This is what counts as thinking from the wingnut community:
“Any park ranger will tell you: don’t feed wildlife. The reason behind this is that they become dependent and will not forage for themselves any longer. A disturbing trend is affecting American wildlife. Animals that formerly were self-sufficient are now showing signs of belonging to the Democratic Party. They have apparently learned to just sit and wait for the government to step in and provide for their care and sustenance.” (The Unpopular Truth, March 14, 2012)
Isn’t this what Hillary and the Democratic Party are doing — continuing to make more and more people dependent by continuing to “feed them?”
Food stamps, children’s lunch programs, child care programs, housing subsidies, farm subsidies, student loans — the list is endless.
In fact, there are over 1,800 social welfare programs funded by hard-working taxpayers to the tune of hundreds of billions of dollars.
Let’s skip past the fact that she is talking about people, and not animals, and in many of those cases CHILDREN who can’t provide for themselves (wonder where she stands on abortion). All of that is deplorable, but let’s watch where this goes next:
Folks, this is the most important election of our time — we must stop the pathway the Democrats/Socialists are leading us down.
Our grandchildren don’t stand a chance! Will working for a living become obsolete? Will the rest of us who have worked hard for our whole lives find our ability to hang onto what we have impossible?
Will we lose our basic freedoms like the Second Amendment, freedom of religion and freedom of speech?
So please don’t feed the animals. America deserves better. We all deserve better!
We have to stop feeding hungry kids to defend our grandkids who might lose their right to own a gun. This is what government by your grandfather’s chain emails looks like.
It will not surprise you that darling Lea is all in for Trump, will it?
JPL
First they came for the skittles, oh, never mind.. What a fking idiot!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Folks like her would call Jesus, a traitor.
Matt McIrvin
I’m pretty sure this is an old line, not something she made up. I’ve seen it around before.
If you think about it, what they’re really saying is that it’s dangerous to socialize humans to other humans.
shomi
The nuclear weapon argument that usually shuts them up is to point out that the Military is the largest welfare program by far. I think it probably costs taxpayers twice as much as all gov’t social welfare programs combined. That’s not even during a time of War. I think G Dubya the Texas sized dummy spent twice that much each year to fund the Afghanistan and Iraq wars.
Bitter Scribe
Hahahahaha yes, go ahead and attack farm subsidies. Your red-state support will dry up faster than a pond in a drought.
eclare
Speaking of military, did anyone catch 60 Minutes on Sunday with their piece about the Strategic Command? It should be required viewing for every American before voting for president. Scary.
Corner Stone
Getting torched in the comments by over 90%. Surprised me a little, actually.
chopper
10 bucks says this moron is a self-proclaimed “christian”.
greennotGreen
It so happens I live in Cheatham County, TN. To further enlighten you, I reproduce below a comment I made in the very early morning open thread, with this caveat: Lewis Country Store is actually in a rural area of blue Davidson County, aka, Metro Nashville, where they treat gay people like people, and there are loads of immigrants and taco trucks, but they have a lot fewer meth and OxyContin busts than we do in Cheatham.
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Since I have moved to the country, when I drive in to the city I pass the Lewis Country Store. Recently their electronic sign read, “Deplorable owned and operated.” Then it was, “Ahmad Rahami go to hell!” Today it read, “Deplorables will see your jihad and raise you one crusade.”
How is it that someone like the sign’s author can be so clueless about what it means to be American? This person wants to identify with the “basket of deplorables” – misogynists, racists, homophobes, Islamaphobes. This person wants to condemn a suspect for a crime without first determining his guilt in a court of law or discovering whether there were extenuating circumstances like a psychotic break. And this person wants to counter current criminality by citing centuries-old religious wars of aggression.
What happened to, “We hold these truths to be self-evident: that all men are created equal; that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights; that among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.” That noble sentiment has been replaced by dominance displays of chest-pounding and stick-waving. We’re better than that. At least, I hope we are.
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donnah
First of all, people without means seeking refuge are Skittles, and now poor people are animals. Dehumanizing is such a lovely way to get those who might be less fortunate than the rest to be disposable, valueless drains on society.
Shell
Heres one more Deplorable for that basket!
Stop feeding the animals,,,uh, I mean those pesky poor kids and everything will workout fine? Who the hell thinks like that.
And of all those precious rights, guess which one she names first?
Mike in NC
Lieutenant Governor of SC made similar comments about dependent people being just like animals a few years ago. Very common wingnut meme.
FlipYrWhig
Good old self-sufficient Tennessee, where no one benefits from social welfare programs, just gets plundered for ungrateful strangers’ benefit.
beth
Back in 2010 our Lt Governor, Andre Bauer, used just about the same words comparing welfare recipients to animals. By the way, he’s a CNN contributor now. Guess who he supports for President?
Creature
Seems to me this was a paraphrased quote from some Republican legislator, a few years back. Can’t be arsed to find out which of the usual suspects it was, but the gist of the ‘wisdom’ tickles my memories.
FlipYrWhig
I mean, look. If you are not rich and you are still a Republican, this kind of bullshit is the entire reason: fables about how greedy layabouts are picking your pocket while you bust your hump like a chump. This is why Republicans are Republicans. They’re not to be reasoned with, let alone converted. They’re just resentful and foul and they like it that way. That’s what that party stands for. Let’s kick its ass.
quakerinabasement
Hold up there, missy. Some of the finest folk in Cheatham County get their share of farm subsidy money, fair and square! And they vote Republican too! And housing subsidies? You’re not suggesting that we shouldn’t be able to write off the interest on our shiny new suburban castles now, are you?
But food stamps? Sure THOSE people are dependent.
FlipYrWhig
@quakerinabasement: Yes, but only because they really need it to get by, not like those other people who practically wallow in it!
ETA: “Housing subsidies” means “Section 8.”
Some Dude
@shomi: I’d like to point out the F-35 is one of the best examples of corporate welfare around. If they were making those babies out of gold, it would cost less than double what the aluminum and plastic ones are selling for – and neither version is fit for combat. Heck, the latest aid package to Israel is basically a credit voucher so that they can only buy F-35’s with it – Lockeed is guaranteed to keep churning out these turkeys (jobs, jobs, jobs!) for the foreseeable future, with fixes promised to happen ‘real soon’ for the shortcomings that have been pointed out. Yeah, I’m sure if someone points out that the Aircraft Carrier the Navy version would be flown from cost less than the planes – oh who am I kidding? Nobody cares, ’cause it ‘Makes America Strong’. Aid to families and children, not so much….
greennotGreen
“Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.” Matthew 25:40 NIV
You don’t have to be a Christian (I’m not) to believe we should take care of each other, especially those like children and the infirm who can’t take care of themselves. Why are there so many hateful, mean-spirited people in the world?
M. Bouffant
I got out of the boat. Very nice, w/ the picture of welfare rock lobsters right at the top.
Plus, it’s something called The Tennessean, which (I think) is a real newspaper, not some idiot’s Facebook page.
Corner Stone
@FlipYrWhig:
Now, now. I was specifically informed by a Left Coast Elitist the other day that this simply was not the case.
Roger Moore
@FlipYrWhig:
FTFY.
Corner Stone
@M. Bouffant: Is it just me or does that price sign say $99.99 ?
les
@M. Bouffant:
Real midwestern ‘Murkans in KS are heavily into punishing those people too. Restrictions on what you can buy for food; cash welfare via debit card, with a limit on how much you can withdraw at a time. So if you want to pay your rent, you get multiple withdrawal charges. ‘Cause enriching banks is a perfect use of tax money, as opposed to a decent life for a citizen.
Corner Stone
Personally, I think it’s only right that if you’re going to use a welfare card to spend my hard earned money and buy your shiftless animal assed kids food then – slip on this clown nose and clown shoes before you start shopping. That way every hard working real ‘Merican in the place can real time check and judge all your food choices. Slap some protein in the basket? HONK HONK! I get to squeeze that damn big clown nose so everyone knows you were trying to buy steak or pork!
singfoom
– I’ll put a large wager on this woman self identifies as a “Christian” and doesn’t get the first fucking thing about loving her neighbors.
debbie
Maybe we can fix her up with that guy from Missouri who bitched about women a couple weeks ago in an op-ed piece. They deserve each other.
Eric S.
@Matt McIrvin:
It is. Very old. I had a wingnut, someone I used to call a friend, run this argument at me over a decade ago.
HinTN
@greennotGreen: South of you a ways, down here in Franklin County, where ostensibly intelligent folks, engineers employed by the USAF, proudly self identify as “deplorables” and there ain’t one damn thing that can get them to see the incongruity.
Then there’s the rest of the basket, who probably are irredeemable.
So it goes.
Brachiator
Reminds me of that part of the Bible where Jesus sold tickets to that loaves and fishes lunch, and kicked the free loaders away from his sermon.
HinTN
@Some Dude: That flying Swiss Army Knife has been good to many many many Congress Critters.
Mnemosyne
@Matt McIrvin:
Well, sure, because if you socialize your kids to interact normally with people of other races, ethnicities, and religions, then your kids will see those “other” people as being humans just like they are and will be less willing to hate them sight unseen. Can’t have that!
HinTN
@M. Bouffant: The Tennessean is a Gannett fish wrapper, nothing more.
Corner Stone
Even her opening is complete shit. That’s not why Park Rangers instruct you to not feed the wildlife.
FlipYrWhig
@Brachiator: Jesus was always doing stuff like that. That’s why he said “God helps those who helps themselves.”
Roger Moore
@Some Dude:
How dare you slander turkeys that way! They can actually do near vertical takeoff and landing.
HinTN
@Corner Stone: Fact, they’ll rip you a new one looking for what you didn’t deposit.
Frankensteinbeck
@donnah:
No. Brown people are animals. Especially blacks. I have read white power screeds, and the only thing different is that they say they’re talking about blacks. Mainstream Republican politicians quote those same screeds, and don’t use the word ‘animal.’ The sentiment is the same, regardless.
@Creature:
This is a white power argument decades old, at least. Reagan was using it, he just cut out the word ‘animal’, and whites in the 80s flocked to him for his genius.
EDIT – For that matter, it’s virtually identical to what Cliven Bundy told us about ‘the Negro.’
Ruviana
When I saw the headline to make Ms. Hudson internet-famous I nostalgically recalled the halcyon days of George Tierney Jr. of Greenville, South Carolina. Nobody brought it like TBogg.
Boudica
NPR had a story a while back about how welfare changed in the 90s allowing states to deign where much went…to things like college grants even for rich kids. People don’t realize how the states game the welfare system, getting big bucks but not giving to poor people but rather to middle class and rich people.
greennotGreen
@HinTN: So true! More’s the pity.
Corner Stone
Link to this BJ post is the second hit when you google Lea Hudson.
Trollhattan
In Soviet Russia, wildlife feed you!
Somebody’s positioning herself for Coulter’s job, I see, now that Jewel hung and gutted Ann on the teevee.
Starfish
Why does this person hate bald eagles? It is un-American.
Starfish
There is a lot of “think of the children” going on from the people that I know are voting for Trump, and I am not sure what type of future they think will be left for the children after nuclear winter, but maybe nuclear winter is their answer to climate change. Who knows?
piratedan
it’s like these people have no fucking idea that there is even a New Testament
ChrisGrrr
@chopper:
“God helps those who help themselves.”
– Deplorablatians 8:8
Waspuppet
@FlipYrWhig: Well, sure, people take social spending in Tennessee, but they deserve it, and if they don’t, (whisper) it’s THOSE people.
PS Millionaires and billionaires who have seen their taxes cut in half over the past 30 years are not voting out of sled interest. Not at all.
Kifaru1
Dare her to live on minimum wage (the Federal one) for 6 months and see if she doesn’t need assistance. These people kill me…
Bill
We, as a society, need to make sure that citizens, and others, are properly motivated by hunger. Given the fact that people start to behave in an irrational manner when their kids have been crying for food for several days, we need to be sure that these people are motivated to obtain jobs and provide for their families. I personally look forward to quitting my job and patrolling my property constantly to make sure that hungry people don’t try to steal my food. I won’t have much food, because i won’t have a job to earn money to buy any, and anyway, I’ll be walking the perimeter, and ammo is just going up, up, up, but I will vigilantly protect the cupboards in which I used to keep my food to defend them from hungry people who also have no food. I look forward to this, because it is preferable to contributing a small percentage of my income from my job to ensure that other people do not become irrational due to lack of food.
Davis X. Machina
@Bill: Trump-Admin-cabinet-post-worthy! I salute you sir.
pacem appellant
A variant of this is making the rounds on FB recently. I had to suppress the urge to go 2nd Amendment on old friends. Having the offender’s spousal unit shut them down quenched that fire, fortunately.
Bill
@Davis X. Machina: I’m a bit faint. Of all the people to be saluted by. I have never been more honored, and I mean this sincerely. I quote the ‘living under an overpass, eating a sparrow roasted on a curtain rod’ comment almost on a weekly basis. I am humbled.
brendancalling
Ah yes. I read this dumb piece of shit’s letter yesterday in the local newspaper.
She is truly an awful person.
Bill
@Bill: I’m re-reading this, and really hoping that the snark came through at the end. And Davis, I really meant to show gratitude and respect at 53. I’m not one of them, I swear.
BruceFromOhio
Ahh, nutpicking. They all ripen right about now.
mainmata
@shomi: This. The idiots don’t make any connection to the stuff government pays for in the discretionary budget, which is heavily military. A huge amount of that expenditure is for non-bang bang expenditures, probably most of it, including a giant amount for the defense contractors. The larger point is that a Trump Presidency seriously screws all the people that vote for him plus all the olds and the Millennials. Also torpedoing the economy because that’s what the GOP does best. We are so screwed.
J R in WV
@HinTN:
Gannett managers appointed to run The AP are how Ron Fournier got appointed DC Bureau Chief back when the dark professor was running for President – and winning.
craigie
Yes, but not for the reason you think. The robots are going to eat all the jobs.
Some Dude
@Roger Moore: Arthur Carlson; “…with God as my witness, I thought turkeys could fly…”
JohnM
Don’t forget that the example of child care programs explicitly contradicts her dependency rant. Child care programs make it easier for people to work. They “encourage” it, one might say.