Really Stupid Things You've Heard/Read Someone Say

[Xangba]

Hmm stupid things I've heard people say....

The American Civil War was fought over slavery.

I want to strangle people I hear say that. Is it so hard to learn a little history?

It was a large part.

Lincoln wasn't even an abolitionist. Besides that his quote, "If I could save the Union without freeing any slave I would do it, and if I could save it by freeing all slaves I would do it; and if I could save it by freeing some and leaving others alone I would also do that," certainly makes him sound like he's out to free the slaves doesn't it? Slavery wasn't even really thought of as an issue until Lincoln needed re-election and a way to keep Britain off his back. Then it became all the fun propaganda we know today. Slavery was turning into a dying institution anyway, there would be no point in going to war over an inevitable decline.

One major reason that the confederacy was formed was because they thought the north would take their slaves, and a northern president was elected.

Yes, they certainly believed the north, which kept most of the money from a more heavily taxed south, would take away the slaves that the entire economy is built on thereby causing an economic collapse. Good god, why do I bother? Those that believe that bull can't ever be convinced otherwise. Whatever, think what you will and live in ignorance. I'm not going to get drawn into some idiotic argument on a forum.

 

[Pick|Choose]

I once asked my Christian friend what his position on homosexual marriage was. He quickly replied that he was against any kind of same-gender relationships. When asked why, he simply told me that he thinks it's immoral. Then, after a few seconds, he "corrected" himself and added that women should be excused from this rule. After blinking away my baffled expression, I asked him whether he was basing his position on his religious ideology, or his personal disgust towards gay men. He answered with a series of stutters, and completely irrelevant, cliche arguments for the existence of god.

 

[MBergman]

Besides, one of Americas founding ideas was to have the right to own a fire arm, it'd be a shit idea to take that idea away because of technological advances.

1. Why is the fact that it's a founding idea so important? Why think that people 200 years ago are so much wiser than people now? It's not even something that actually matters, like free speech, it's just a gun. Anytime someone says "It's the principle this country was founded on!!!!!!" I just hear: "I just want a fucking boom-stick! Fur lolz!"

2. Why would it be a shit idea "because of technological advances"? When they came up with the idea, a guy with a gun would spend 2 seconds shooting and the rest of the afternoon reloading. Nowadays a guy with a sufficient weapon could take out an entire block in half an hour if he's ambitious enough. Seems to me that technological advances are rather an argument against guns if anything.

 

[DevilWithaHalo]

Why is the fact that it's a founding idea so important?

Probably because it was a founding principle. The same reason you parents are important when discussing your mere existence. The same reason books are important to a book club. Once a founding principle changes, the point of the matter changes entirely, evolving into something completely different.

Why think that people 200 years ago are so much wiser than people now?

I can't comment on others opinions, but I find the idea that they could set aside their differences and create a new country to be quite grand. In the age of enlightenment, the petty squabbles of men and their individual ideologies took a side step to a vision which benefited everyone at the time. Compromise, and the ability to see the larger picture is a wise thing. In today's political world, we are so polarized between two opposites that barely anything get's accomplished outside times of crisis.

It's not even something that actually matters, like free speech, it's just a gun.

Some would claim that the right to bear arms secures ones right to free speech in the notion that we can defend ourselves from an oppressive government. It was the ideal, not the practicality that really mattered.

I'm sure they would slightly adjust their viewpoints in today's communication heavy infrastructure, but the principle would remain the same; provide people the means to defend themselves against policies which infringe on their liberties to life and prosperity.

 

[solemnwar]

"Hey! Watch this!"

... yeah, that never ends well, does it? :'D

 

[Nigh Invulnerable]

I once heard someone from my sixth form say the following while discussing where he and his friends should go on holiday (paraphrased);

"We should go to Czechoslovakia, its supposed to have nice beaches."

For the benefit of those of you lacking in teh geographys, Czechoslovakia was a landlocked country that ceased to exist in 1992. The quote is from this year.

.......what.

I had a girl in my 5th grade history who did not know that the USA had won the Revolutionary War against England. We live in Washington State.

 

[Jun_Jun]

Well have I got a treasure trove of stories for you!

Spoiler

I remember in year 11 biology a girl spent an entire 2 period class (1 hour 10 mins) arguing with the teacher because she mentioned that humans are animals because she thought bible stories had a place in a Biology lesson, the teacher was trying to get her to stfu more than anything else but she kept interrupting her and trying to get her to admit she was wrong in categorising humans into the animal kingdom. In year 11 biology WTF!? also this was in Australia in a public school where religion really doesn't have any presence.

Spoiler

A similar girl randomly asked a year 12 maths teacher during a finals study session 'what's the mile high club' and 'does it have a special uniform you get when you join?'

Spoiler

Also on Youtube something along the lines of 'Don't get mad at me because I thought fallout3 was the first one I didn't know there were others and if anyone is wondering why I would think that it's because final fantasy started at 7!'

Spoiler

Also my old room mate had a retarded-stupid girlfriend who had trouble understanding gravity and the concept of 'space' y'know all that space outside of Earth.. So I got out one of my picture books (coffee table book full of space photography) and was showing her pictures of all different planets and nebulae and explaining cool space facts to her, like how Jupiters' red spot is actually a storm and how it won't stop for hundreds of years because there no land mass on Jupiter, this went completely over her head... so I decided something simpler by saying that the spot was 3 times the size of earth, she looked confused for a bit looking hard at the picture and she said 'nah that's a fake picture' and I said.. 'right, why's that?' and she was like 'well because the planet's right there you can't fit earth in that planet!' I looked up some basic to scale pictures comparing Earth and Jupiter size wise

Spoiler

a little something like this..

and she looked bewildered for a bit before shaking her head saying 'nah that's fake if Jupiter was that big you'd be able to see it what with it being so close and all!'
I kinda had a miniature anuresym and walked away.. and that was the last time I tried explaining/educating a completely stupid person.

That's all I have for now :/
Also, how do these people walk down the street without being hit by cars or choking on chicken bones when they eat KFC? I mean seriously breathing seems overly complex when they are having troubles understanding these basic things...

 

[Jun_Jun]

Also I used to encounter Joys like this while working in the hospitality industry on a daily basis.
I can't really remember a lot of them since I repressed those memories, somehow remembering that you're serving someone that stupid makes me want to hulk out.

Spoiler

Also I'll squeeze this in here but a lot of times when you have stupid you'll have rude/inconsiderate cross over in people as well. I remember one time my fiancée and myself stopped over at a small takeaway place on our way to a friends' place for a LAN. We walked up to the counter at the same time a rather large lady walked up we kinda politely said 'oh after you!' and she went up and ordered, she took about 5-10 mins to order, turns out she was ordering for about 15 people outside that took all the seating. Now this place being a rather old fashioned and small takeaway joint took about 5 mins to make burgers and chips for 2 people, we didn't think at the time and ordered our stuff, about 45 mins later we got our food... I know we kind of had it coming letting the lady go in front but seriously if you're going to order for 15 people and a couple let you go in front of them... I would ask them to go first. I dunno why she was so inconsiderate but the lady was pretty massive she probably just wanted to sit down. :/ I just can't wrap my head around those sorts of people I just don't get it...

 

[Aprilgold]

Thats not how gun crimes work simply.

By taking away guns from common citizens, CRIMINALS will not be as afraid to use their guns because they know the common citizen they feel like robbing/raping/killing will not be able to equal the playing field (using a gun) without it being illegal.

Too many factors including Police Response time, location, culture, user, and just over all situation make it impossible to say "Just take them away" (I don't even want to have that right taken away)

Besides, one of Americas founding ideas was to have the right to own a fire arm, it'd be a shit idea to take that idea away because of technological advances.

I take it its pretty easy to get guns in America?

I don't know...in Australia we have stricter gun laws and its not exactally mad max over here

For a gun you have to find a store and theres about one or two in the town I'm in currently, then you have to wait a certain period of time for them to background check or something, can't remember. Finally you get your gun after your all checked out. The way most people view America and Guns is like you go to Mcdonalds and your cheese-burger comes with a 9mm handgun.

While it could be stricter, it is no where near levels of violence that everyone but America thinks it is. Want to see what I mean on this? Go watch the anime Mad Bull 34 BUT BE WARNED BECAUSE IT CONTAINS RAPE, MURDER, ATTEMPTED RAPE, DRUG ABUSE, BOOBS, GUNS AND IS SO VIOLENT A MANS HEAD GETS SHOT OFF BECAUSE HE GOT SHOT IN THE NECK NINE TIMES! You can not say that I didn't warn you and I'm just telling you this because its a great example of the stereotype of America in a visual format. I do not condone rape, murder, attempted rape, drug abuse, guns and men getting shot.

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Well..... Apparently theres a site that is like a forum that thinks that Homosexuality can be cured via vaccination. Just that isn't how sexuality works mate.

Also the priest that said all homosexuals and lesbians should be put inside a giant electric fence to die off.

 

[Yakostovian]

Perhaps the most inane and stupid thing I have ever heard was from a fellow student from my high school days.

After a discussion of Mario came up, the moron in question stated "I hate Mario! He's just a dirty (racially charged word for Hispanics). Stupid Mexicans!"

 

[Jegsimmons]

"Obama deserved his peace prize"
"Cigarettes are worse than a joint of weed"
"Chihuahuas are better dogs than German Shepards"
"Twilight is like romeo and Juliet! its such a good drama"
i then went to explain how Romeo and Juliet is actually political and social satire and the romance resulted in 5 people dieing, a few were innocent and the lovers barely knew each other and juliet was barely 13 and she was a fucking retard....speaking of
"retard is offensive, you should use LOID instead"
then i explained TO A 40 YEAR OLD WOMAN HOW RETARDED SHE WAS and that loid was already a word and its used as a racial slur! that and its 8x more fucking hilarious to call someone.
Oh and by god did she get my point!
"9/11 was caused by Bush!"
i just punched this person. it wasnt worth a talking to.

 

[PoloniumFist]

"The very same bath salts sold in stores."

What?! No way!

Two of the dumbest things I've heard.

 

[Shoggoth2588]

I just posted to another thread about this actually:

http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/118126-Gay-Oreo-Inspires-Internet-Outrage

It isn't that Oreo is pro-love. It isn't that people are boycotting Kraft because they're pro-love. It's because the giant rainbow-cookie they posted on facebook will never be sold for consumption dammit! Although I guess people boycotting a food company over the fact that said company supports equal marriage rights is kind of stupid to begin with.

 

[emissary666]

I used to be openly Satanist in middle school and early high school. Though 90% of my grade was unitarian, there was a group of ~10 kids, indescribably dumb (celebrating C- dumb), who were devout Christians. There are two moments that come to mind.
1: 8th grade science class, topic is astronomy. The dumbest and loudest of the group raises his hand and asks "So stars don't have only five points?" The sad thing is that he meant it with all seriousness.
2: In 9th grade, I had this painful conversation:
Girl: [Emissary], do you go to Church?
Me: There aren't any local Satanic churches, besides I'm a...
Girl: No, I mean like CHURCH church.
Me: As in Christian church
Girl: Yeah
Me: No?
Girl: You don't?!
Me: I'm a Satanist, why would I?
Girl: But doesn't everyone go to church?

The most recent, and egregious, statement was an overheard conversation between a teacher and a student. The student asked if any black people went to the south to voluntarily become a slave, because you were given free food and shelter and got to work outside all day. That day is the second closest I've ever gotten to murdering someone.

 

[Jun_Jun]

I used to be openly Satanist in middle school and early high school. Though 90% of my grade was unitarian, there was a group of ~10 kids, indescribably dumb (celebrating C- dumb), who were devout Christians. There are two moments that come to mind.
1: 8th grade science class, topic is astronomy. The dumbest and loudest of the group raises his hand and asks "So stars don't have only five points?" The sad thing is that he meant it with all seriousness.
2: In 9th grade, I had this painful conversation:
Girl: [Emissary], do you go to Church?
Me: There aren't any local Satanic churches, besides I'm a...
Girl: No, I mean like CHURCH church.
Me: As in Christian church
Girl: Yeah
Me: No?
Girl: You don't?!
Me: I'm a Satanist, why would I?
Girl: But doesn't everyone go to church?

I pretty much had the same conversation with a younger cousin (who is part of a very large Catholic family) when I visited Scotland a few years back, she was 13 at the time but shit a 7 year old should be able to understand that not all people go to Church. People that live in Scotland my heart goes out to you I don't know how you live there :/

Also I don't know how you managed to get through a Christian school being openly a Satanist, most Christians think they're baby eating mass murderers... (which is retarded if you ask me) Being a Wiccan gets me harrased for wearing a small pentacle around my neck each day. (mostly because people don't know the difference between Wicca and Satanism, neither of which many people know what their beliefs and practises are. :/) I could probably fill this entire thread with the silly misconceptions people have about Occultism in general. (=_=)
If I were ever to meet you sir I would give you a firm handshake.

 

[GamerAddict7796]

"Fallout 3 was a bad game because it was made by Bethesda"

Finally someone gets it. I'm sick of the Fallout 3 hate.

OT: Related to Fallout 3

Someone on YouTube said he hates Fallout 3 for being too much like an FPS and on another video praised New Vegas for adding iron-sight aiming. What?

 

[VoidWanderer]

"Hey! Watch this!"

I remember a Darwin Award Nominee I read about in New Zealand. He was in the Army and found a couple of undetonated grenades. He picked them up, got his mates to take a couple of steps back said his last words...

His friends were not punished for failing to notify EOD personnel as per Army SOP, as the COs figured they learned their lesson.