# Sam Brownback: The Crazy finally appears. **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [July 4, 2011, 2:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sam-brownback-the-crazy-finally-appears/587809 "2011-07-04T14:24:53Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Lilacs](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e9c0ed/32.png) [@Lilacs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lilacs)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2011, 2:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sam-brownback-the-crazy-finally-appears/587809/1 "2011-07-04T14:24:53Z")
[http://cjonline.com/news/2011-07-02/brownback-program-promotes-marriage](http://cjonline.com/news/2011-07-02/brownback-program-promotes-marriage) I am so disgusted right now. I’ve been waiting for this asshole to go ultra fundamental nuts on us, and now it’s happened. Last week this delusional fanatic decides he’s going to shut down the millions of abortion clinics in the state. OH, I mean the THREE clinics that perform abortions, including planned parenthood. Makes up some arbitrary new regulations and Surprise! They won’t be licensed. Except a federal judge had the sense to stop this nonsense. Then, on Friday, we find out that our local office of the SRS (including Child Welfare) is going to be closed, in favor of leaving open other, smaller offices that serve less people in the state. Ok, well, that really sucks but I guess they have to save money somehow. I mean, I smell a political rat since I live in Lawrence and it’s a known “Liberal” hot bed in the state of Kansas and you can bet the people here didn’t elect Governor CRAZY to office. But this? What the fuck all does this have to do with our budget problems? This is a personal agenda this asshole is wasting our state money on. But the worst part is, it sounds as if once you are married, then you are fucking stuck. Sure they pretend they will make an “abusive” clause but you have to prove it. ---
**Author:** ![Baal\_Houtham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/baal_houtham/32/13604_2.png) [@Baal\_Houtham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baal_Houtham)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2011, 2:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sam-brownback-the-crazy-finally-appears/587809/2 "2011-07-04T14:34:52Z")
From Wikipedia: SRS or SrS may stand for: Organizations and companies ``` * SRS Labs, an American audio technology engineering company * Savez Radio-Amatera Srbije, an amateur radio organization in Serbia * Sea Research Society, a non-profit research institution for diving and underwater archaeology * Serbian Radical Party (Srpska radikalna stranka in Serbian), a nationalist political party in Serbia * Signalling Record Society, a society for railway signalling and operation in the British Isles and overseas * Special Repair Service, a British construction organisation in World War II * Stanford Research Systems, a test and measurement manufacturer * Scoliosis Research Society, a nonprofit international professional organization dedicated to fostering the optimal care of all spinal deformity patients ``` [edit] Science ``` * Sex reassignment surgery, a transgender surgical procedure * Shock response spectrum, a graphical representation of vibrations * Simple random sample, a sampling method in statistics * Somatostatin receptor scintigraphy, a type of scintigraphy used to find carcinoid and other types of tumors * Spontaneous Raman spectroscopy, a spectroscopic technique * Stereotactic radiosurgery, a medical procedure * Stimulated Raman scattering, the inelastic scattering of photons * Strontium sulfide (SrS), an inorganic compound * Synchrotron Radiation Source, an X-ray facility at Daresbury Laboratory in Cheshire, England ``` Software ``` * Sender Rewriting Scheme, an email mechanism * Sequence Retrieval System, bioinformatic software by LION Bioscience AG * Software Requirements Specification, a document of a software system to be developed * Street Racing Syndicate, a video game ``` Technology ``` * Cirrus SRS, an aircraft made by Cirrus Design * Sound Retrieval System, an audio processing technology * Spatial reference system, a coordinate-based system used to locate geographical entities * Supplementary Restraint System, a type of automobile airbag ``` Miscellaneous ``` * Savannah River Site, a nuclear reservation in the United States * Secretary of the Royal Society, the secretary of a UK-based organization for academic disciplines in science * Socialist Republic of Serbia, extant 1943–1990 * Standard RPG System, a Japanese role-playing game system * Stealth Recon Scout, a sniper rifle made by Desert Tactical Arms * Spaced repetition system, a memorisation technique ``` * * * But most likely the third item in my Google search: _Kansas Department of Social and Rehabilitation Services_ ---
**Author:** ![kaylasdad99](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kaylasdad99/32/3398_2.png) [@kaylasdad99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kaylasdad99)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2011, 3:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sam-brownback-the-crazy-finally-appears/587809/3 "2011-07-04T15:13:24Z")
> [@Lilacs](#): > > But the worst part is, it sounds as if once you are married, then you are fucking stuck. Sure they pretend they will make an “abusive” clause but you have to prove it. I’m sure that dude ranches in Reno, Nevada will appreciate the boost in business… ---
**Author:** ![Lilacs](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e9c0ed/32.png) [@Lilacs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lilacs)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2011, 3:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sam-brownback-the-crazy-finally-appears/587809/4 "2011-07-04T15:23:58Z")
> [@Baal\_Houtham](#): > > From Wikipedia: > > SRS or SrS may stand for: > Organizations and companies > > ``` > * SRS Labs, an American audio technology engineering company > * Savez Radio-Amatera Srbije, an amateur radio organization in Serbia > * Sea Research Society, a non-profit research institution for diving and underwater archaeology > * Serbian Radical Party (Srpska radikalna stranka in Serbian), a nationalist political party in Serbia > * Signalling Record Society, a society for railway signalling and operation in the British Isles and overseas > * Special Repair Service, a British construction organisation in World War II > * Stanford Research Systems, a test and measurement manufacturer > * Scoliosis Research Society, a nonprofit international professional organization dedicated to fostering the optimal care of all spinal deformity patients > > ``` > > [edit] Science > > ``` > * Sex reassignment surgery, a transgender surgical procedure > * Shock response spectrum, a graphical representation of vibrations > * Simple random sample, a sampling method in statistics > * Somatostatin receptor scintigraphy, a type of scintigraphy used to find carcinoid and other types of tumors > * Spontaneous Raman spectroscopy, a spectroscopic technique > * Stereotactic radiosurgery, a medical procedure > * Stimulated Raman scattering, the inelastic scattering of photons > * Strontium sulfide (SrS), an inorganic compound > * Synchrotron Radiation Source, an X-ray facility at Daresbury Laboratory in Cheshire, England > > ``` > > Software > > ``` > * Sender Rewriting Scheme, an email mechanism > * Sequence Retrieval System, bioinformatic software by LION Bioscience AG > * Software Requirements Specification, a document of a software system to be developed > * Street Racing Syndicate, a video game > > ``` > > Technology > > ``` > * Cirrus SRS, an aircraft made by Cirrus Design > * Sound Retrieval System, an audio processing technology > * Spatial reference system, a coordinate-based system used to locate geographical entities > * Supplementary Restraint System, a type of automobile airbag > > ``` > > Miscellaneous > > ``` > * Savannah River Site, a nuclear reservation in the United States > * Secretary of the Royal Society, the secretary of a UK-based organization for academic disciplines in science > * Socialist Republic of Serbia, extant 1943–1990 > * Standard RPG System, a Japanese role-playing game system > * Stealth Recon Scout, a sniper rifle made by Desert Tactical Arms > * Spaced repetition system, a memorisation technique > > ``` > > * * * > > But most likely the third item in my Google search: > _Kansas Department of Social and Rehabilitation Services_ My apologies. I thought “Child Welfare” would give someone a little idea of what it was. SO…I guess you have no other opinion? ---
**Author:** ![Baal\_Houtham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/baal_houtham/32/13604_2.png) [@Baal\_Houtham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baal_Houtham)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2011, 4:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sam-brownback-the-crazy-finally-appears/587809/5 "2011-07-04T16:13:24Z")
> [@Lilacs](#): > > My apologies. I thought “Child Welfare” would give someone a little idea of what it was. > SO…I guess you have no other opinion? My post was an overkill response to a tiny ambiguity. Apologies. But, there were other unexplained points in your post, so a little more detail would have been nice. I skimmed the article, but didn’t see the explanation of how people were being locked into marriage. My most important opinion is that I want you to fight the good fight and not let the crazies get you down. I’ve got relatives in Kansas, and wish you and them the best. ---
**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:** [July 4, 2011, 4:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sam-brownback-the-crazy-finally-appears/587809/6 "2011-07-04T16:20:00Z")
I don’t get the connection, either (I tried to read the article, but it was too much blahblahblah). So, Governor Brownback wants to defend traditional marriage and reduce divorce rates by not allowing people to \*get \*divorces? ---
**Author:** ![MandaJo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ac91a4/32.png) [@MandaJo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MandaJo)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2011, 4:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sam-brownback-the-crazy-finally-appears/587809/7 "2011-07-04T16:40:27Z")
Near as I can tell, a bunch of conservative people were convened (on the state dime) to discuss ways to strengthen marriage. In a leaked letter, it was revealed that they concluded that the best way to fix marriage would be to 1) get rid of no-fault divorces 2) limit the “legitimate” causes of divorce to abuse or adultery and 3) have a strong legal preference to the partner opposing divorce. There was also a recommendation that churches that perform marriages be required to institute mandatory pre-marital counseling. None of this even begins to have the slightest bit of force, but it does suggest that the governor personally favors a pretty extreme position. But I may be reading it wrong. ---
**Author:** ![waterj2](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/858c86/32.png) [@waterj2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/waterj2)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2011, 5:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sam-brownback-the-crazy-finally-appears/587809/8 "2011-07-04T17:00:11Z")
If they wanted to look at actual evidence, rather than ideology, maybe they could take a brief look at which state has the lowest divorce rate. Hmmm, last I checked, that was Massachusetts ([2009 data, pdf](http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/nvss/divorce_rates_90_95_99-09.pdf): Massachusetts 2.2 divorces per thousand residents, Kansas 3.7 divorces per thousand residents). Now, how does Massachusetts stick out in regard to marriage law? I leave the conclusion as an exercise for the reader. ---
**Author:** ![Cheshire\_Human](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/5f8ce5/32.png) [@Cheshire\_Human](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cheshire_Human)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2011, 5:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sam-brownback-the-crazy-finally-appears/587809/9 "2011-07-04T17:53:08Z")
> [@waterj2](#): > > … I leave the conclusion as an exercise for the reader. No conclusion possible. Meaningless statistic. If State A has 1 out of 1000 people who get married, and State B has 500 out of 1000 get married, State A has 1 divorce / 1000, and State B has 5 divorces / 1000, State B has 5 times higher rate by your numbers, but in reality it’s 100% for State A, and 1% for State B. Without the marriage rate to go with it, your numbers say nothing. ---
**Author:** ![monstro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ba9def/32.png) [@monstro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/monstro)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2011, 5:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sam-brownback-the-crazy-finally-appears/587809/10 "2011-07-04T17:54:46Z")
> [@article](#): > > In his follow-up letter to Brownback obtained by The Topeka Capital-Journal, McManus said Kansas should prohibit no-fault divorce unless there was proof of physical abuse or adultery. A Kansas law ought to be passed, he said, allowing judges to select a “responsible spouse,” which would always be the person opposed to divorce. The statute would allow the responsible adult to receive up to 66 percent of child visitation and 100 percent of family assets in the divorce. Alright, lemme get this straight. The government is way too big, right? And expensive and always trying to butt into people’s lives. But it’s alright for a judge to pick which one of you are more “responsible” and basically force you to be joined to him (you know it’s a “him”) for the REST OF YOUR LIFE. Physical abuse…will they count slapping around as abuse? Well, how do you prove that a spouse slapped you if it doesn’t leave any marks? What if he’s calling you a slutty, cross-eyed, hoe-bag at the same time? Does that count as abuse too? What if one spouse decides they don’t want to work anymore and stays home all day to play video games, leaving you in charge with all the bills and child-rearing? Are you supposed to just put up with that because some Butt-in-ski Church Lady said so? I read once that the number one cause of divorce isn’t physical abuse or adultery, but money problems. Perhaps if the state wants to reduce divorce rates, they need to ensure that families are doing alright financially. Oops, sorry! That’s too close to teh socialism! Too much gubmit involvement there! ---
**Author:** ![waterj2](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/858c86/32.png) [@waterj2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/waterj2)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2011, 6:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sam-brownback-the-crazy-finally-appears/587809/11 "2011-07-04T18:09:02Z")
> [@Cheshire\_Human](#): > > No conclusion possible. Meaningless statistic. If State A has 1 out of 1000 people who get married, and State B has 500 out of 1000 get married, State A has 1 divorce / 1000, and State B has 5 divorces / 1000, State B has 5 times higher rate by your numbers, but in reality it’s 100% for State A, and 1% for State B. Without the marriage rate to go with it, your numbers say nothing. [http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/nvss/marriage\_rates\_90\_95\_99-09.pdf](http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/nvss/marriage_rates_90_95_99-09.pdf) Eh, Massachuestts is toward the low end, with 5.5 marriages per thousand. Kansas is at 6.5. The data is based on where the marriage occurred, though, which at least throws Nevada way off. I don’t know where to find data on what proportion of the population in a given state is married. ---
**Author:** ![Merneith](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/57b2e6/32.png) [@Merneith](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Merneith)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2011, 7:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sam-brownback-the-crazy-finally-appears/587809/12 "2011-07-04T19:04:43Z")
> [@monstro](#): > > What if one spouse decides they don’t want to work anymore and stays home all day to play video games, leaving you in charge with all the bills and child-rearing? Are you supposed to just put up with that because some Butt-in-ski Church Lady said so? The part that makes me all stabby is how it just never occurs to these schmucks that it might not be their particular flavor of Church Lady doing the butting-in. But the short term, I think, is that instead of strengthening marriage, it would just make more couples opt out of marriage in the first place. It would also have the effect of increasing adultery, as more couples tried to get one of the acceptable divorce reasons in place, or possibly even increasing the incidence of open marriage as people would just skip the hassle and sleep around instead. The private eye industry might see a nice little boost, though, so there is an upside. And presumably there’d be more work for lawyers in contested divorces. Hey - this bill would create jobs! (ETA: Yes, I know, it’s not a bill, just brainstorming from the perpetually brain-damaged.) ---
**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:** [July 4, 2011, 9:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sam-brownback-the-crazy-finally-appears/587809/13 "2011-07-04T21:01:36Z")
Better yet, if most marriages end in divorce around the seven year mark, make term marriages! No need to get divorced - just serve your term and you’re done! (Unless you re-up.) ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2011, 9:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sam-brownback-the-crazy-finally-appears/587809/14 "2011-07-04T21:05:42Z")
Time off for good behavior? OW! Stop hitting me! I was only making a joke! ---
**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:** [July 4, 2011, 9:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sam-brownback-the-crazy-finally-appears/587809/15 "2011-07-04T21:22:01Z")
Yeah, the comparisons between marriage and jail sort of write themselves when you start talking about term marriages. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2011, 9:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sam-brownback-the-crazy-finally-appears/587809/16 "2011-07-04T21:25:11Z")
😕 “Brownback”? [searches Urban Dictionary] ---
**Author:** ![elucidator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8edcca/32.png) [@elucidator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elucidator)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2011, 9:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sam-brownback-the-crazy-finally-appears/587809/17 "2011-07-04T21:40:17Z")
Dried, powdered santorum. ---
**Author:** ![curlcoat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ea5d25/32.png) [@curlcoat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/curlcoat)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2011, 10:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sam-brownback-the-crazy-finally-appears/587809/18 "2011-07-04T22:01:45Z")
> [@silenus](#): > > Time off for good behavior? > > OW! Stop hitting me! I was only making a joke! Well, there’s your proof of abuse! 😃 ---
**Author:** ![sqweels](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f19dbf/32.png) [@sqweels](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sqweels)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2011, 10:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sam-brownback-the-crazy-finally-appears/587809/19 "2011-07-04T22:12:58Z")
> [@Cat\_Whisperer](#): > > Yeah, the comparisons between marriage and jail sort of write themselves when you start talking about term marriages. 🙂 More like a stint in the service. ---
**Author:** ![Baker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/bb73d2/32.png) [@Baker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baker)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2011, 10:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sam-brownback-the-crazy-finally-appears/587809/20 "2011-07-04T22:36:13Z")
I am a Republican, but I sure as heck voted against Brownback. I knew he would start making these repressive moves if he got in office and I was right. I don’t like abortion but I think safe, legal abortion should be available to women. Abortions are going to get done no matter what, so I’d prefer that further lives aren’t endangered. I figured the licensing bar would be set in such a way that the clinics wouldn’t be approved. At least the Federal judge has blocked the new laws from being enforced. Brownback is a fundie in a position of power, and that’s scary. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sam-brownback-the-crazy-finally-appears/587809.md?page=2)