A young woman was about to finish her first year of college. Like so many others her age, she considered herself to be a very liberal Democrat, and was very much in favor of the redistribution of wealth.

She was deeply ashamed that her father was a rather staunch Republican, a feeling she openly expressed. Based on the lectures that she had participated in, and the occasional chat with a professor, she felt that her father had for years harbored an evil, selfish desire to keep what he thought should be his.

One day she was challenging her father on his opposition to higher taxes on the rich and the addition of more government welfare programs. The self-professed objectivity proclaimed by her professors had to be the truth and she indicated so to her father. He responded by asking how she was doing in school.

Taken aback, she answered rather haughtily that she had a 4.0 GPA, and let him know that it was tough to maintain, insisting that she was taking a very difficult course load and was constantly studying, which left her no time to go out and party like other people she knew. She didn't even have time for a boyfriend, and didn't really have many college friends because she spent all her time studying.

Her father listened and then asked, "How is you friend Audrey doing?" She replied, "Audrey is barely getting by. All she takes are easy classes, she never studies, and she barely has a 2.0 GPA. She is so popular on campus; college for her is a blast. She's always invited to all the parties, and lots of times she doesn't even show up for classes because she's too hung over."

Her wise father asked his daughter, "Why don't you go to the Dean's office and ask him to deduct a 1.0 off your GPA and give it to your friend who only has a 2.0. That way you will both have a 3.0 GPA and certainly that would be a fair and equal distribution of GPA."

The daughter, visibly shocked by her father's suggestion, angrily fired back, "That wouldn't be fair! I have worked really hard for my grades! I've invested a lot of time, and a lot of hard work! Audrey has done next to nothing toward her degree. She played while I worked my tail off!"

The father slowly smiled, winked and said gently, "Welcome to the Republican Party."

Thanks slider. That was great And I agree, with the father

Amen brother !

Very clever illustration! Thanks for sharing.

Heard that one before but that is ALL RIGHT! (pun only somewhat intended). Great example of why we feel the way we feel...

I had to print that out...I work with his daughter...she hates me now (we go back and forth in fun).

Well Slider, thats a pretty nice story. But, I would have to say it is a little to simplistic. I'm probably going to shoot myself in the foot with this one.

I grew up lower middle class and wend to a public school. I had many "rich" friends. I say "rich" because their parents had millon dollar houses, Ferrari's, Mazerati's, etc... Their first cars were new, often European and mine was a Baja Bug. Some of the kids were better students then me, a lot were not. They did have one thing in common with each other though.

When it came to summer vacation jobs, their fathers got them cushy office jobs where they wore suits and had company cars and pretty much shuffed paper all day. I on the other hand worked in a construction yard.

When it came to college, they went to private universities regardless of their grades, I went to community college. Honestly, I could have gotten into several nice universities had I applied, but I had no idea what I wanted to do with my life except for doing well in high school. Anyhow, after college they went on to either working for the company their parents worked for or for one of their parent's friends... Me, I joined the Navy after 2 years of college and figured out what I wanted to do with my life after a year of being enlisted.

Money wise... Democrat, Repiblican, it doesn't really matter... The rich look after their own. If you look at almost any polititian or rich person for that matter, they all have $, a lot of them are crooks with little or no morals, when they get caught they are only sorry that they got caught. Yeah, I know this is shallow/generalized statement but just look at the business or political news for the last last few years.

Polititian wise... the only difference between the two polititians is that the Democrats want to help the people, whose backs they stepped on to get where their bank accounts are, just enough to keep them a little happy and procreating enough to make sure there is a work force for their children to take advantage of. While the Republicans really couldn't give much of a **** about the lower classes, that's what developing nations are for, low wage workers who will be happy to work for next to nothing.

While I'm not for having a welfare state where money is given away to lazy people just because you have a heartbeat and a few puppies. I find it kind of insulting that a matter such as this could be simplified how it has.

BTW, I'm a Republican. I think GW was the lesser of two evils and could go on and on how he is a shining example of how the rich take care of their own. I won't go into it any further in this thread as I do not want to do any more crapping than I have.

Well Feral, it is a very simplistic view, I'll give you that, but it is also right on the money. I know that for some, everything is handed to them. Obviously for you (myself as well) it wasn't. You worked hard for what you have. You've illustrated the principal the story points out to a tee.

The Girls father is an idiot. I don't think that really needs explaining. Guess its a matter of opinion though.

I'm glad you took the time to read the whole post Slider, I know I tend to ramble when I get going.

I'm also glad that you are one of the more level headed members of the site as some would have taken it as a direct attack on them.

Politics is much like religion. It's so easy for things to escalate into a plane wreck or a discussion.

Quote: Originally Posted by Slider A young woman was about to finish her first year of college. Like so many others her age, she considered herself to be a very liberal Democrat, and was very much in favor of the redistribution of wealth. She was deeply ashamed that her father was a rather staunch Republican, a feeling she openly expressed. Based on the lectures that she had participated in, and the occasional chat with a professor, she felt that her father had for years harbored an evil, selfish desire to keep what he thought should be his. One day she was challenging her father on his opposition to higher taxes on the rich and the addition of more government welfare programs. The self-professed objectivity proclaimed by her professors had to be the truth and she indicated so to her father. He responded by asking how she was doing in school. Taken aback, she answered rather haughtily that she had a 4.0 GPA, and let him know that it was tough to maintain, insisting that she was taking a very difficult course load and was constantly studying, which left her no time to go out and party like other people she knew. She didn't even have time for a boyfriend, and didn't really have many college friends because she spent all her time studying. Her father listened and then asked, "How is you friend Audrey doing?" She replied, "Audrey is barely getting by. All she takes are easy classes, she never studies, and she barely has a 2.0 GPA. She is so popular on campus; college for her is a blast. She's always invited to all the parties, and lots of times she doesn't even show up for classes because she's too hung over." Her wise father asked his daughter, "Why don't you go to the Dean's office and ask him to deduct a 1.0 off your GPA and give it to your friend who only has a 2.0. That way you will both have a 3.0 GPA and certainly that would be a fair and equal distribution of GPA." The daughter, visibly shocked by her father's suggestion, angrily fired back, "That wouldn't be fair! I have worked really hard for my grades! I've invested a lot of time, and a lot of hard work! Audrey has done next to nothing toward her degree. She played while I worked my tail off!" The father slowly smiled, winked and said gently, "Welcome to the Republican Party."

WOW .....
this post needs no comments ....

So what you're saying is that rich people work the hardest for the money and the poorer people don't do anything. Sorry man, but a little made up anecdote comparing financial status with grades isn't going to sell me.

Let's talk about her other friends. Daddy's little girl is studying at Harvard with a 4.0. Very nice! Meanwhile, her friend who made the same grades as her in high school is still making a 4.0... in the local community college because that's all she could afford. Her other friend at Harvard has a 2.5 because she's working two jobs to pay her tuition (her parents can't help because she has a single mother with a baby, and she's also working two jobs). Her friend is a film major and he's barely scraping by academically, but his parents have big Hollywood connections so he's got a fantastic job at Warner Brothers waiting for him when he graduates.

If it really worked like the father said then, yeah, I'd be a Republican too

You've obviously missed the point and moved right into the "it's not fair" mode.

Very nice find Slider!!

On a side note where did you find that?

To bad my father is too sick to understand that, he would love it. It might be good to read it to him anyways.

I reject the basis of this argument. Show me where you've seen that the Democrats say that we should redistribute wealth equally among all the people. As far as I can tell, the only place you would see that is in a hard-core commune.
Now, let's strike more at what the Democrats tend to want to do, which is to tax those who are rich more than those who are poor, and also to lend more support to government programs that are designed to help those who are poor.
This can be applied to your analogy by looking at the "curve" in college courses. If I score a 100 on the test, but the class average is a 70, I will get an "A", but so will anyone who got an 85. It's an adjustment made to level the playing field a little bit. Is it completely fair to somebody who studies and gets a 100? No, it's not. It's also not fair if someone cheats to get their 100, and then everyone else gets a B because of that.
In a perfect world where everyone could be or do anything they wanted, and monetary goods were a precise function of how hard you worked, then the "Republican" ideal you outlined above would make the most sense. Unfortunately we don't live in a perfect world, and many people have a much harder time earning that "3.0" than some people have getting straight "A"s. The Democrats are saying: let's grade on a curve, and let's give the struggling students some tutoring. And I'm all for that.

Heh... yesterday my friend here at school said something to me

"You know I get to sit around all day and our government sends me money that you work for..." (my friend is deft and gets like $500 a month)

I mean he isn't disabled or anything nothing is keeping him from making money. I mean he is in college and gets a million other benefits from being deft. I mean if he were unable to work then I wouldn't care but he is capable of working I mean he weight trains (spelling).

And anotherthing, unemployment I don't like that either. These people get to sit around all day and do nothing and get a paycheck every week. Do they even have to look for work while they are on it? Does our gorverment send like social workers or something to their houses and check up on there and see if they are looking for work? Do these people have to fill out applications and then take them to the place that they get their unemployment? I just would like to know how that one works. (I know people who are on it and they their checks vary from 300-500 a week)

Give money to the poor... the poor keep begging.

EDIT: maybe i'm reading wrong but some of the posts seem like communism

Quote: Originally Posted by Bionic I reject the basis of this argument. Show me where you've seen that the Democrats say that we should redistribute wealth equally among all the people. As far as I can tell, the only place you would see that is in a hard-core commune. Now, let's strike more at what the Democrats tend to want to do, which is to tax those who are rich more than those who are poor, and also to lend more support to government programs that are designed to help those who are poor. This can be applied to your analogy by looking at the "curve" in college courses. If I score a 100 on the test, but the class average is a 70, I will get an "A", but so will anyone who got an 85. It's an adjustment made to level the playing field a little bit. Is it completely fair to somebody who studies and gets a 100? No, it's not. It's also not fair if someone cheats to get their 100, and then everyone else gets a B because of that. In a perfect world where everyone could be or do anything they wanted, and monetary goods were a precise function of how hard you worked, then the "Republican" ideal you outlined above would make the most sense. Unfortunately we don't live in a perfect world, and many people have a much harder time earning that "3.0" than some people have getting straight "A"s. The Democrats are saying: let's grade on a curve, and let's give the struggling students some tutoring. And I'm all for that.

I see where that idea would be helpful, however as you sated we do not live in a perfect world. I am all for tutoring students that truly need it, I was one of them. But all too often I see students that are just lazy or have no interest (and this it true with college students as well) get tutoring and it goes to waist. A lot of students I see (I work for the school system) have little to no support from home, thus they do not value an education even if it is handed to them. I think grading on a curve, from my experience, sends a message to students that mediocrity is ok. If we (Americans) are to compete on a global scale this will not work., because in a global sense no one will level the playing field for you and that goes for most real world jobs as well.

Quote: Originally Posted by Bionic In a perfect world where everyone could be or do anything they wanted, and monetary goods were a precise function of how hard you worked, then the "Republican" ideal you outlined above would make the most sense.

But we do live in a country where everyone can be or do anyhting they want (well, business-wise). There is nothing stopping anyone from starting their own business to do whatever they would like. My father started a construction business, i dunno, 15-16 years ago. He was working a part-time job at a pizza place with no education. I think last year he grossed $675K. There is nothing stopping anyone from becoming a multi-millionaire in this country. I've seen it happen first-hand. I know.

Quote: Originally Posted by pwrslyd But we do live in a country where everyone can be or do anyhting they want (well, business-wise). There is nothing stopping anyone from starting their own business to do whatever they would like. My father started a construction business, i dunno, 15-16 years ago. He was working a part-time job at a pizza place with no education. I think last year he grossed $675K. There is nothing stopping anyone from becoming a multi-millionaire in this country. I've seen it happen first-hand. I know.

Unfortunately research shows that minorities are more likely to be unemployed, underemployed and undereducated. While hypothetically anyone can do what they want, that's not how it works out in the real world.

Quote: Originally Posted by _Sexy_Pants_ So what you're saying is that rich people work the hardest for the money and the poorer people don't do anything. Sorry man, but a little made up anecdote comparing financial status with grades isn't going to sell me. Let's talk about her other friends. Daddy's little girl is studying at Harvard with a 4.0. Very nice! Meanwhile, her friend who made the same grades as her in high school is still making a 4.0... in the local community college because that's all she could afford. Her other friend at Harvard has a 2.5 because she's working two jobs to pay her tuition (her parents can't help because she has a single mother with a baby, and she's also working two jobs). Her friend is a film major and he's barely scraping by academically, but his parents have big Hollywood connections so he's got a fantastic job at Warner Brothers waiting for him when he graduates. If it really worked like the father said then, yeah, I'd be a Republican too

There's always the "Haves & the Have Not's"

And there are plenty of major film stars out there that started with nothing and became the biggest stars. In fact most of the biggest ones started out with nothing ay all.

The dems want large gov't and believe that people are weak and can't help themselves. They are under the impression that because you are successful, that you should be taxed more........as if to punish you.

The republicans believe in a smaller government, strong individualism, that through setting goals and attaining them, you as an individual will reap the rewards..

Which goes to show you, set goals, attain them............don't wait for government handouts........and become a republican.