More Buttars Madness

[JohnnyLingo]

Yeah, incapable of having civil conversations with people are not your friend.

I didn't say anything about being unable to have a civil conversation with someone who has firmly planted themselves in the enemy category.

[Color Me Badd Fan]

Was it in Freakanomics where this concept is explored in some detail? the timing of the sexual revolution with the explosion of out-of-wedlock marriages. I remember reading about this somewhere, as well as a corresponding study.

ps your dad could have been a preemie, btw. you may not need to impugn the memory of your grandparents just yet!

My dad was not a preemie. And the marriage date could have been August, earliest July. I do know there was at least a 2-3 month gap. And back in 1939, a kid that was couple months early had a tough time.

I can't remember if Freakonomics explored that or not. The far more spectacular section of the book dealt with the correlation between abortion and the decrease in crime in the 90s.

I would also like to see the tie between LBJ's Great Society programs and the increase in out of wedlock births and on second thought I retract my idea that the sexual revolution had "everything" to do with the increase of out of wedlock births. I doubt that people would be having this many kids out of wedlock if there wasn't a substantial government safety net.

[Color Me Badd Fan]

I'm a little disappointed that this thread has gotten away from discussing what an ass Chris Buttars is and speculating on how the hell he keeps getting reelected. I lived in his district for a couple of years. When he was up for reelection he ran against a clean-cut, LDS elementary school principal. He seemed like a great guy, very moderate with some good ideas and principals. I'd like to think he lost out simply because he bore the scarlet letter "D" on his chest that some didn't bother to look past and not because a big chunk of my neighbors were racists and homophobes, but sometimes I'm not so sure.

I'm not sure how much mileage one can get out of discussion just on Buttars alone. It's been acknowledged by basically everyone for awhile now that Buttars is a total ass. How long can a discussion endure regarding how big a slut is Paris Hilton?

Buttars won by 4% in 2008. I'm not sure how well-known he was at that point for being a total ass. I'd be willing to bet that he'll be in trouble in a couple years given his prevalent asshatery over the last little while.

[Jarid in Cedar]

Yeah, incapable of having civil conversations with people are not your friend.

I didn't say anything about being unable to have a civil conversation with someone who has firmly planted themselves in the enemy category.

I am confused at who has planted who in the enemy category.

[Jeff Lebowski]

Buttars won by 4% in 2008. I'm not sure how well-known he was at that point for being a total ass. I'd be willing to bet that he'll be in trouble in a couple years given his prevalent asshatery over the last little while.

He has been around for a long time. He was very well known before the last election.

[wuapinmon]

My dad was not a preemie. And the marriage date could have been August, earliest July. I do know there was at least a 2-3 month gap. And back in 1939, a kid that was couple months early had a tough time.

I can't remember if Freakonomics explored that or not. The far more spectacular section of the book dealt with the correlation between abortion and the decrease in crime in the 90s.

I would also like to see the tie between LBJ's Great Society programs and the increase in out of wedlock births and on second thought I retract my idea that the sexual revolution had "everything" to do with the increase of out of wedlock births. I doubt that people would be having this many kids out of wedlock if there wasn't a substantial government safety net.

The Great Society program is a disaster for many reasons. We all know them.

I disagree with your assertion that the 60's marked the waning of racism. I think it has just morphed from an overt to a tacit form. I know many people who will not go to a black-owned business or hire someone black. Blacks are "scary." Etc. I find it incredibly naive for white people to talk about racism not being a causative factor in many socio-economic burdens among minorities. I have no idea what it's like to be discriminated against because of something intrinsic about myself (yes, I'm calling fat a choice, <redacted>).

My experiences, actually living around large groups of minorities (5 years in NOLA, growing up in Atlanta, living in rural SC) and considering myself an adoptive Hispanic lead me to a different place than you are. I don't think I'm smarter about this; I do think I'm far better informed. Empathy with the Other goes a long way to bridging chasms between people.

That's not to say that differences of culture don't bug me sometimes. But, I understand the reasons behind them, and that helps me avoid inaccurately associating someone's behavior with their race.

[BoylenOver]

I'm a little disappointed that this thread has gotten away from discussing what an ass Chris Buttars is and speculating on how the hell he keeps getting reelected. I lived in his district for a couple of years. When he was up for reelection he ran against a clean-cut, LDS elementary school principal. He seemed like a great guy, very moderate with some good ideas and principals. I'd like to think he lost out simply because he bore the scarlet letter "D" on his chest that some didn't bother to look past and not because a big chunk of my neighbors were racists and homophobes, but sometimes I'm not so sure.

You know who else is an ass? Chris Cannon. Too bad he lost to a guy that ran farther to the right.

I really don't like Buttars, but Utah didn't do very well the last time we swept out a bad dude.