[conservatism_IS_compassion]

(there are no illegitimate children)

What's a bastard?

A stupid word pinned on a child innocent of his parents’ bad choices.

It is true that "If you give a dog a bad name, you might as well hang him." But it is also true that boys raised without adult male role models tend to earn an unfavorable label. Which is in essence what the whole point of this thread discusses - the deleterious effects on society of the failure of nubile women in that society to marry before procreating.

You are supporting an effort to restrict thought by pruning our vocabulary.

[Lucky Dog]

What's a bastard?

A stupid word pinned on a child innocent of his parents’ bad choices.

bastard

1223, "illegitimate child," from O.Fr., "child of a nobleman by a woman other than his wife," probably from fils de bast "packsaddle son," meaning a child conceived on an improvised bed (saddles often doubled as beds while traveling), with pejorative ending -art. Alternate possibly is that the word is from P.Gmc. *banstiz "barn," equally suggestive of low origin. Not always regarded as a stigma; the Conqueror is referred to in state documents as "William the Bastard." Figurative sense is from 1552; use as a vulgar term of abuse for a man is attested from 1830. Bastardize "debase" is from 1587. http://www.etymonline.com/index.php?term=bastard

As you can see, the term, bastard similar to the term, illegitimate, was intended to be descriptive of a child’s legal position in terms of estate or chattels inheritance. However, your comments indicate that your regard the term as unfairly insulting.

The fact that you are not alone in your opinion of the word as insulting is indicative of the judgment of the parental moral lapse that resulted in the referenced child’s birth. Such a judgment is also indicative of the value associated with marriage. After all, it would not be insulting to be referred to as a bastard unless the value of marriage had not been debased by violation of its strictures.

The question them becomes does allowing s0-called “gar marriage” debase the institution? The answer should be obvious: “gay marriage’” is a gross violation of the institution’s most basic principle.

[DungeonMaster]

It is true that "If you give a dog a bad name, you might as well hang him." But it is also true that boys raised without adult male role models tend to earn an unfavorable label. Which is in essence what the whole point of this thread discusses - the deleterious effects on society of the failure of nubile women in that society to marry before procreating.

You are supporting an effort to restrict thought by pruning our vocabulary.

Thanks for the post. I happen to live in a neighborhood full of bastards. They are the destruction of the whole value of the neighborhood. I can't even let my kids play in the playground across the street without worrying about the abusive treatment they will get from said neighbor kids. But lets not ever dare point out the problem because that would not be PC.

Speaking of PC. BHO has the ability to turn any word he wants into a non-pc word, the most recent being the word "Assassinate".