# 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:** 689
**Author:** ![eschereal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eschereal/32/18939_2.png) [@eschereal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eschereal)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2014, 12:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/13761 "2014-03-27T00:53:36Z")
There was an effort in the US to [simplify the alphabet](http://vimeo.com/66638573), but that was about as popular as kilometers-per-hour or liters of piss. ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2014, 1:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/13762 "2014-03-27T01:19:00Z")
> [@Kobal2](#): > > **FUCK YOU !** > > (no, not really. But Phonology was the bane of my existence for three long, long years ; in large part because of fucking IPA and the fucking accentuation marks and their fucking stupid inconsistent rules and who needs this shit I _know_ how it’s pronounced and GAWD JEEZUS **FUCK**. Never again.) “Inconsistent”? I just know I’m gonna regret asking that . . . ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2014, 1:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/13763 "2014-03-27T01:20:57Z")
> [@ElvisL1ves](#): > > Taiwan and Hong Kong retain the old system, but they’re mainly mutually comprehensible. Hmm. I wonder why? It’s all the same old system, isn’t it? ---
**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:** [March 27, 2014, 2:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/13764 "2014-03-27T02:18:11Z")
> [@Rick\_Kitchen](#): > > How dare those uppity Yankees think they deserve a monument on the sacred ground of the Confederacy? > > [Florida Republican Freaking Out Over Proposed Union Army Memorial | HuffPost Latest News](http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/03/25/dennis-baxley-florida_n_5025393.html?ncid=fcbklnkushpmg00000013) Selfish of them, in my opinion. There are monuments to the Rebels at Gettysburg. There is a Confederate cemetery in Madison Wisconsin that even has a rebel flag flying along with a nice monument. (They were prisoners of war who died and were respectfully buried.) > **[Yahoo | Mail, Weather, Search, Politics, News, Finance, Sports & Videos](https://www.yahoo.com/)** > > Latest news coverage, email, free stock quotes, live scores and video are just the beginning. Discover more every day at Yahoo! You’d think that just once the old Southern Rebels would see the light. ---
**Author:** ![elucidator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8edcca/32.png) [@elucidator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elucidator)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2014, 8:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/13765 "2014-03-27T08:23:21Z")
> [@](#): > > …as popular as kilometers-per-hour or liters of piss. They sell Coors by the liter? ---
**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:** [March 27, 2014, 1:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/13766 "2014-03-27T13:06:17Z")
Jeezus, people, I know you want to dilute the Stoopid but can’t you take the orthographic discussion elsewhere? It’s way too long as it is. keep trying to search this thread for ideas and statements related to race (for **magellan** ) and every time I end up killing a hamster. Won’t someone please think of the hamsters? ---
**Author:** ![Darth\_Panda](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ee7513/32.png) [@Darth\_Panda](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darth_Panda)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2014, 1:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/13767 "2014-03-27T13:14:29Z")
> [@Kobal2](#): > > But Phonology was the bane of my existence for three long, long years I read this as phrenology at first. I… haven’t been following the thread. ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2014, 2:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/13768 "2014-03-27T14:11:13Z")
Ooh, this article from AlterNet hits it out of the park! [“Conservatives’ Hilarious, Doomed Efforts to Be Cool.”](http://www.alternet.org/tea-party-and-right/conservatives-hilarious-doomed-efforts-be-cool?paging=off¤t_page=1#bookmark) ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2014, 7:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/13769 "2014-03-27T19:05:11Z")
> [@BrainGlutton](#): > > Ooh, this article from AlterNet hits it out of the park! [“Conservatives’ Hilarious, Doomed Efforts to Be Cool.”](http://www.alternet.org/tea-party-and-right/conservatives-hilarious-doomed-efforts-be-cool?paging=off¤t_page=1#bookmark) There’s always This: > **[Cartoon: G.O.P. youth outreach](https://www.dailykos.com/story/2014/03/26/1287249/-Cartoon-G-O-P-youth-outreach?showAll=yes)** > > Click to enlarge. ---
**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:** [March 27, 2014, 7:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/13770 "2014-03-27T19:28:10Z")
> [@BrainGlutton](#): > > “Inconsistent”? Well, much like everything English-language related, you’ve got a rule, then a laundry list of amendments to the rules, and then some exceptions for good measure. “The primary accent is always on the last syllable - except in those N special cases of course, in which case it’s two syllables back. But not for \*those \*words ! The secondary accent is two syllables before the primary, but not if there’s a…” GAH ! And of course you try to cheat at this thing, ‘cause you know how the word is pronounced anyway. It’s inconSPIcuOUS. Wait a tick, is it INconspiCUOUS ? inconSPICuous ? InCoNSpicuOUS ? Etc… until words have no meaning anymore and you’re left a broken shell of destroyed confidence in your ability to utter a single word in the blasted language. And since I never could find it in myself to \*care \*enough about that particular course, I didn’t work at it very much either. So come the finals I basically sprinkled those bastards like green,grocer’s apo,stro’phes’. And that’s the story of how I never got that credit ! 😃 [QUOTE=Darth Panda] I read this as phrenology at first. [/QUOTE] Just how old d’you think I am, man ?! 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2014, 7:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/13771 "2014-03-27T19:40:53Z")
> [@Kobal2](#): > > Just how old d’you think I am, man ?! 🙂 Let me run my fingers all over your skull and I’ll tell you. Hm? No, I’m not a phrenologist, just a highly unusual sort of pervert. ---
**Author:** ![Mollie\_Magill](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mollie_magill/32/20882_2.png) [@Mollie\_Magill](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mollie_Magill)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2014, 8:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/13772 "2014-03-27T20:01:52Z")
> [@BrainGlutton](#): > > Ooh, this article from AlterNet hits it out of the park! [“Conservatives’ Hilarious, Doomed Efforts to Be Cool.”](http://www.alternet.org/tea-party-and-right/conservatives-hilarious-doomed-efforts-be-cool?paging=off¤t_page=1#bookmark) It’s Scott! I like Scott. He’s funny. ---
**Author:** ![Evil\_Captor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/f17d59/32.png) [@Evil\_Captor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Evil_Captor)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2014, 8:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/13773 "2014-03-27T20:03:52Z")
> [@Kobal2](#): > > **FUCK YOU !** > > (no, not really. But Phonology was the bane of my existence for three long, long years ; in large part because of fucking IPA and the fucking accentuation marks and their fucking stupid inconsistent rules and who needs this shit I _know_ how it’s pronounced and GAWD JEEZUS **FUCK**. Never again.) Yes, these orthogonal debates are too confusing! There are too many sides! ---
**Author:** ![Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e47c2d/32.png) [@Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biffy_the_Elephant_Shrew)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2014, 8:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/13774 "2014-03-27T20:22:45Z")
> [@Robot\_Arm](#): > > Eh, read the original Declaration of Independence someday; it’s about “life, liberty, and the purfuit of happineff”. It’s very “in.” ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2014, 8:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/13775 "2014-03-27T20:36:44Z")
[Alaska GOP candidate destroys copy of Obamacare bill in new ad](http://www.salon.com/2014/03/27/gop_candidate_destroys_copy_of_obamacare_bill_in_new_ad/) First he tries shooting it, then throws it into a wood-chipper. ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2014, 8:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/13776 "2014-03-27T20:44:15Z")
[And from Tennessee: Another “religious freedom” bill.](http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/03/25/tennessee-religious-discrimination-bill_n_5030344.html?utm_hp_ref=politics) > [@](#): > > The proposal would also allow religious students to organize prayer groups and other religious gatherings before, during and after school to the “same extent that students are permitted to organize other noncurricular student activities and groups.” > > Opponents of the bill contend that existing laws already protect students’ rights to religious expression and that the new legislation would only expose students of different faiths to unnecessary religious coercion. > > “While purporting to prevent discrimination against students expressing religious viewpoints, SB 1793/HB 1547 crosses the line from protecting religious freedom into creating systematic imposition of some students’ personal religious viewpoints on other students,” the Tennessee American Civil Liberties Union said in a recent statement. “Should this pass, students with a range of religious beliefs, as well as non-believers, would likely routinely be required to listen to religious messages or participate in religious exercises that conflict with their own beliefs.” > > Similar legislation, modeled after Texas’ 2007 Religious Viewpoint Anti-Discrimination Act, unanimously passed the Oklahoma Senate in February. ---
**Author:** ![elucidator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8edcca/32.png) [@elucidator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elucidator)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2014, 8:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/13777 "2014-03-27T20:55:37Z")
So long as the gatherings are entirely unofficial, without any hint of administrative favor, and equally encourages other religious views or non-religious views, I have no problem with this. Texas has long had an unfair reputation for intolerance, but the truth is that two different varieties of Baptists often live side by side in relative harmony. In Waco, where I grew up, there were even several Jews, though mostly they were in Temple. ---
**Author:** ![YogSothoth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/8edcca/32.png) [@YogSothoth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/YogSothoth)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2014, 9:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/13778 "2014-03-27T21:06:35Z")
^Alabama, not Alaska In response to #13770 ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2014, 9:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/13779 "2014-03-27T21:15:20Z")
> [@YogSosoth](#): > > ^Alabama, not Alaska > > In response to #13770 I always get those two confused. ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2014, 10:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/13780 "2014-03-27T22:13:35Z")
[More from Tennessee:](http://www.salon.com/2014/03/27/tennessee_lawmakers_introduce_proposal_to_jail_women_for_their_pregnancy_outcomes/) > [@](#): > > Lawmakers in Tennessee are currently considering two proposals that could lead to the arrest and criminal prosecution of pregnant people found to be using drugs. > > “While nobody wants to see a mom behind bars, we need to help them see the seriousness behind the offense and help them get the help they need,” said HB 1295 co-sponsor Rep. Roger Kane, a Republican from Knoxville. > > According to the current language, the House measure “provides that a mother can be prosecuted for an assaultive offense or homicide if she illegally takes a narcotic drug while pregnant and the child is born addicted, is harmed, or dies because of the drug.” > > As Bianca Phillips at the Memphis Flyer reports, opponents say that such policies criminalize pregnancy outcomes and can have a chilling effect on people who may want to seek care. (They are correct.) > > “These women need supportive programs. Punitive measures will only make women not seek prenatal care. They will lie to their doctors [about their drug use], and it could lead to unwanted abortions by women who are afraid of getting prosecuted and convicted,” Allison Glass, the statewide organizer for Healthy and Free Tennessee, told the Memphis Flyer. > > Local advocates who oppose the measure are in agreement with major medical associations that have consistently denounced such policies. > > According to the American Medical Association, “Pregnant women will be likely to avoid seeking prenatal or open medical care for fear that their physician’s knowledge of substance abuse or other potentially harmful behavior could result in a jail sentence rather than proper medical treatment.” [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897.md?page=688) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897.md?page=690)