# No trolls left behind **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [January 8, 2012, 11:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-trolls-left-behind/608868 "2012-01-08T23:56:10Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![Labrador\_Deceiver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7c8e57/32.png) [@Labrador\_Deceiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Labrador_Deceiver)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2012, 3:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-trolls-left-behind/608868/61 "2012-01-09T03:02:10Z")
> [@CitizenPained](#): > > Sounds like it was surrounded by [other generic questions](http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2083734/If-slaves-pick-56-oranges--Georgia-school-racist-violent-math-homework.html?ito=feeds-newsxml). When they showed the actual handout on the news, I definitely saw other history related questions. One was the Susan B Anthony example I posted above. I’m not saying there weren’t also some generic questions on the handout. ---
**Author:** ![Farmer\_Jane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Farmer\_Jane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Farmer_Jane)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2012, 3:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-trolls-left-behind/608868/62 "2012-01-09T03:03:06Z")
> [@Labrador\_Deceiver](#): > > When they showed the actual handout on the news, I definitely saw other history related questions. One was the Susan B Anthony example I posted above. I’m not saying there weren’t also some generic questions on the handout. Okay. Again. Lacked context. Inappropriate. Racist. Ethnocentric. Stupid. ---
**Author:** ![Ruken](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/f475e1/32.png) [@Ruken](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ruken)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2012, 3:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-trolls-left-behind/608868/63 "2012-01-09T03:03:30Z")
I must be missing something in the linked article. Slavery is and was horrible. I learned about that in school, and so do these kids. The math problems highlight that. Now if we want to complain about 8 year olds being so far behind in math that these are the sorts of questions they’re getting, I’m right on board. ---
**Author:** ![Labrador\_Deceiver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7c8e57/32.png) [@Labrador\_Deceiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Labrador_Deceiver)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2012, 3:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-trolls-left-behind/608868/64 "2012-01-09T03:05:12Z")
That article that Mr Pained linked to says that no corresponding history lesson was provided. That’s pretty damn shitty, and I’m totally on board with being pissed off. ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2012, 3:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-trolls-left-behind/608868/65 "2012-01-09T03:05:48Z")
OK, if a “hate crime” enhancement adds 15% to a felon’s sentence and Jimmy Bob would otherwise be looking at 12 years . . . ---
**Author:** ![Dr.Drake](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ad7895/32.png) [@Dr.Drake](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr.Drake)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2012, 3:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-trolls-left-behind/608868/66 "2012-01-09T03:09:56Z")
> [@Rick](#): > > This is just a wild guess, but you did not major in either math, or test question writing, did you? > Or were you checking who you could whoosh here? No, it’s a badly written question. Sorry. The general point wasn’t about math, though I concede I shouldn’t have given such a badly written example. ---
**Author:** ![Carmady](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f04885/32.png) [@Carmady](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Carmady)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2012, 3:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-trolls-left-behind/608868/67 "2012-01-09T03:19:10Z")
Trick question. The slave is a _woman_, and Frederick is her son. ---
**Author:** ![Jragon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e19b73/32.png) [@Jragon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jragon)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2012, 3:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-trolls-left-behind/608868/68 "2012-01-09T03:37:12Z")
> [@Giles](#): > > It’s in Georgia, one of the southern states of the United States. Just in case you are not familiar with the history of racism and slavery in Georgia, you should realise that historically both were strongly associated with people of African descent. The Black schoolchildren of Georgia, when told about slavery, will associate it with what happened to their ancestors 150 years ago – not what happened in Greece 2,000 years ago. > [@rachelellogram](#): > > 7- and 8-year-olds are not yet tackling world history in social studies classes. In Georgia’s history, there’s only one kind of slavery they’d be referring to. > [@BrainGlutton](#): > > It is in Georgia’s history. **Everything** about black-white race relations in America is warped around the fact that African-Americans are the descendants of slaves and white people (unless you go back to the Roman Empire) are not. There is really no way around that and it is deeply dishonest to pretend it doesn’t matter. > [@DrDeth](#): > > This was Georgia. The US State, Georgia. Thus, it is completely racist. I don’t see how it being from Georgia makes it racist, but I guess the 7 and 8 year old point is fair. I guess I’ll admit that I’m a bit odd in that when I think of slavery I’m more likely to think of Rome. Hell, even in America the fact that Africans were slaves was more of a fluke of history (at least if my high school history class had any credibility), we tried whites (could blend into society too easily) and native Americans (knew the surrounding area so well they could easily escape) back in the 1600s/Chesapeake Bay era in the earliest colonies. I suppose I was a bit disingenuous insinuating that people would think of slavery as an institution before more “recent” and sensitive local history, apologies. ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2012, 3:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-trolls-left-behind/608868/69 "2012-01-09T03:39:13Z")
> [@Jragon](#): > > I don’t see how it being from Georgia makes it racist . . . Yes, you do. ---
**Author:** ![Jragon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e19b73/32.png) [@Jragon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jragon)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2012, 3:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-trolls-left-behind/608868/70 "2012-01-09T03:40:19Z")
> [@BrainGlutton](#): > > Yes, you do. Not particularly. ---
**Author:** ![guizot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guizot/32/3636_2.png) [@guizot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/guizot)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2012, 4:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-trolls-left-behind/608868/71 "2012-01-09T04:10:21Z")
> [@CitizenPained](#): > > Okay. Again. Lacked context. Inappropriate. Racist. Ethnocentric. Stupid. Not to mention, completely mindless and robotic. You know exactly what the Anthony question probably said before they “integrated” it into the social sciences curriculum: [QUOTE=Original Question] Susan needed $100 to buy a new dress. She only had $25. How much more did she need to buy the dress? [/quote] Their solution? “Let’s just plug in ‘Susan B. Anthony’ and change ‘dress’ to ‘fine,’ and we’re good to go!” Problem is Anthony _ **never paid any part of the fine at all** _ (in civil disobedience), so they just screwed the whole thing up completely. ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2012, 5:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-trolls-left-behind/608868/72 "2012-01-09T05:14:23Z")
> [@John\_Mace](#): > > It was a stupid idea. There is no need to infuse math with social studies concepts. Math is math. If you want to make it more relevant and, possibly fun, for the kids, structure the problems around things they care about-- candy, games and shit like that. “John has 13 grams of arsenic and 400 Jolly Ranchers. If ingesting .4 grams of arsenic is fatal, how many Jolly Ranchers…” ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2012, 5:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-trolls-left-behind/608868/73 "2012-01-09T05:18:18Z")
> [@Jragon](#): > > Not particularly. You can’t be so ignorant and not know about the South’s “peculiar Institution” the **ONE SINGLE THING THAT HAS POWERED THE SOUTHERN MINDSET** since 1800 or so.:dubious: No one in America can be that ignorant. You’re just trolling. ---
**Author:** ![Jragon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e19b73/32.png) [@Jragon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jragon)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2012, 5:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-trolls-left-behind/608868/74 "2012-01-09T05:39:03Z")
> [@DrDeth](#): > > You can’t be so ignorant and not know about the South’s “peculiar Institution” the **ONE SINGLE THING THAT HAS POWERED THE SOUTHERN MINDSET** since 1800 or so.:dubious: No one in America can be that ignorant. You’re just trolling. I’m perfectly aware that the south had a history of (black) slavery and racism. I fail to see how the logical leap is made that references to slaves immediately makes it racist. ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2012, 5:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-trolls-left-behind/608868/75 "2012-01-09T05:43:49Z")
> [@Ruken](#): > > I must be missing something in the linked article. Slavery is and was horrible. I learned about that in school, and so do these kids. The math problems highlight that. > > Now if we want to complain about 8 year olds being so far behind in math that these are the sorts of questions they’re getting, I’m right on board. Think about the questions. Who could you actually ask it of for it to be relevant? And for the horribly thick, I’ll spell it out. The only person to whom the questions would be relevant are slave owners. The question is asking the kids to put themselves in the mind of a slave owner. The question is saying it’s okay for modern humans to make calculations based on how fast their slaves work or how many times you personally beat them. This isn’t showing how bad slavery is, it is trivializing it to the same level as “You’re a farmer who has 5 apples.” By your argument, the Holocaust is just a horrible thing in history. Would you consider it acceptable to ask the kids questions like “If it takes 25 minutes for each person to die once subjected to Zyklon B., how many Jews can be killed in 8 hours?” Aren’t we just showing the kids how horrible the Holocaust was? ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2012, 5:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-trolls-left-behind/608868/76 "2012-01-09T05:52:15Z")
> [@Acsenray](#): > > It’s a perfectly fine idea. But it takes only a little bit of common sense to realize you don’t structure a math problem for elementary students in a way that amounts to calculating the details of crimes against humanity. So, it’s a fine idea until someone actually does it. That makes sense. ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2012, 5:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-trolls-left-behind/608868/77 "2012-01-09T05:53:01Z")
If Jimmy Jack can sell crystal meth at $100 per ounce, and it takes $35 worth of feedstock chemicals to produce one once . . . ---
**Author:** ![brittekland](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/aeb1de/32.png) [@brittekland](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/brittekland)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2012, 5:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-trolls-left-behind/608868/78 "2012-01-09T05:57:59Z")
Alas, the end of the world is coming _again_ and I think it’s affecting folks… ---
**Author:** ![fumster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e9c0ed/32.png) [@fumster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fumster)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2012, 6:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-trolls-left-behind/608868/79 "2012-01-09T06:11:47Z")
> [@Jragon](#): > > I guess I’ll admit that I’m a bit odd in that when I think of slavery I’m more likely to think of Rome. Wild guess: you’re not black. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2012, 6:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-trolls-left-behind/608868/80 "2012-01-09T06:17:28Z")
> [@sh1bu1](#): > > Wild guess: you’re not black. No, trolls are green. 😛 He knows full well that they weren’t talking about _Roman slaves_ in a Georgia school. He’s just trolling. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-trolls-left-behind/608868.md?page=3) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-trolls-left-behind/608868.md?page=5)