# 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:** 606
**Author:** ![lance\_strongarm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/87869e/32.png) [@lance\_strongarm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lance_strongarm)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2013, 7:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/12101 "2013-12-17T19:23:43Z")
> [@Voyager](#): > > They are definitely illegals. After all, can they show papers saying they’ve been through immigration? Can they?!? Good point. That’s what they get for sneaking over the Bering Strait. ---
**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 17, 2013, 8:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/12102 "2013-12-17T20:52:23Z")
> [@Voyager](#): > > They are definitely illegals. After all, can they show papers saying they’ve been through immigration? Can they?!? I remember a Facebook kerfluffle that was sort of this, except not ironically. Screechy lady made an alarmist post about the Dangers of Illegals (the usual, stealing are jobs, raping wyminfolk and the like) punctuated with pictures of scary looking latinos. Other retards responded with more scary looking latinos, or Muslims, what have you. A smartass posted a picture of the Puritans landing at Plymouth Rock ; to the all-caps indignation of the mob : “Oh yeah ? What laws did \*they \*break ? Show us the law !” and yadda yadda. ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2013, 8:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/12103 "2013-12-17T20:55:16Z")
> [@Mollie\_Magill](#): > > He is just like Clothahump, only more mean spirited and not as smart. I’m sure **Clothahump** will take that challenge. ---
**Author:** ![Gyrate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gyrate/32/3588_2.png) [@Gyrate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gyrate)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2013, 10:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/12104 "2013-12-18T10:39:38Z")
> [@Mollie\_Magill](#): > > There’s a Mick in his buckled bowler, a Mexican with his giant sombrero, and (my favorite) the Chinaman with round glasses, buck teeth, and a fez. > [@OttoDaFe](#): > > Is it just me, or is one of the “Foreign Horde” a Native American? > [@Miller](#): > > My favorite is the Nosferatjew recoiling from the glorious light of George Washington. Worst Village People tribute act _ever_. ---
**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 18, 2013, 12:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/12105 "2013-12-18T12:00:21Z")
> [@elucidator](#): > > I would imagine that the workings of a lark’s genitives is unaffected by language. You know, that sort of thing goes on your Permanent Record, young man. ---
**Author:** ![lance\_strongarm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/87869e/32.png) [@lance\_strongarm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lance_strongarm)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2013, 3:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/12106 "2013-12-18T15:13:27Z")
> [@Kobal2](#): > > retards Let’s not use a slur against a group of people in a post about not hating groups of people, please. Thanks. ---
**Author:** ![MOIDALIZE](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e274bd/32.png) [@MOIDALIZE](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MOIDALIZE)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2013, 4:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/12107 "2013-12-18T16:55:25Z")
You seem personally offended by that, **lance**. Are you a Retarded-American? ---
**Author:** ![SteveG1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/bb73d2/32.png) [@SteveG1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SteveG1)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2013, 8:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/12108 "2013-12-18T20:39:47Z")
> [@GIGObuster](#): > > I bet there are the same that with indignation tell us to “Keep the government out of my Medicare”. Yes they are… one and the same. ---
**Author:** ![lance\_strongarm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/87869e/32.png) [@lance\_strongarm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lance_strongarm)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2013, 8:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/12109 "2013-12-18T20:51:39Z")
> [@MOIDALIZE](#): > > You seem personally offended by that, **lance**. Are you a Retarded-American? No, I have a child with Down syndrome. ---
**Author:** ![digs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/digs/32/14889_2.png) [@digs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/digs)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2013, 9:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/12110 "2013-12-18T21:44:20Z")
( •_•) Moidalize, looks like you’ve been … ( •_•)~⌐■-■ (⌐■\_■) … Put DOWN. _(Yeeeeeeeeah!)_ ---
**Author:** ![boytyperanma](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/4491bb/32.png) [@boytyperanma](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/boytyperanma)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2013, 10:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/12111 "2013-12-18T22:05:56Z")
Well we are back to trying to punish kids for being poor… because you know they need to learn it sucks to be poor… [Rep. Jack Kingston Proposes That Poor Students Sweep Floors In Exchange For Lunch](http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/12/18/jack-kingston-school-lunch_n_4467711.html) Considering all the rich kids are having their lunches subsidized by their parents why shouldn’t they be taught the same lesson? Unless they can prove they earned the money themselves I say make em all janitors. With the Republican desire to eliminate child labor laws kids should be able to work to feed themselves straight out of the womb. Enough of this these little moochers. ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2013, 10:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/12112 "2013-12-18T22:14:02Z")
> [@boytyperanma](#): > > Well we are back to trying to punish kids for being poor… because you know they need to learn it sucks to be poor… > > [Rep. Jack Kingston Proposes That Poor Students Sweep Floors In Exchange For Lunch](http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/12/18/jack-kingston-school-lunch_n_4467711.html) > > Considering all the rich kids are having their lunches subsidized by their parents why shouldn’t they be taught the same lesson? Unless they can prove they earned the money themselves I say make em all janitors. With the Republican desire to eliminate child labor laws kids should be able to work to feed themselves straight out of the womb. Enough of this these little moochers. [Gingrich already did that idea… and better/worse.](http://www.theatlantic.com/business/archive/2011/11/newt-gingrich-thinks-school-children-should-work-as-janitors/248837/) > [@](#): > > Last Friday, during an event at Harvard, Republican presidential contender Newt Gingrich offered up a modest plan for alleviating poverty in the United States. It was time, he said, to relax our “truly stupid” child labor laws. In particular, schools should fire their unionized janitors, and hire children as young as nine to do the work instead. ---
**Author:** ![MOIDALIZE](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e274bd/32.png) [@MOIDALIZE](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MOIDALIZE)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2013, 10:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/12113 "2013-12-18T22:33:01Z")
> [@lance\_strongarm](#): > > No, I have a child with Down syndrome. I suppose I could double down on my snark by remarking on the unlikelihood of your child reading and being offended by anything posted here, but in the spirit of the season I’ll simply wish you and yours a merry Christmas and happy holidays. ---
**Author:** ![andros](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e480ec/32.png) [@andros](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/andros)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2013, 11:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/12114 "2013-12-18T23:21:53Z")
I _could_ idly mention that you blow goats for fun and profit, but instead I’ll just say “Happy Arbor Day” to you and yours. :rolleyes: . ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2013, 11:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/12115 "2013-12-18T23:23:11Z")
> [@lance\_strongarm](#): > > No, I have a child with Down syndrome. You still don’t get to call r-word privileges. “Retard” is a word we’re **not** giving up as a general insult. ---
**Author:** ![DragonAsh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/db5fbb/32.png) [@DragonAsh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DragonAsh)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2013, 11:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/12116 "2013-12-18T23:49:16Z")
> [@lance\_strongarm](#): > > No, I have a child with Down syndrome. [QUOTE=lance strongarm] Let’s not use a slur against a group of people in a post about not hating groups of people, please. Thanks. [/QUOTE] The top quote is relevant to the bottom quote…how, exactly? How the fuck is it a ‘slur’ against a group of people? Would ‘idiotic’ people be a slur? ‘Dumb’? ‘Stupid’? 'cause they mean the same thing. ---
**Author:** ![lance\_strongarm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/87869e/32.png) [@lance\_strongarm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lance_strongarm)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2013, 11:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/12117 "2013-12-18T23:57:57Z")
> [@MOIDALIZE](#): > > I suppose I could double down on my snark by remarking on the unlikelihood of your child reading and being offended by anything posted here, but in the spirit of the season I’ll simply wish you and yours a merry Christmas and happy holidays. Since she already can read pretty well, and isn’t even out of school yet, yeah, that would be a losing bet too. It’s not common, but people with Down syndrome go to college these days. They have their own businesses, and jobs, and apartments, and marriages . They aren’t all high achievers, but I know a few people with DS who are smarter than some people who DON’T have it. Okay, end of standard speech. A sincere thanks for your reply. Happy holidays to you too. ---
**Author:** ![lance\_strongarm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/87869e/32.png) [@lance\_strongarm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lance_strongarm)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2013, 12:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/12118 "2013-12-19T00:00:32Z")
> [@DragonAsh](#): > > The top quote is relevant to the bottom quote…how, exactly? How the fuck is it a ‘slur’ against a group of people? Would ‘idiotic’ people be a slur? ‘Dumb’? ‘Stupid’? 'cause they mean the same thing. It’s a slur because the word comes directly from the official term for their condition. It’s not just a general insult - “mentally retarded” was until very recently the official medical term. If I pressed you on what a “retard” is, you’d eventually bring up people with that condition, not just dumb people in general. It’s like calling someone a “Jew” for being stingy. That would be an insult to Jews, not just the stingy person. ---
**Author:** ![lance\_strongarm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/87869e/32.png) [@lance\_strongarm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lance_strongarm)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2013, 12:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/12119 "2013-12-19T00:03:15Z")
> [@BrainGlutton](#): > > You still don’t get to call r-word privileges. “Retard” is a word we’re **not** giving up as a general insult. It was just a request, not a demand. But it was a good one. If you don’t understand why it’s insulting, that’s your deficiency. I’m happy to explain it to you, politely, but your ignorance isn’t an excuse for being demeaning and rude. Maybe you didn’t know before, but when I explain it, you will. Here’s a test - would you call someone a “retard” in front of someone who really does have an intellectual disability? Or would you be afraid of hurting that person’s feelings? (You would be hurting their feelings - now you know). If you just don’t give a damn about anyone else, that’s a different issue though. ---
**Author:** ![Fear\_Itself](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fear_itself/32/19637_2.png) [@Fear\_Itself](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fear_Itself)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2013, 12:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/12120 "2013-12-19T00:17:47Z")
> [@lance\_strongarm](#): > > It’s a slur because the word comes directly from the official term for their condition. And before that, the official term was “idiot”, and before that, it was “cretin”, “moron” and “imbecile”. Those were all once the official terms for developmentally impaired individuals; can we use those as insults, or are they also slurs? Welcome to the [euphemism treadmill.](http://englishcowpath.blogspot.com/2011/06/euphemism-treadmill-replacing-r-word.html) [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897.md?page=605) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897.md?page=607)