Father-Daughter Chat



A young woman was about to finish her first year of college. Like so many
others her age, she considered herself to be a very liberal Democrat, and
was very much in favor of the redistribution of wealth. She was deeply
ashamed that her father was a rather staunch Republican, a feeling she
openly expressed.

Based on the lectures that she had participated in, and the occasional chat
with a professor, she felt that her father had for years harbored an evil,
selfish desire to keep what he thought should be his.

One day she was challenging her father on his opposition to higher taxes on
the rich and the addition of more government welfare programs. The
self-professed objectivity proclaimed by her professors had to be the truth
and she indicated so to her father.

He responded by asking her how she was doing in school. Taken aback, she
answered rather haughtily that she had a 4.0 GPA, and let him know that it
was tough to maintain, insisting that she was taking a very difficult course
load and was constantly studying, which left her no time to go out and party
like other people she knew. She didn't even have time for a boyfriend, and
didn't really have many college friends because she spent all her time
studying.

Her father listened and then asked, "How is your friend Audrey doing?" She
replied, "Audrey is barely getting by. All she takes are easy classes, she
never studies, and she barely has a 2.0 GPA . She is so popular on campus,
college for her is a blast. She's always invited to all the parties, and
lots of times she doesn't even show up for classes because she's too hung
over."

Her wise father asked his daughter, "Why don't you go to the Dean's office
and ask him to deduct a 1.0 off your 4.0 GPA and give it to your friend who
only has a 2.0. That way you will both have a 3.0 GPA and certainly that
would be a fair and equal distribution of GPA." The daughter, visibly
shocked by her father's suggestion, angrily fired back, "That wouldn't be
fair! I have worked really hard for my grades! I've invested a lot of time,
and a lot of hard work! Audrey has done next to nothing toward her degree.
She played while I worked my tail off!"

The father smiled, winked and said gently, "Welcome to the Republican
Party".