4th Graders See Real Legislative Idiocy, Live

Cooper: Lawmakers Ruining Schoolkids’ Bill ‘Could Have Just Pooped’ on It

That was the thrust of Anderson Cooper‘s “Ridiculist” segment [on Friday], involving a fourth-grade class who proposed a bill to the [New Hampshire] State House to designate the red-tailed hawk as the “state raptor.”

Instead of just voting on the children’s bill and moving on, lawmakers actually argued over whether voting on it is pointless. Cooper said, “They could have just pooped on the bill right in front of the kids.”

But he did think this was a great political education for the kids; showing them how lawmakers “take a totally innocuous idea, something that doesn’t seem like it could possibly be controversial in the slightest, then spend 18 minutes talking about what a waste of time it is while simultaneously nitpicking its details.”

This was rich. Like South Park in real life. Seriously.
These idiots in New Hampshire accepted a bill drafted by a 4th grade class (they wrote it up and got a sponsor for it) and put it to debate on the house floor. Really. Not just a 'semblance' - these were elected officials debating about whether to make the kids' suggestion a law.
Easy peasy, right? Teach them how civics and legislative policy REALLY works.

I couldn't find a transcript of the piece, but for those who can't watch video, here are the main 'points' the speakers made:
Do we really need a state raptor? We already have a state bird.
Are we going to have, then, a state flightless bird, a pet bird, a garden bird, wild bird?
Why do we need a state raptor?
Only one other state has a state raptor - do we need one?
This bird is everywhere in the country - not just here.
Soon we'll be picking a state hot dog.

As Cooper said - the only thing that could possibly have made it worse was for someone to somehow inject abortion into the debate; and guess what? They did.

The guy stood there and described how a raptor uses its razor-sharp talons to rip apart its prey, limb-by-limb...and then said,
"The shame about makin' this the state bird is that it would serve as a much better mascot for Planned Parenthood."

Seriously. Link to CNN Vid clip

The Bill (H.B. 373) was defeated.
And all of this in front of the kids. I can only imagine Cartman, Kenny, Stan, and Kyle sitting there listening. (Until Kenny, you know, gets swept up by a red-tail hawk and ripped apart on his way to the bus.)

*facepalm*

a reply to: BuzzyWigs

...and we keep on voting these political morons into office. Sometime I think these politicians couldn't hold onto their normal jobs because their bosses thought they were idiots.

a reply to: BuzzyWigs

This just in from the newswire...

NASHUA, NH
MARCH 22, 2015

Having had enough of the disrespect and constant bickering red-tailed hawks from around the state met to discuss their recent failure in the legislature. After a short summation of the events leading up to their defeat they reached a unanimous decision not to make New Hampshire the official state of red-tailed hawks.

When asked about where he saw the red-tailed hawks headed in 2016 and how this might change ongoing relations with purple finches, the state bird of New Hampshire for over 50 years, a spokesman for red-tailed hawks stated "SCREEEECH!". The New Hampshire hens, know for a previous failed attempt to become the official state bird prior to the 1957 vote for purple finches, had not responded to requests for comment at the time of publication.

a reply to: BuzzyWigs

And all of this in front of the kids. I can only imagine Cartman, Kenny, Stan, and Kyle sitting there listening. (Until Kenny, you know, gets swept up by a red-tail hawk and ripped apart on his way to the bus.)

That is my favorite ending sometimes.

All of them with the mouth open, WTF look on their faces, unable to comprehend that this IS REALITY.

Would have been a perfect ending for this tid bit of real life.

a reply to: Ksihkehe

LOLOLOL!!! Brilliant.

Congratulations to the reject politicians in New Hampshire. In minutes they destroyed the aspirations of 4th grade students to ever take a part in politics again. Instead of fostering an interest in the political process, they have turned these students off to it forever.

But beyond that, they did something much worse. They openly mocked, taunted, ridiculed, and destroyed these children's feelings... over a damn bird.

For those that believe in hell, there is a special place for those contemptuous sub human scum for what they did to those kids.


Here's a question for the people of New Hampshire... what do you plan to do about this?

a reply to: stosh64

I can only imagine how their teacher explained this later on.

I remember a story a few years ago about a class (same age) who were asked whether markers or crayons were better.... small groups and everything. When the results came back, the kids realized that it hadn't been fair.

let me see if I can find it.

a reply to: WeRpeons

It truly is frightening.
How they drum up the money to run, though, is beyond me. It makes it even more astonishing that any of them gained support at all!

a reply to: EternalSolace

They openly mocked, taunted, ridiculed, and destroyed these children's feelings... over a damn bird.

You know - I hadn't thought of that. The kids laughed at the 'state hot dog' remark.
Again, I'd like to know how the teacher presented the entire idea, how she/he got approval from the principal, etc.

I think it was meant as a real civics lesson, and these nincompoops couldn't just manage to save the abortion crap, and the types of birds crap, and do this thing?

Idiots.

a reply to: BuzzyWigs

I'm sure the kid's laughter was akin to what happens when someone doesn't get a joke, but laughs because everyone else is laughing. Which is why it frustrates me even more.

The woman who opened with the bill was Rep. Christy Bartlett, D-Concord. When she started droning on asking why a state raptor was needed, and what about this or that, she essentially called the children stupid. I'm trying to find the names of all the folks who spoke during the session on that bill. When I find them, I'll list them.

I agree, this was definitely meant to be a civics lesson. And this was a fine example of failed 'educators' (politicians).


Addon instead of new post:

I hope you're right. I hope the teacher was able to mitigate the damage done.

a reply to: EternalSolace

In minutes they destroyed the aspirations of 4th grade students to ever take a part in politics again. Instead of fostering an interest in the political process, they have turned these students off to it forever.

It's possible that the teacher was able to discuss the event in terms of making things better.

I used to have a bumper sticker:

"Stay in School. Learn the System. Then Change the System."
My kids have never forgotten it.

Here's the bit about the kids selecting colored pencils vs markers (sorry, I thought it was crayons).....

From late 2012 (shortly before our last POTUS election), and that lesson was about the Electoral College vs the Popular Vote: Electoral College 101 (Video included)

In the latest episode of the Op-Docs series “Electoral Dysfunction,” the political humorist Mo Rocca consults a third-grade class on the fairness of the Electoral College.

We simply held an election: Colored Pencils vs. Markers. When Markers won the popular vote but Colored Pencils prevailed in the Electoral College, it got ugly fast. Turns out third graders have an uncorrupted sense of fairness.

The men who foisted this system on us were hardly more enthusiastic about it.

One effort to eliminate the Electoral College has momentum. The National Popular Vote Initiative is an interstate compact under which participating states pledge their Electoral College votes to the national vote winner. It will take effect only when states totaling the winning number of 270 electoral votes commit. States with 132 electoral votes have already signed on.

I don’t know if this initiative will succeed — but if it does, it will transform American presidential contests by making them truly national races, in which every vote counts equally.

And I know a bunch of 9-year-olds ready to vote for it.

I've been befuddled about why we have an "Electoral College" myself.....
I recall hearing the story on NPR, and that the kids who 'lost' said "IT'S NOT FAIR! Most of us wanted the other thing!"

a reply to: BuzzyWigs

Should stand as a reminder of the utter ineptitude of lawmakers and public sector unionized administrative child rearing agents.

A total waste of time is better than what they usually do though.

a reply to: EternalSolace

I hope you're right. I hope the teacher was able to mitigate the damage done.

I hope so, too.....

And believe it or not (this mostly to greencmp): there ARE public school teachers who have their heads on straight.
This was truly a "teaching moment".

Rep. Warren Groen, R-Rochester : Made the comment about Planned Parenthood. He actually defended his comment by saying:

"The gallery is open to the public, and there are children in the gallery every day," he said. "I don't know if we should limit free speech or limit the attendance in the gallery. It seems either one would be bad for transparency in government."
NH lawmaker bring abortion into debate over 4th-graders' bill

Rep. John Burt, R-Rochester: Made the comment that if they keep seeing bill like this, they'll be voting on a hotdog.


I really just wanted to get the names of the other representatives out there so they may be known. I hope this haunts them in the worst way possible.

a reply to: BuzzyWigs

Set them free from their chains then and let them teach in private schools or as tutors.

I have nothing against teachers, it is public sector union operatives wearing teacher's outfits that are the cause of this situation.

They are the most powerful political lobby and draw the most money from our budget, it is a self reinforcing monstrosity which must end.

They even have and use our children as hostages to their arbitrary causes.

a reply to: BuzzyWigs

I've been waiting to use this

a reply to: BuzzyWigs

I am currently looking for a way to e-mail Trey Parker and Matt Stone to ask them to use this in an episode.


It would be epic if they actually used the audio from the legislators with their animation.

This is South Park in real life.

a reply to: greencmp

My two adult children (mid-20s now) attended public school. Both are very intelligent, and were in 'gifted' curricula.....
one of them gained a scholarship to a very prestigious private university and graduated with a Master's - very successfully got a job straight out of school as a Materials Science Engineer for a 350-year old global company.
The other dropped out of high school, unable to deal with the authoritarian nonsense, and has instead spent adolescence gaining 'real life' skills...and is now talking about going back to school. Has become acutely aware of the political nonsense in the 'adult' world.

a reply to: EternalSolace

Thanks for the ID. "Groen" is a perfect name for the guy.

Hopefully they are all diselected (is that word?, you might ask...well, it is now)..... not quite the same as 'deselected', but same idea.
Unelected. Recalled. Abandoned.

And thanks for the article.