Political stupidity

11:10

Aaron Ross

OH MY GOD I HATE STUPID PEOPLE ON THE INTERNET

Sooo.... here's what happened.

11:12

Angela

:O

11:12

Aaron Ross

One of my favorite teachers (who is very left-leaning, politically speaking), posted a link to an article titled "Top 10 Shockers from the Republican War on Women."

11:13

Angela

Republican War on Women?  XD

11:13

Aaron Ross

It basically is a short list (admittedly, with source articles) that tries to take various facts and quotes out of context in order to suggest that the Republican party is actually waging a type of war on women.

So, here were some of the comments from people:

Maddy Barganier: I'm throwing up. That's ridiculous.

Edna Daniel: It's hard not to be political when such atrocious things such as redefining rape are actually being considered by our so-called representatives. Scary stuff.

(the rape thing was not true, btw, but it was stated as such in the article)

So this was what I wrote:

Aaron Ross: That article itself is what's stupid. Taking things out of context, finding the most extreme examples, and then trying to wrao them up into a massive conspiracy against women?

It's exactly the same kind of one-sided, lazily-researched dogma that Glenn Beck uses. It's meant to make you mad by painting an entire side of the political spectrum as "evil," NOT by actually informing anyone of anything, nor being "fair and balanced." It's a cheap shot, and it's stupid.

11:14

Angela

uh oh

11:15

Aaron Ross

So then I get FLAMED by people.

11:15

Angela

I BET YOU DID!!!

11:15

Aaron Ross

Justine Sunshine White: ‎@ Aaron: Did you look at the bottom of the article? The sources are listed for all of the examples. It's not a conspiracy when it's the simple plain truth. Check your facts before you argue "lazily-researched dogma."

Summer M. Williams: ‎@ Aron- you're stupid.

(I found that one funny)

11:15

Angela

"Aron" xD

11:15

Aaron Ross

Edna Daniel: ‎@Aaron- that site does cite their articles. No wonder LeeAnn tries not to be political on fb...I mean, with responses like yours- I don't blame her!

Aaron Ross: Justine and Edna: My apologies. By "lazily-researched" I meant "taking snippets of an article or issue and using it to represent the whole, in order to further a negative political point." Summer: Aww, thanks. You're real sweet.

Reese Pierce: Aaron, the only thing lazy around here is your proofreading. What does "wrao" mean? You are the one sounding like Glenn Beck.

Aaron Ross: I noticed that typo, yet didn't re-submit my comment because I figured you would all know what I meant. Heck, I didn't even call out Summer for misspelling my name.

Please, if you have an complaint, try to keep it to the issue itself. I have better things to do than be personally attacked.

11:17

Angela

I would I would keep doing those "better things" for a while until the issue dies down.  XD

11:17

Aaron Ross

Well, hey, I'm actually making decent points. Most other people are just calling me stupid, as though that's a legitimate argument.

11:18

Angela

True that!

I am of the belief that there are things in our government that are unfair to women, but a conspiracy against women??  That's boloney.  xD

and by things, I mean small things

kinks that could be looked at better

11:20

Aaron Ross

Everyone's treated unfairly in some way

11:20

Angela

Yup

Not even the government is perfect.  xD

11:20

Aaron Ross

It amazes me how for many people, politics is just "taking a side," and most of their points really boil down to just saying "I'm right; you're wrong!"

11:21

Angela

Yeah!

People are also waaaaayyyy too trusting of their sources.

11:22

Aaron Ross

That whole "redefining rape" thing is one of those instances where one phrase got blown up into something entirely different, and it was 100% only spread by people who were looking for something to nail the Republicans for.

11:22

Angela

Yeah!

How are they "redefining" rape, anyway?

11:22

Aaron Ross

Well, see...

There's currently a law in place that says that the government will not pay for people's abortions.

However, there's exemptions for various reasons

If you're raped, there's an exemption

And the government WILL pay for your abortion at that point

Now, take in mind that the Reps really just wanna abolish abortion for the most part anyway. But what they wanted to do was change that exemption so that if the rape was not "violent," (like, if an adult guy had consensual sex with a sixteen-year-old girl), then the exemption would not apply. It would still cover "violent" rape, but not the others that are "technically" rape.

So, essentially, what that was doing was redefining the way that rape is viewed in the context of that exemption.

11:26

Angela

Ahh.  Isee

11:27

Aaron Ross

But then people got hold of that news and started saying that the Republicans were trying to say that unless you can prove that you were violently raped, you weren't "really" raped.

And people conveniently left out the fact that it was only being applied to that government spending exemption.

So left-leaning people said that the Republicans were trying to change rape laws.

And therefore hurting rape victims—or worse, "targeting them."

Hence the "Republicans' War on Women."

11:29

Angela

Wooooooooowwwww

that's really... not right  o.o

11:30

Aaron Ross

Yeah, that's the kind of CRAP that people can twist out of really minor issues.

It's all about painting the other side as being ultimately evil.

And then when I decide to point that out? BAM—I'm suddenly called stupid, because I actually did digging and thought for myself.

11:31

Angela

D:<

Stupid people

11:31

Aaron Ross

Thank you.

-_-