# 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:** 651
**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:** [February 22, 2014, 11:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/13001 "2014-02-22T23:48:35Z")
Wouldn’t Jesus be turning swords into plowshares? And if so, wouldn’t Jesus be more efficient by obtaining plowshares directly? ---
**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:** [February 23, 2014, 12:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/13002 "2014-02-23T00:06:54Z")
> [@Boyo\_Jim](#): > > Wouldn’t Jesus be turning swords into plowshares? > > And if so, wouldn’t Jesus be more efficient by obtaining plowshares directly? Nah, the cloaks-to-plowshares exchange rate is all out of whack. He’s just taking advantage of market inefficiencies to arbitrage him some plowshares. ---
**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:** [February 23, 2014, 2:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/13003 "2014-02-23T02:08:34Z")
Arizona, other known as “New Mexico’s evil twin”, [is at it again](http://azstarnet.com/news/local/education/arizona-senate-panel-votes-to-dump-common-core/article_512d157d-054f-5bc0-8a29-2076f69cc35a.html): > [@](#): > > Ignoring pleas from business leaders, the Senate Education Committee voted 6-3 along party lines Thursday to bar Arizona from implementing the Common Core standards the state adopted four years ago. And what, you may ask, was the issue with the Common Core? Well, Sen. Al Melvin, R-Tucson, thinks the private sector way is better but it’s all been hijacked by the big bad federal government. And here’s the cherry on the top of this shitpile: > [@](#): > > Melvin’s comments led Sen. David Bradley, D-Tucson, to ask him whether he’s actually read the Common Core standards, which have been adopted by 45 states. > > “ **I’ve been exposed to them** ,” Melvin responded. > > Pressed by Bradley for specifics, Melvin said he understands “some of the reading material is **borderline pornographic**.” And he said the program uses “fuzzy math,” **substituting letters for numbers in some examples**. Read that last bit again. Yes indeed - Senator Melvin is opposed to _ **algebra** _. I keep thinking these people can’t get any dumber, and yet they do. ---
**Author:** ![dropzone](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dropzone/32/7515_2.png) [@dropzone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dropzone)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2014, 2:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/13004 "2014-02-23T02:24:51Z")
Algebra was invented by the Mohammedans, you know. ---
**Author:** ![Rick\_Kitchen](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rick_kitchen/32/522_2.png) [@Rick\_Kitchen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rick_Kitchen)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2014, 3:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/13005 "2014-02-23T03:03:19Z")
And it’s an Ay-rab word. ---
**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:** [February 23, 2014, 3:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/13006 "2014-02-23T03:04:59Z")
We cannot tolerate Shariah Math in America. ---
**Author:** ![Snowboarder\_Bo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowboarder_bo/32/229_2.png) [@Snowboarder\_Bo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snowboarder_Bo)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2014, 3:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/13007 "2014-02-23T03:24:09Z")
Hell, does he know that all math uses _Arabic_ numerals? ---
**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:** [February 23, 2014, 3:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/13008 "2014-02-23T03:42:17Z")
> [@Snowboarder\_Bo](#): > > Hell, does he know that all math uses _Arabic_ numerals? Nonsense! What about Roman numerals? And the Romans were the founders of Western Civilization. Anyone know how to divide MCMLXII by IIXX? ---
**Author:** ![Trinopus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/2bfe46/32.png) [@Trinopus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trinopus)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2014, 4:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/13009 "2014-02-23T04:14:22Z")
IIXX? (Decal on Soviet bomber in a nuclear war scenario… “IXLA”) ---
**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:** [February 23, 2014, 4:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/13010 "2014-02-23T04:46:03Z")
> [@Gyrate](#): > > Yes indeed - Senator Melvin is opposed to _ **algebra** _. The 12 year old in me raises a clenched fist in revolutionary support.\* No contaràn \*! ---
**Author:** ![levdrakon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/49beb7/32.png) [@levdrakon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/levdrakon)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2014, 4:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/13011 "2014-02-23T04:53:55Z")
I’m curious what the borderline pornographic sex ed material is like. It must be pretty raunchy, because the sex ed I got in Catholic school 30 years ago was pretty explicit. ---
**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:** [February 23, 2014, 5:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/13012 "2014-02-23T05:15:26Z")
> [@Trinopus](#): > > IIXX? > > (Decal on Soviet bomber in a nuclear war scenario… “IXLA”) Got time to explain? ---
**Author:** ![Trinopus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/2bfe46/32.png) [@Trinopus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trinopus)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2014, 5:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/13013 "2014-02-23T05:18:20Z")
> [@digs](#): > > Got time to explain? Just a dumb quip: IXLA – I wiped out Los Angeles. A play on I {heart} NY. (Riffing on IIXX, which is not a valid Roman Number.) ---
**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:** [February 23, 2014, 5:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/13014 "2014-02-23T05:44:02Z")
> [@Trinopus](#): > > Just a dumb quip: IXLA – I wiped out Los Angeles. A play on I {heart} NY. > > (Riffing on IIXX, which is not a valid Roman Number.) Er, maybe it’s Greek! Anyway, it not Moslem! ---
**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:** [February 23, 2014, 5:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/13015 "2014-02-23T05:55:31Z")
I’d assume IIXX was 18, even if not correct. I number personal lists of files in Roman numerals a lot, and sometimes I ‘spell’ 8 as IIX. It takes fewer symbols than VIII (and isn’t that efficiency the reason they use IV instead of IIII?) ---
**Author:** ![elucidator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8edcca/32.png) [@elucidator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elucidator)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2014, 6:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/13016 "2014-02-23T06:42:05Z")
> [@Boyo\_Jim](#): > > …Anyone know how to divide MCMLXII by IIXX? You may already know this, but its such a fun fact: they didn’t use their number system for anything but notation. The did their calculations on an abacus and wrote down the result in Roman numerals. OK, maybe everybody already knew that but me. Still, it was fun finding out. ---
**Author:** ![Truman\_Burbank](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ecc23a/32.png) [@Truman\_Burbank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Truman_Burbank)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2014, 9:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/13017 "2014-02-23T09:41:34Z")
I thought Algebra was that terrorist news organization. Ignorance fought! ---
**Author:** ![j666](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/9de0a6/32.png) [@j666](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/j666)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2014, 11:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/13018 "2014-02-23T11:01:15Z")
> [@digs](#): > > … (and isn’t that efficiency the reason they use IV instead of IIII?) I thought it was because four lines are more difficult to read. I got IXLA. It was funny. ---
**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2014, 12:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/13019 "2014-02-23T12:49:49Z")
> [@digs](#): > > I’d assume IIXX was 18, even if not correct. > > I number personal lists of files in Roman numerals a lot, and sometimes I ‘spell’ 8 as IIX. It takes fewer symbols than VIII (and isn’t that efficiency the reason they use IV instead of IIII?) IV and IIII are both valid ways of writing 4 in Roman numerals. There are a lot of clocks that use IIII. More formal inscriptions tended to use IIII and VIIII instead of IV and IX. ---
**Author:** ![Revtim](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/revtim/32/1042_2.png) [@Revtim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Revtim)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2014, 3:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/13020 "2014-02-23T15:58:09Z")
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