# Now THIS is just fucking stupid **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [March 21, 2003, 4:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/now-this-is-just-fucking-stupid/163010 "2003-03-21T04:13:47Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e99b99/32.png) [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diogenes_the_Cynic)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2003, 4:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/now-this-is-just-fucking-stupid/163010/1 "2003-03-21T04:13:47Z")
I guess it’s no secret that I’m against this war, but I even _I_ think [this](http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/gate/archive/2003/03/20/heaving.DTL) is fucking retarded. > [@](#): > > \*08:41 PST – In a unique form of opposition, some protesters at the Federal Building staged a "vomit in,’’ by heaving on the sidewalks and plaza areas in the back and front of the building to show that the war in Iraq made them sick, according to a spokesman. > > Many of the approximately 300 protesters demonstrating at the building at 450 Golden Gate Ave. attempted to block building entrances\* Great job, people. Really fucking brilliant. Why didn’t Gandhi or MLK think of this shit? Wait until GWB hears about it, how can he argue with such a persuasive statement. “They’re what?” He’ll say, “They’re puking? Oh my God, turn those planes around immediately! What have we done? Oh, the humanity!” Thanks for making the anti-war movement look like an SNL sketch. Fucking ass-monkeys… ---
**Author:** ![World\_Eater](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/f04885/32.png) [@World\_Eater](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/World_Eater)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2003, 4:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/now-this-is-just-fucking-stupid/163010/2 "2003-03-21T04:24:51Z")
Hopefully this won’t be the only time I ever agree with you. Morons… ---
**Author:** ![koeeoaddi](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/koeeoaddi/32/408_2.png) [@koeeoaddi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/koeeoaddi)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2003, 4:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/now-this-is-just-fucking-stupid/163010/3 "2003-03-21T04:37:25Z")
I saw that and thought I was reading The Onion. I dunno, it _was_ probably my only laugh on this very trying day. Where’s that barfy smilie when you need one? ---
**Author:** ![Convict](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ad7895/32.png) [@Convict](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Convict)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2003, 4:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/now-this-is-just-fucking-stupid/163010/4 "2003-03-21T04:57:39Z")
> [@](#): > > One protester in a rope and harness committed suicide by letting himself fall from Golden Gate Bridge as police tried to coax him to safety. [http://www.cnn.com/2003/US/03/20/sprj.irq.war.protests.ap/index.html](http://www.cnn.com/2003/US/03/20/sprj.irq.war.protests.ap/index.html) I’m speechless. ---
**Author:** ![DadWagonDriver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/edb3f5/32.png) [@DadWagonDriver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DadWagonDriver)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2003, 5:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/now-this-is-just-fucking-stupid/163010/5 "2003-03-21T05:03:13Z")
Wow. Words can not begin to describe the idiocy of all of this. Isn’t there a better way to protest thanpuking or suicide? Jeez… ---
**Author:** ![Chaco](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/d26b3c/32.png) [@Chaco](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chaco)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2003, 5:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/now-this-is-just-fucking-stupid/163010/6 "2003-03-21T05:13:23Z")
I could not believe it when I heard about this on the radio. The radio also said that there were protesters defecating on the street (a shit-in?) and that they were holding a yoga demonstration **on** Market street. Only in San Francisco. ---
**Author:** ![Arden\_Ranger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/b487fb/32.png) [@Arden\_Ranger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Arden_Ranger)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2003, 5:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/now-this-is-just-fucking-stupid/163010/7 "2003-03-21T05:13:45Z")
Oh my god. Did all the loons come out today everyplace but here? You know how they protested on campus here? A candlelight vigil on the library lawn in the damp and cold. One of the people the paper talked to said they had chosen that route because a protest for peace should be peaceful. They are going to wrap it up with a moment of silence for the troops. They got press, they got attention and they were reaspnable. Good for them. ---
**Author:** ![Apos](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/838e76/32.png) [@Apos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Apos)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2003, 6:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/now-this-is-just-fucking-stupid/163010/8 "2003-03-21T06:02:37Z")
In my opinion, protesting is a relic from another age. If these people really wanted to affect political change, they’d need to start raising money for the political campaigns of mainstream party candidates that could actually have some real affect on international policy. ---
**Author:** ![Spit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/76d3ee/32.png) [@Spit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spit)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2003, 6:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/now-this-is-just-fucking-stupid/163010/9 "2003-03-21T06:30:45Z")
Wow. The dude who killed himself truly has my respect. If only other protestors showed the same commitment. ---
**Author:** ![Rilchiam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/2bfe46/32.png) [@Rilchiam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rilchiam)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2003, 12:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/now-this-is-just-fucking-stupid/163010/10 "2003-03-21T12:37:02Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Apos \* > \*\*In my opinion, protesting is a relic from another age. If these people really wanted to affect political change, they’d need to start raising money for the political campaigns of mainstream party candidates that could actually have some real affect on international policy. \*\* Plus which, what people have forgotten or never knew is that people didn’t start protesting against the Vietnam War until after it became obvious that it was corrupt. Ever since then, there have been a lot of people who jump to the conclusion that **all** wars are corrupt, and should never even begin, for any reason. That ain’t necessarily so. And they should have let MacNamara go ahead with Operation Starlight. It would have been over so much sooner, and we still would have lost fewer troops. ---
**Author:** ![Meatros](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b4bc9f/32.png) [@Meatros](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Meatros)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2003, 12:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/now-this-is-just-fucking-stupid/163010/11 "2003-03-21T12:48:31Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by koeeoaddi \* > \*\*Where’s that barfy smilie when you need one? \*\* Why? Are you thinking of protesting? 😃 I agree, this is a disgusting idea. On the other hand, it’ll make a big splash in the paper… (yeah that was bad…) ---
**Author:** ![Desmostylus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/c57346/32.png) [@Desmostylus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Desmostylus)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2003, 12:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/now-this-is-just-fucking-stupid/163010/12 "2003-03-21T12:55:34Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by wmulax93 \* > **Wow. Words can not begin to describe the idiocy of all of this. Isn’t there a better way to protest thanpuking or suicide?** > [@](#): > > _Originally posted by chaco_ > **I could not believe it when I heard about this on the radio. The radio also said that there were protesters defecating on the street (a shit-in?) and that they were holding a yoga demonstration on Market street.** > [@](#): > > _Originally posted by Apos_ > **In my opinion, protesting is a relic from another age. If these people really wanted to affect political change, they’d need to start raising money for the political campaigns of mainstream party candidates that could actually have some real affect on international policy.** > [@](#): > > _Originally posted by Rilchiam_ > **Plus which, what people have forgotten or never knew is that people didn’t start protesting against the Vietnam War until after it became obvious that it was corrupt. Ever since then, there have been a lot of people who jump to the conclusion that all wars are corrupt, and should never even begin, for any reason. That ain’t necessarily so.** Yeah. Dumbass protestors. We should all take the position that we won’t listen to peaceful protest. And when it escalates to peaceful but annoying protest, we should just laugh. Forgive me for thinking that this sort of dismissal and contempt of protest may just be what prompts others to start thinking about blowing things and people up. ---
**Author:** ![Ennui](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ennui/32/3396_2.png) [@Ennui](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ennui)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2003, 1:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/now-this-is-just-fucking-stupid/163010/13 "2003-03-21T13:10:43Z")
OMG, when I vomited last night I thought I was only protesting a stomach virus. Who’d have thought, Karen Carpenter was more of an antiwar activist than Sheryl Crow. ---
**Author:** ![Rilchiam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/2bfe46/32.png) [@Rilchiam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rilchiam)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2003, 1:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/now-this-is-just-fucking-stupid/163010/14 "2003-03-21T13:16:57Z")
I don’t know why you included me in that. Perhaps I should clarify. People protested against the Vietnam war because of the **way** it was being carried out. Too many villages were being “destroyed in order to be saved”. Too many American soldiers were being wiped out to what seemed to be no purpose. There were discrepancies between the number of casualties sustained and the number that were reported. There was also the matter of the voting age: you could be drafted at 18, but you couldn’t vote for another three years. We weren’t accomplishing what we’d set out to accomplish, and we took ten years to not accomplish it. During that time, people got fed up. They wanted troops to pull out because it was becoming a lost cause. The long-term goal was neither achievable nor worth the death and destruction it was costing. It seems to me that people are protesting this war because they’ve been conditioned to think that all wars will be protracted and counter-productive. This one may not be. If I’m wrong, I will make my voice heard, but it won’t be through vomiting or jumping off a bridge. ---
**Author:** ![Kalhoun](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/3bc359/32.png) [@Kalhoun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kalhoun)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2003, 3:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/now-this-is-just-fucking-stupid/163010/15 "2003-03-21T15:07:23Z")
I think protest is healthy, especially in this day and age. With government taking our rights away little by little, someone has to say something! Rilchaim said, “Plus which, what people have forgotten or never knew is that people didn’t start protesting against the Vietnam War until after it became obvious that it was corrupt. Ever since then, there have been a lot of people who jump to the conclusion that all wars are corrupt, and should never even begin, for any reason. That ain’t necessarily so.” I think it’s obvious to many people that this war is corrupt. There have been questions about the legality of this preemptive strike for months now. We’re not even sure of the legality of the presidency, fercrissakes! Protest is a good thing. It’s an American thing. Although I think I’ll take a pass on the puking and the shit-in. Just not my style. ---
**Author:** ![lieu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c2a13f/32.png) [@lieu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lieu)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2003, 3:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/now-this-is-just-fucking-stupid/163010/16 "2003-03-21T15:19:08Z")
This was probably a one time deal. Those seven arrested are sitting next to each other in a stinky holding tank right now splattered with community puke and blowing vomit breath on each other as they discuss the ridiculousness of their situation. Their stupidity is rampant enough to launch a fucking skateboard. ---
**Author:** ![Spit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/76d3ee/32.png) [@Spit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spit)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2003, 7:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/now-this-is-just-fucking-stupid/163010/17 "2003-03-21T19:15:24Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Desmostylus \* > **…And when it escalates to peaceful but annoying protest, we should just laugh.** No, we laugh when they are being peaceful; we get pissed when they start getting stupid. > [@](#): > > \*\*Forgive me for thinking that this sort of dismissal and contempt of protest may just be what prompts others to start thinking about blowing things and people up. \*\* Echelon, calling Echelon. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Shodan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9f8e36/32.png) [@Shodan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shodan)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2003, 7:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/now-this-is-just-fucking-stupid/163010/18 "2003-03-21T19:38:05Z")
> [@](#): > > Forgive me for thinking that this sort of dismissal and contempt of protest may just be what prompts others to start thinking about blowing things and people up. Screw Echelon - calling Osama bin Laden. Regards, Shodan ---
**Author:** ![SPOOFE](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c5a1d2/32.png) [@SPOOFE](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SPOOFE)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2003, 7:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/now-this-is-just-fucking-stupid/163010/19 "2003-03-21T19:54:54Z")
> [@](#): > > I think protest is healthy, especially in this day and age. With government taking our rights away little by little, someone has to say something! I also agree that protest is healthy. In my opinion, the day everyone agrees on something, that’s the day we’re all doing something wrong. However, there’s a difference between protesting a legitimate issue (which this is), and protesting in a really, really stupid way (which this is). This is PETA-level “there’s no such thing as bad publicity” bullshit… the kind of thing that only gets fellow diehard gonzo nutcases who happen to also agree with you to join in. It’s not constructive in the slightest. ---
**Author:** ![AchimbaProphet](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/2bfe46/32.png) [@AchimbaProphet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AchimbaProphet)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2003, 8:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/now-this-is-just-fucking-stupid/163010/20 "2003-03-21T20:01:35Z")
I personaly don’t see the point of protesting. But that’s just why I won’t do it. It’s a right we have and, so have fun. Having said that, I think most of the peacefull protesting gets over shadowed by the masses of loones that just like making a spectical of themselves. I was in Seattle when the WTO protests were going on. In the begining of it, most of the people protesting had valid points and were doing it in a respectfull way. They didn’t block the streets or interfear with what was going on around them. Then the morons showed up and got all violent and started ruining buisnesses that just happened to be there. I remember the next day on the news, the protesters were being interviewed and most who were asked said they didn’t know what they were protesting. My feeling is most people know that war is a sad and horrible thing. We don’t need to be convinced of that. So instead of walking around and saying war is bad. Come up with a solution. Tell us what we should be doing. And don’t give me that crap about talking it out with them because that odviously isn’t working. Untill then, GET THE FUCK OFF MY FREE WAY! Sorry, this turned into my own little rant. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/now-this-is-just-fucking-stupid/163010.md?page=2)