2026, 9:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day-part-4/1014678/4398 "2026-05-15T09:53:43Z")
Ethnic “cleansing” at its finest. Or so the bigots will think. ---
**Author:** ![Joey\_P](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/919ad9/32.png) [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2026, 5:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day-part-4/1014678/4399 "2026-05-15T17:27:29Z")
> [@Joey\_P](#): > > The students walked out today: That was the High School, today the Middle School kids walked out. But only after they ‘escaped’ because the principal had the school locked down and requested extra police to be in the area. They appear to be framing it as there being an actual threat to the school, but barring a well backed up press release, I feel it’s safe to assume the principal is full of shit. I suppose that just makes this lesson extra realistic for the kids. The admins could have taught them to stand up for what they believe in and shown them how to affect change through non-violent protest (ie walking out of school) but instead taught them to rage against the machine. > **[Watertown middle school students hold planned walkout protest despite 'lock...](https://www.tmj4.com/news/dodge-county/watertown-middle-school-placed-on-lock-and-hold-during-planned-student-protest)** > > Riverside Middle School in Watertown was placed on a "cautionary lock and hold" during a planned student protest Friday. > > The school said it had was aware "of a rumor that impacts student safety." Also, I wish these articles would stop using this quote, or at least edit it (or get the person to restate it, if need be). > “I’m just so unbelievably proud of all of these people, a lot of them don’t even fully know the circumstances as to which they’re out here, but just seeing them all out here, these maybe about 200 people, is amazing. Like getting their support for just a band class is the best thing I could have asked for.” IMO, they need to get rid of the part that says ‘a lot of them don’t even fully know the circumstances as to which they’re out here’. I understand the sentiment, but that’s giving any opposition a great foothold to use they ‘you’re indoctrinating them’ line. ETA, if anyone likes following along with the facebook drama, here’s the school’s page. > **[Facebook](https://www.facebook.com/WatertownUnifiedSD/)** ---
**Author:** ![Alessan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alessan/32/465_2.png) [@Alessan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alessan)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2026, 6:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day-part-4/1014678/4400 "2026-05-15T18:22:13Z")
> [@Joey\_P](#): > > IMO, they need to get rid of the part that says ‘a lot of them don’t even fully know the circumstances as to which they’re out here’. I understand the sentiment, but that’s giving any opposition a great foothold to use they ‘you’re indoctrinating them’ line. Sometimes you support people for a cause; sometimes you support them out of solidarity. Ether is admirable. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day-part-4/1014678.md?page=219) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day-part-4/1014678.md?page=221)