Young liberal comes to her senses

A young woman was about to finish her first year of college. Like so many others her age, she considered herself to be a progressive Democrat, and among other liberal ideals, she was very much in favor of higher taxes to support more government programs. In other words, redistribution of wealth.

She was deeply ashamed that her father was a staunch Republican, a feeling she openly expressed. Based on the lectures she attended and the occasional chat with professors, she felt 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 need for more government programs to help the working class. The self-professed objectivity proclaimed by her professors had to be the truth, and she indicated so to her father.

He responded by asking how she was doing in school. Taken aback, she answered rather haughtily that she had a 4.0 GPA. She let him know that it was tough to maintain, insisting she was taking difficult courses and was constantly studying, leaving 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 Cindy doing?" She replied, "Cindy 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 is a blast for her. 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 father then asked, "Why don't you go to the Dean's office and ask him to deduct 1.0 off your GPA and give it to your friend who only has a 2.0. That way you will both have a 3.0 GPA. Certainly that would be a fair and equal distribution of GPA."

The daughter, visibly shocked, angrily fired back. "That's crazy — how would that be fair? I've worked really hard for my grades! I've invested a lot of time, a lot of hard work. Cindy has done next to nothing toward her degree. She parties while I worked my tail off!"

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