# Some people are too damn stupid to live!
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/some-people-are-too-damn-stupid-to-live/463227
**Category:** The BBQ Pit
**Created:** [September 12, 2008, 4:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/some-people-are-too-damn-stupid-to-live/463227 "2008-09-12T04:58:23Z")
**Posts on this page:** 20
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@Clothahump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Clothahump)
#### Post date: [September 12, 2008, 4:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/some-people-are-too-damn-stupid-to-live/463227/1 "2008-09-12T04:58:23Z")
I’m sitting here waiting for a major hurricane to hit. I look and one of the local news wienies is down on the beach at Galveston. Ok, he’s stupid but he’s getting paid to be stupid. He’s going on and on about how mandatory evacuation is in place, dangerous storm surge, etc.
And here comes a family, strolling on the beach! Mom and Dad look like they have a combined IQ of room temperature to start out with, and they have spawned: three running podlings and one in a stroller. The news wienie goes over to them and does a man-in-the-street interview with mom that produces this jewel:
Wienie: Mandatory evacuation is in place and a major storm is headed this way. Aren’t you concerned for your safety and the safety of your kids?
Mom: Oh, no, we are absolutely convinced that god will protect us.
WTF!!! I _so_ wanted to see a giant wave roll up behind them, complete with shark fins (tentacles would have been a bonus). That level of stupidity makes me ask how she managed to live as long as she has.
Damn. That was too much. I’m going to bed. The next two days are gonna be fairly hairy.
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### Author:  [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)
#### Post date: [September 12, 2008, 5:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/some-people-are-too-damn-stupid-to-live/463227/2 "2008-09-12T05:04:28Z")
> [@Clothahump](#):
>
> Mom: Oh, no, we are absolutely convinced that god will protect us.
The river’s flooding and a man stays in his house. A cop comes by and offers him a ride to safety. ‘God will save me,’ he says. The water rises and he climbs to his roof. A man comes by in a boat and offers him a ride to dry land. ‘God will save me,’ says the man on the roof. The water has risen to the top of the chimney, the man perched on top. A helicopter flies over and lowers a cable and harness. The man waves the helicopter off, shouting ‘God will save me!’ The water takes the man and he drowns. He finds himself in Heaven and talks to God. ‘God, I had faith in you! I thought you would save me! But you let me die!’ God says to the man, ‘I sent you a car, a boat, and a helicopter! What the hell did you want?’
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### Author:  [@R.P.McMurphy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/R.P.McMurphy)
#### Post date: [September 12, 2008, 5:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/some-people-are-too-damn-stupid-to-live/463227/3 "2008-09-12T05:21:10Z")
Are we talking about Darwin here?
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### Author:  [@FriarTed](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FriarTed)
#### Post date: [September 12, 2008, 5:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/some-people-are-too-damn-stupid-to-live/463227/4 "2008-09-12T05:59:39Z")
Even to most of us religious folk, that family is f’ing stupid.
Now, I hope they survive unharmed, with their stuff intact & are able to do the “Tolja So” dance.
But still… dayum!
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### Author:  [@Santo\_Rugger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Santo_Rugger)
#### Post date: [September 12, 2008, 6:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/some-people-are-too-damn-stupid-to-live/463227/5 "2008-09-12T06:02:43Z")
> [@Clothahump](#):
>
> Mom and Dad look like they have a combined IQ of room temperature…
Celsius or Fahrenheit?
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### Author:  [@Trollhaugen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trollhaugen)
#### Post date: [September 12, 2008, 7:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/some-people-are-too-damn-stupid-to-live/463227/6 "2008-09-12T07:18:56Z")
So here is the thing…fuck them. let them ride the storm out. Let them think that god will save them… who cares. the core value of this country is freedom of choice. They choose to stay, let em stay. no bitching about how dumb ass they are…let them stay. They choose to stay, that choice is theirs.
Enjoy the wind. Enjoy the ride. Hope to hell they don’t get washed out…good luck. be free…may god save your poor ass choice.
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### Author:  [@missred](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/missred)
#### Post date: [September 12, 2008, 8:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/some-people-are-too-damn-stupid-to-live/463227/7 "2008-09-12T08:48:59Z")
Well…if Ike gets 'em, just call it thinning the herd.
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### Author:  [@Pixilated](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pixilated)
#### Post date: [September 12, 2008, 9:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/some-people-are-too-damn-stupid-to-live/463227/8 "2008-09-12T09:48:03Z")
> [@Trollhaugen](#):
>
> So here is the thing…fuck them. let them ride the storm out. Let them think that god will save them… who cares. the core value of this country is freedom of choice. They choose to stay, let em stay. no bitching about how dumb ass they are…let them stay. They choose to stay, that choice is theirs.
>
> Enjoy the wind. Enjoy the ride. Hope to hell they don’t get washed out…good luck. be free…may god save your poor ass choice.
True… but, they are putting the lives of THEIR CHILDREN in danger.
So, one may wonder WHY?
There are laws set in place for people to wear seatbelts when in a vehicle (in most, if not all states) and/or childseats for safety. If you get pulled over, you’ll get a ticket for not following those rules. If you get in an accident - will you face charges for neglect or whatnot if your passengers were killed because they were not strapped in?
I really hope everyone comes out unharmed. If they dont, I dont want to hear any sob stories about how they lost/nearly lost their loved one and have now become a ‘victim’.
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### Author:  [@asterion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/asterion)
#### Post date: [September 12, 2008, 9:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/some-people-are-too-damn-stupid-to-live/463227/9 "2008-09-12T09:50:35Z")
> [@Santo\_Rugger](#):
>
> Celsius or Fahrenheit?
Intersection of the two scales.
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### Author:  [@Grumman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grumman)
#### Post date: [September 12, 2008, 10:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/some-people-are-too-damn-stupid-to-live/463227/10 "2008-09-12T10:43:43Z")
> [@FriarTed](#):
>
> Now, I hope they survive unharmed, with their stuff intact & are able to do the “Tolja So” dance.
If they all survive their stupidity unscathed they’re just going to do it again next time. It’s better that they are convinced not to do it again _before_ they can convince any other idiots to join their “God will protect us” suicide-cult.
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### Author:  [@ivan\_astikov](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ivan_astikov)
#### Post date: [September 12, 2008, 10:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/some-people-are-too-damn-stupid-to-live/463227/11 "2008-09-12T10:53:59Z")
> [@Grumman](#):
>
> If they all survive their stupidity unscathed they’re just going to do it again next time. It’s better that they are convinced not to do it again _before_ they can convince any other idiots to join their “God will protect us” suicide-cult.
I feel for the children, but aren’t adults like that akin to those pigeons that get run over by cars?
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### Author:  [@tdn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tdn)
#### Post date: [September 12, 2008, 1:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/some-people-are-too-damn-stupid-to-live/463227/12 "2008-09-12T13:01:44Z")
I hope that they all survive it, but I won’t shed a tear if they get a good lesson in why God invented early warning systems.
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### Author:  [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)
#### Post date: [September 12, 2008, 1:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/some-people-are-too-damn-stupid-to-live/463227/13 "2008-09-12T13:33:17Z")
> [@Trollhaugen](#):
>
> So here is the thing…fuck them. let them ride the storm out. Let them think that god will save them… who cares. the core value of this country is freedom of choice. They choose to stay, let em stay. no bitching about how dumb ass they are…let them stay. They choose to stay, that choice is theirs.
Sure, but 1) they’re going to get their children killed, and 2) when they’re drowning, who do you think has to pay for the rescue effort?
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### Author:  [@Sapo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sapo)
#### Post date: [September 12, 2008, 2:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/some-people-are-too-damn-stupid-to-live/463227/14 "2008-09-12T14:05:58Z")
> [@Pixilated](#):
>
> True… but, they are putting the lives of THEIR CHILDREN in danger.
Well, if one already thinks that these children’s genes are not so desirable and that they were not going to get the best education from their parents, putting their lives in danger is more of a civic duty than something reproachable. I am just saying.
ETA: Although I agree with the part about the rescue effort
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### Author:  [@Arglefraster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Arglefraster)
#### Post date: [September 12, 2008, 2:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/some-people-are-too-damn-stupid-to-live/463227/15 "2008-09-12T14:11:35Z")
> [@Johnny\_L.A](#):
>
> The river’s flooding and a man stays in his house. A cop comes by and offers him a ride to safety. ‘God will save me,’ he says. The water rises and he climbs to his roof. A man comes by in a boat and offers him a ride to dry land. ‘God will save me,’ says the man on the roof. The water has risen to the top of the chimney, the man perched on top. A helicopter flies over and lowers a cable and harness. The man waves the helicopter off, shouting ‘God will save me!’ The water takes the man and he drowns. He finds himself in Heaven and talks to God. ‘God, I had faith in you! I thought you would save me! But you let me die!’ God says to the man, ‘I sent you a car, a boat, and a helicopter! What the hell did you want?’
First thing I thought of when I read the OP. 😃
Yeah, I don’t have a lick of sympathy for the parents, but I do feel sorry for the kids.
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### Author:  [@Revtim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Revtim)
#### Post date: [September 12, 2008, 2:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/some-people-are-too-damn-stupid-to-live/463227/16 "2008-09-12T14:28:38Z")
I grew up in a religious environment, but “God helps those who help themselves” was often spoken.
**Clothahump** , good luck with the storm.
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### Author:  [@Soul\_Brother\_Number\_Two](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Soul_Brother_Number_Two)
#### Post date: [September 12, 2008, 2:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/some-people-are-too-damn-stupid-to-live/463227/17 "2008-09-12T14:31:52Z")
Sapo makes a good point. It’s not as if we are running out of dumb people or anything. Plenty more where those came from.
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### Author:  [@hotflungwok](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hotflungwok)
#### Post date: [September 12, 2008, 3:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/some-people-are-too-damn-stupid-to-live/463227/18 "2008-09-12T15:03:39Z")
Since when is this about choice? WTF does ‘mandatory evacuation’ mean anyway? Evacuate if you feel like it? These people should have been rounded up and carted off. If you want a legal reason to do it, call it ‘endangering children’. Mainly cuz ‘Stupid with malice aforethought’ isn’t illegal.
Every single time I see the whole ‘god will protect/provide/etc so we don’t have to lift a finger’ speech it just makes me sick. I just don’t get that level of combined ignorance and arrogance.
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### Author:  [@Folly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Folly)
#### Post date: [September 12, 2008, 3:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/some-people-are-too-damn-stupid-to-live/463227/19 "2008-09-12T15:19:05Z")
> [@asterion](#):
>
> Intersection of the two scales.
Combined IQ of 233.15? That’s not so bad…
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### Author:  [@Polycarp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Polycarp)
#### Post date: [September 12, 2008, 3:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/some-people-are-too-damn-stupid-to-live/463227/20 "2008-09-12T15:38:12Z")
“Mandatory evacuation” is a slight misnomer, anyways. Legally, they can’t throw you out of your own house. What it actually means is, 'We’re telling you it’s not safe to stay in the mandatory evacuation area, and that you’re being told to pack up and get out. If our public safety people have time and opportunity, they’ll be going door to door to make sure you got the word and help you evacuate if you need help (e.g., older handicapped couple). If you choose to ignore the order, you stay at your own risk – our people won’t risk their lives to help you, if you get killed it’s your own bad judgment. Don’t come back on us; we warned you as thoroughly as possible."
It’s important to remember that Galveston is on a barrier island. Its access to the mainland is by a couple of bridges and causeways that will be impassible in the storm. Houston, on the other hand, is slightly inland, on Buffalo Bayou. Lowlying areas are likely to be flooded – by storm surge or by flash flooding from runoff. Buy the relatively higher elevations, which I assume is where **Clothahump** lives, just have to deal with wind, rain, and possible tree/limb falls.
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