# Stupid Republican idea of the day **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [March 26, 2009, 6:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897 "2009-03-26T18:48:35Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 397
**Author:** ![foolsguinea](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/foolsguinea/32/14751_2.png) [@foolsguinea](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/foolsguinea)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2012, 1:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/7921 "2012-12-19T13:38:41Z")
> [@sugaree](#): > > I’m kind of amused by the idea of child body-wave training, because small children are prone to impulsive acts and don’t always have the best judgement, so any attempt to encourage mass bum-rushing is bound to result in many misguided efforts. There I am, walking down the street minding my own business, when suddenly I’m taken down by the full force of 10 panicked six-years-olds… That would be better in a public safety sense than being shot by an angry 40-year-old who doesn’t like your hoodie. I thought Megan McArdle’s article was mostly well-written. But near the end she started downplaying the effectiveness of things she acknowledged as good ideas, and implying that spree killers are only stopped by themselves. She then played into the idea of guns being smuggled _into_ the USA _from_ Mexico. Is this a talking point now? As for the idea of rushing a shooter, I think I may have suggested that after the Aurora shooting. But I’m admitttedly a jackass, and I wasn’t thinking of six-year-olds. ---
**Author:** ![bup](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/6bbea6/32.png) [@bup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bup)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2012, 2:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/7922 "2012-12-19T14:30:04Z")
> [@RadicalPi](#): > > As a moral philosopher, I have to say that this thoroughly confuses me. “We give up our right to legally murder a person in return for assurance we can not be murdered legally by someone else” is a moral argument, in the style of the consequentialists (in that it is the effects of an action that determine its moral worth or lack thereof). So, I understand you you have some other meaning of moral, but I can’t tell what it is from this. I’m not familiar with the ‘consequentialist’ definition of moral. What I mean is, an amoral automaton that was programmed to maximize its expected payout in a payoff matrix would be in favor of laws against murder. Most sociopaths recognize that the protection from being murdered outweighs the benefit of getting to murder, although they have no scruple about anything. Simply being punishment averse is enough justification for most laws. ---
**Author:** ![Carl\_Corey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/8e8cbc/32.png) [@Carl\_Corey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Carl_Corey)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2012, 3:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/7923 "2012-12-19T15:28:07Z")
**jwater2** : No, it was the University of Pennsylvania. Looking at that page, it is her. Figures she would be a Koch mouthpiece. ---
**Author:** ![a35362](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3da27b/32.png) [@a35362](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/a35362)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2012, 6:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/7924 "2012-12-19T18:04:50Z")
> [@Folacin](#): > > Wasn’t that an Internet meme a few years back? How many 5-years old could you take in a fight? [Why, yes.](http://www.howmanyfiveyearoldscouldyoutakeinafight.com/) ---
**Author:** ![Boyo\_Jim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/87869e/32.png) [@Boyo\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boyo_Jim)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2012, 6:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/7925 "2012-12-19T18:10:33Z")
> [@a35362](#): > > [Why, yes.](http://www.howmanyfiveyearoldscouldyoutakeinafight.com/) According to the test, I could take 20 five-year-old kids, and that’s _without_ semi-automatic weapons. I gotta figure 50 or 60, easy, with the weapons. ---
**Author:** ![Kobal2](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kobal2/32/20_2.png) [@Kobal2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kobal2)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2012, 6:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/7926 "2012-12-19T18:22:24Z")
> [@Typo\_Negative](#): > > Pretty sure that kid was slinging some bullshit. Yeah, probably so. Particularly considering the gun wasn’t loaded. Still, it’s America, man. Gotta give the possibility he wasn’t due consideration :). ---
**Author:** ![BigAppleBucky](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigapplebucky/32/178_2.png) [@BigAppleBucky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigAppleBucky)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2012, 1:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/7927 "2012-12-20T01:26:30Z")
> **[State Considers Criminalizing Obamacare](https://www.huffpost.com/entry/south-carolina-obamacare_n_2329425)** > > State Considers Criminalizing Obamacare > [@](#): > > Five Republican South Carolina state representatives introduced a bill last week that, if passed, would send people to jail for trying to implement the Affordable Care Act in South Carolina. This was tried, more or less, 180 years ago and 151 years ago. You’d think they’d learn. > **[Nullification crisis](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nullification_Crisis)** > > The nullification crisis was a sectional political crisis in the United States in 1832 and 1833, during the presidency of Andrew Jackson, which involved a confrontation between the state of South Carolina and the federal government. It ensued after South Carolina declared the federal Tariffs of 1828 and 1832 unconstitutional and therefore null and void within the sovereign boundaries of the state. > The controversial and highly protective Tariff of 1828 was enacted into law during the presiden... ---
**Author:** ![bup](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/6bbea6/32.png) [@bup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bup)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2012, 1:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/7928 "2012-12-20T01:58:54Z")
Why’s it always gotta be South Carolina? What don’t they _get_? ---
**Author:** ![wonky](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wonky/32/393_2.png) [@wonky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wonky)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2012, 2:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/7929 "2012-12-20T02:13:17Z")
> [@bup](#): > > Why’s it always gotta be South Carolina? What don’t they _get_? Enough oxygen? ---
**Author:** ![Zakalwe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zakalwe/32/270_2.png) [@Zakalwe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zakalwe)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2012, 3:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/7930 "2012-12-20T03:05:50Z")
> [@bup](#): > > Why’s it always gotta be South Carolina? What don’t they _get_? Whoo hoo! It’s not Florida! We win! ---
**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:** [December 20, 2012, 11:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/7931 "2012-12-20T11:39:50Z")
Meet Michael Jock, of St. Petersburg, FL. This Sunday, he was in line at Little Caesar’s. The service was taking longer than usual, and the man in front of him got very upset about the wait. Michael, being a patient man, was getting pretty upset by the man’s ranting. So he did the only sensible thing there was to do - [he shot the man twice and told the police he was “standing his ground” in accordance with Florida law.](http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2012/12/18/stand-your-ground-cited-in-shooting-of-whiny-little-caesars-pizza-customer/) ---
**Author:** ![Zakalwe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zakalwe/32/270_2.png) [@Zakalwe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zakalwe)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2012, 12:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/7932 "2012-12-20T12:13:41Z")
Okay, well. We were winning for almost 8 hours there. South Carolina, back of the line! ---
**Author:** ![smithsb](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smithsb/32/12107_2.png) [@smithsb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/smithsb)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2012, 2:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/7933 "2012-12-20T14:58:45Z")
> [@Smapti](#): > > Meet Michael Jock, of St. Petersburg, FL. This Sunday, he was in line at Little Caesar’s. The service was taking longer than usual, and the man in front of him got very upset about the wait. Michael, being a patient man, was getting pretty upset by the man’s ranting. > > So he did the only sensible thing there was to do - [he shot the man twice and told the police he was “standing his ground” in accordance with Florida law.](http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2012/12/18/stand-your-ground-cited-in-shooting-of-whiny-little-caesars-pizza-customer/) Not really a Stupid Republican Idea - more of a misinterpretation of the law. There are a number of southern and southwestern states which have the more informal justification, "some people just need killin’ ". Who among us has not stood in the fast checkout line behind a granny who has unloaded 42 items on the cashier then sloooowly put the bags in her shopping cart and then the exchange: Granny: _How much is that honey?_ Clerk: _That’ll be $58.97_. Granny pulls out giant purse, scrounges through to find a second smaller purse. Opens it with gnarled fingers. Fishes out a wallet. Twists the clasp. Counts out a twenty, a ten, some fives, and more than several ones. Granny: _How much change, hun?_ Clerk: _97 cents_. THEN - WITH A ONE DOLLAR BILL STARING HER IN THE FACE - Granny: _I have the exact change right here hun_!:smack: Proceeds to count out two quarters, a dime, some nickels, and STARTS ARRANGING PENNIES IN NEAT ROWS ON THE COUNTER. Sometimes, if I’d had a gun …:eek:😃 Seriously, this gives a bit of a black eye to folks who have gotten concealed carry licenses and are generally among the most law abiding. ---
**Author:** ![Boyo\_Jim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/87869e/32.png) [@Boyo\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boyo_Jim)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2012, 3:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/7934 "2012-12-20T15:22:31Z")
He considered shooting the employees for being so slow, and he deserves a lot of credit for recognizing that would slow down the line even more. ---
**Author:** ![Buck\_Godot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/buck_godot/32/6573_2.png) [@Buck\_Godot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Buck_Godot)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2012, 3:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/7935 "2012-12-20T15:25:30Z")
> [@Boyo\_Jim](#): > > He considered shooting the employees for being so slow, and he deserves a lot of credit for recognizing that would slow down the line even more. Nitpick: The person who was complaining about the slow service was the one who got shot. ---
**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:** [December 20, 2012, 3:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/7936 "2012-12-20T15:49:04Z")
We don’t actually know if he’s a Republican, do we? ---
**Author:** ![Boyo\_Jim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/87869e/32.png) [@Boyo\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boyo_Jim)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2012, 3:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/7937 "2012-12-20T15:49:24Z")
> [@Buck\_Godot](#): > > Nitpick: The person who was complaining about the slow service was the one who got shot. Yes, I got that, and he shot the annoying whiner instead of the slow people causing the whining. ---
**Author:** ![ElvisL1ves](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5daacb/32.png) [@ElvisL1ves](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElvisL1ves)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2012, 3:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/7938 "2012-12-20T15:50:47Z")
That certainly counts as a mitigating factor, anyway. ---
**Author:** ![elucidator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8edcca/32.png) [@elucidator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elucidator)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2012, 3:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/7939 "2012-12-20T15:52:54Z")
In a restaurant? So, whining and dining? ---
**Author:** ![jayjay](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jayjay/32/6765_2.png) [@jayjay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jayjay)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2012, 3:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/7940 "2012-12-20T15:54:50Z")
> [@elucidator](#): > > In a restaurant? So, whining and dining? Whining and dying, looks like. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897.md?page=396) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897.md?page=398)