If people on food stamps are animals that you're not supposed to feed, then what's everyone else?

[ck4829]

A Republican candidate for South Dakota’s open Senate seat on Monday likened people who receive food assistance to animals, implying that both become dependent on handouts.

Dr. Annette Bosworth, a first-time candidate who styles herself after Sen. Ted Cruz and Rep. Steve King, shared an image on her campaign’s Facebook page insisting that the message of a “please do not feed the animals” sign in parks should be applied to food stamp recipients.

http://www.rightwingwatch.org/content/south-dakota-gop-senate-candidate-compares-food-stamp-recipients-animals

By now, we've all seen this, and if not, then we've all heard or seen some right winger make this comparison. Now, let's assume for a minute that this is 'just a joke' as they say when people start showing disgust to what they say. That means they clearly wouldn't mind these other comparisons using applications of knowledge of the animal kingdom.

Billionaires - Have more money than they know what to do with, find ways to hide it such as using tax shelters, get really defensive when you touch their money, etc.
Animals - A possible analogue would be excessive eating or drinking by animals... a common sign of deficiency or disease
What should we do about this - I guess we got to strap on some gloves and do some checks

Debt collectors and debt buyers who are particularly aggressive - Debt collectors who go after debts often for people who have no ability to pay and debt buyers are even worse, going after full debts that they bought for pennies, sometimes for debts that aren't even owed
Animals - Like the remora for sharks or birds on the backs of large mammals pecking for skin parasites, some biologists say these aren't symbiotic relationships, but rather one where the smaller animal gets something for nothing
What should we do about this - Recognize it for what it is

Homophobes, racists, etc. - Aggression toward outgroups, often make up bizarre conspiracy theories, one even recently stated that NOT discriminating against gays amounted to bullying of conservative Christians
Animals - A sign of excessive aggression, often seen in social animals that are afraid to lose dominant positions in their group
What should we do about this - Remember that it's 'seen in animals that are afraid to lose dominant positions in their group'

[Rex]

1. LOL! So then what are we humans? If not animals, then what I ask?

So she is a doctor, but does not know humans are part of the animal kingdom? Maybe her title should be Derp. instead of Dr. I won't even get into what she said...just that I find it fascinating when people don't know that humans are animals.

[MineralMan]

2. I Am a Mammal. I am not a Reptile.

I am not an insect. I am a mammal. We are all mammals, and we must eat. I feed the squirrels. They are mammals, too. I feed the birds, although they are not mammals. I feed those who are hungry. I feed them because I can.

I will continue to feed animals who are hungry, whether they are mammals or others.

[intaglio]

3. An Onion article on the same thing

Woman A Leading Authority On What Shouldn’t Be In Poor People’s Grocery Carts

As verified by multiple eyewitness reports from supermarkets across the Northampton area, the real estate agent and mother of three is capable of scanning the contents of any low-income person’s basket and rapidly identifying those items which people like that don’t need to be buying, based on the products’ nutrition and cost. Additionally, Gaither, 48, is widely regarded as a leading expert in determining which groceries they would purchase instead if they had any common sense or restraint.

/snip

Additionally, Gaither has earned wide commendation for putting forth a clear, straightforward solution to the behavioral problems she has identified as plaguing the poor population, suggesting simply that needy families stop popping out babies and focus on raising the ones they already have.

[CurtEastPoint]

4. She's pretty much being ravaged on her stupid FB page. Deservedly so.

Idiot. https://www.facebook.com/bosworthforsenate

[DeSwiss]

5. K&R

As the U.S. economy recovers from the worst recession since the Great Depression, the explosive growth of food stamps remains a lingering legacy. And now the program comes with an irony, as the Republicans seeking to cut it also represent vast numbers of recipients.

Among the 254 counties where food stamp recipients doubled between 2007 and 2011, Republican Mitt Romney won 213 of them in last year’s presidential election, according to U.S. Department of Agriculture data compiled by Bloomberg.

Kentucky’s Owsley County, which backed Romney with 81 percent of its vote, has the largest proportion of food stamp recipients among those that he carried. link