Do you think the U.S. should institute a civics exam to be able to vote?

[GePap]

Oh sloww..you rednecks can make fun of minorities and city liberals and we can't make fun of rednecks? How sporting of you.

[Imran Siddiqui]

Oh sloww..you rednecks can make fun of minorities and city liberals and we can't make fun of rednecks? How sporting of you.

That was the main problem with your statement. The two Republican partisans (which did not incluse Sloww, btw) did NOT mention minorities, etc. They simply taunted the Democrat base as being dumb. Now if you had said Republicans were lacking in civics education, it would have been ok. But you said 'NASCAR crowd', basically saying that rednecks are dumb. If I said minorities are dumb, there would have been Hell to pay. Why not the other way around?

[DinoDoc]

Originally posted by Guynemer
People have a RIGHT to vote; it's not dependant on IQ or social status or keeping up on current events.

I would have thought that Florida would have proved that already.

[Guynemer]

**** Dino, if this thread had gone more than another two or three replies without someone making that joke, I was gonna do it myself.

[GePap]

Wow..I am so unconvinced. I agree Sloww did not start it, yet he failed to castigate the initiators.

Don't start a flame war if you don't intend to get hit back, i say.


The sad thing is that given cuts in education, civis lessons and hisotry lessons are declining rapidly, even in the most exclusive private high schools. People in this country seem too uninterested in their civic duties and history.

[Imran Siddiqui]

Well, GePap, your statement was unfortunate. I even winced as I read that. And I can definetly see why Sloww would get offended over that statement (where saying Republicans aren't well versed in civics wouldn't have produced such a blacklash).

It is one thing saying 'Republicans' and another saying the 'NASCAR crowd'. That's like the difference between saying 'Democrats' and 'black people'.

[Guynemer]

[troll]
Imran, are you saying that all NASCAR fans are white people?
[/troll]

[Imran Siddiqui]

I'll answer it anyway (though you already know the answer you Doctor of Love ).

The 'NASCAR crowd' terminology is shorthand for 'redneck white Republican', just like 'Welfare mothers' is shorthand for 'black unemployed single mother'.

Both are hateful terms and I don't think it is shocking that people would get offended over them. Remember, 'cracker' is a similar insult as '******'.

[GePap]

Originally posted by Imran Siddiqui
Well, GePap, your statement was unfortunate. I even winced as I read that. And I can definetly see why Sloww would get offended over that statement (where saying Republicans aren't well versed in civics wouldn't have produced such a blacklash).

It is one thing saying 'Republicans' and another saying the 'NASCAR crowd'. That's like the difference between saying 'Democrats' and 'black people'.

Last I heard, NASCAR is becoming popular all over the country. Basically what you are saying is: we insulted whole groups of people accross several lines based on thier poltical views, and that's fine..but dont you dare insult the fans of a sporting event that might be more concentrated in certaint parts of the nations, cause that is like racism? Boo Hoo Hoo. Well, i am a democract, and if someone insults me, I will insult back. Our side did not start, your side did.

[Dom Pedro II]

I don't know, I was actually thinking about it the other day, and I was thinking maybe a civics exam might be good. It'd keep a lot of those rural hicks from voting. They'd probably elect Howdy Doody if he ran... oh, wait, they did.

Maybe they should also make voting mandatory too... like they do back in Brazil. Of course, a lot of people would be exempt because they weren't educated enough to pass the exam.

[Guynemer]

Originally posted by Imran Siddiqui
I'll answer it anyway (though you already know the answer you Doctor of Love ).

The 'NASCAR crowd' terminology is shorthand for 'redneck white Republican', just like 'Welfare mothers' is shorthand for 'black unemployed single mother'.

Both are hateful terms and I don't think it is shocking that people would get offended over them. Remember, 'cracker' is a similar insult as '******'.

Excellent reply. You are indeed powerful, young one.

Though I know this is neither here nor there, might I get you to concede that 'redskin' is a similar insult, and caricatures such as Cleveland's Chief Wahoo is along the same lines?

[GePap]

Originally posted by Imran Siddiqui
I'll answer it anyway (though you already know the answer you Doctor of Love ).

The 'NASCAR crowd' terminology is shorthand for 'redneck white Republican', just like 'Welfare mothers' is shorthand for 'black unemployed single mother'.

Both are hateful terms and I don't think it is shocking that people would get offended over them. Remember, 'cracker' is a similar insult as '******'.

Bull excrement!

If someone said welfare mothers, you know of what i think? Welfare mothers..not "poor black women:,cause you know what? I am smart enough to know that many poor whites are on welfare as well. "redneck" is no more hurtful than Yuppie, pinko, commie, or any other terms thornw around. It certainly does not equal "******" or "cracker" or any other hurtful temrs. Now all of a sudden we see Imran care about "political correctness"? how convinient.

[Imran Siddiqui]

Though I know this is neither here nor there, might I get you to concede that 'redskin' is a similar insult, and caricatures such as Cleveland's Chief Wahoo is along the same lines?

You may . Though I'm really not sure what to do about it, since a majority of people don't want them changed. You can't really force it upon people (and I don't want to force people not to say 'NASCAR crowd' if they want... that is their right).

A new name for the Redskins and a new mascot/symbol for the Indians (which I don't consider an offensive name) would be ok by me.

[Imran Siddiqui]

If someone said welfare mothers, you know of what i think? Welfare mothers..not "poor black women:,cause you know what? I am smart enough to know that many poor whites are on welfare as well.

BULL****! What did you think when Republicans talked about 'welfare mothers'? I bet it was just like other lefties who concluded he was talking about blacks.

"redneck" is no more hurtful than Yuppie, pinko, commie, or any other terms thornw around.

Ask a redneck how he thinks.

Now all of a sudden we see Imran care about "political correctness"? how convinient.

I already have said you have the right to say it and if you want to do so, I won't stop you. I ain't gonna shut you up or tell you to shut up, so it isn't political correctness.

Besides, the essense of PC is to stop debate on a topic, because someone might be offended by it. Go ahead, say that Southern Republicans (or rednecks) are dumb. I won't make you shut up, just telling you that your choice of words was unfortunate.

[Guynemer]

Sorry GeGap. Imran is right on this--"welfare mothers" is code for blacks. When a politician says that phrase, that is what he is talking about--those damned black folks.

In the gubernatorial election here in Michigan last year, Jennifer Granholm was absolutely killing her Republican opponent, **** Posthumus. (What a name, eh?) A few weeks before the election, Granholm was up 15 or so points. Then Posthumus started running ads that had codewords for "blacks"--"welfare mothers," "Detroit," "reparations."

The final result: Granholm 51%, Posthumus 48%. Those codewords exist, and as evidenced here in Michigan, they can work. There is still a lot of racism in this country, most of it latent--but some of it ain't.