So here I was in an all night supermarket

[InsultComicDog]

...and it was actually pretty crowded at 1 am. Snowstorm expected tomorrow, so people are buying an abundance of whatever they consider to be the neccessities of life. You know, like Cheetohs and tinfoil :evilgrin:

Anyway I gather my order of various fattening foods and Diet Pepsi together, and get in the checkout line, which is moving verrry slowwwly. And there's some lady there who decided to share all of her problems with us. She used to have a job that paid her $900 a week, and then she got laid off and the only thing she could find paid her $900 every two weeks, then that job got shipped off to India and now she makes $800 every two weeks and her salary doesn't even cover her mortgage, utilities, and taxes, and she's going to have to sell her house because no one will refinance it because her credit turned to shit. Bear in mind that this is a complete stranger who is just pouring this sad story out to everyone in the supermarket line... I guess she likes to have a captive audience.

Anyway, I'm a rascal, so I say to her "I'll bet you voted for Bush." And she says she did. And I say to her, "Well, it looks like you got what you voted for."

Which, I have to admit, was kind of an obnoxious thing to say to this poor soul. But it was amusing because about five African-Americans standing in line all went "Mmm-hmmmm" when I said that.

[KitchenWitch]

1. ROFL

Cheetos and Tinfoil, indeed!

[crispini]

2. oooooooeeeee.

:yourock:

[Robeson]

3. Oh yes. You gave her a Reality Check. And she probably never...

...connected the dots. Maybe she will now. Then again, probably not.

[InsultComicDog]

4. Heh

I don't expect I changed her mind any... you never know though. But it was worth it just to get the other shoppers in the store chiming in.

[Sugar Smack]

5. You got the next best thing to applause.

:yourock: :applause: :applause: :applause: :applause:

[Crazy Dave]

6. You humiliated a victim and feel proud about it?

I guess when someone has an accident because they weren't more careful they deserve it right? Or women who married an abusive spouse, they deserve getting the shit beat out of them too right?

I take no pleasure and do not find it amusing when another American, even one who is a little miss-led has a hardship no matter who they voted for but I see a lot of other DU folks do.

Edit to add:
Remember when it's cold tonight folks, those homeless people who are freezing and starving, don't help or feel sorry for them. Instead go out and make fun of them because it's probably their fault too since all they do is drink and do drugs. Kick them while they're down then come brag about it here on the DU lounge as it appears you'll get lots of approval. :sarcasm:

[auntAgonist]

8. I'm with you DaveTheWave

This is just sad all round. The way to change hearts and minds is NOT through humiliation but with compassion and education. How receptive would one be if the tables were turned and they were the one who lost their job, makes me wonder.

aA

[Crazy Dave]

10. Thank you, finally a compassionate soul with a reasonable mind

It would have broke my heart to hear someone say that and instead of humiliating them in front of other people I probably would have offered to help pay for that person's groceries, but at the same time hoping that wouldn't be an insult.

[Common Sense Party]

27. No, I think we'll win many converts to our side by insulting,

embarrassing and humiliating them. Name calling and insensitivity also work well.

[Orsino]

13. Humiliation *does* change hearts and minds...

...but it doesn't faze diehard Cubs fans, for example. While it's always good to connect the dots between Republican votes and economic hardship, turning it personal may not be productive.

I would suggest that two better questions might have been "Did you vote for Republicans?" and "Are you going to keep voting for Republicans?" This lets the person in the hot seat save face by at least saying that she's learned her lesson (and implicitly that she didn't need someone else to point it out).

And if the answer to both is still yes, respond with: "Well, hope they'll do a better job of listening to you in the future. Good luck."

I advocate saving the worst of our ire for the real criminals, rather than for their dupes.

[tanyev]

20. Someone who had an accident because they themselves

did something stupid need to know what they did and stop doing it. A woman who married an abuser does not deserve it, but hopefully she has some people in her life who will help her confront the truth of her situation rather than helping her hide it.

I did not read the OP's motives as making fun or trying to humiliate.

[Crazy Dave]

22. Well make a list then

Of who deserves what for their actions. I will be waiting and should find that interesting. I'm not selective like that myself. I understand there are consequences for our actions but I never feel someone "deserves" something bad to happen to them because they ignored caution.

Do all smokers deserve to get lung cancer and die for not heeding the obvious health risks? Should we get everybody to laugh with us when they're hooked up to an oxygen machine?

I see no difference in the two examples myself but maybe you can educate me better by getting that list started of who or what type of person deserves negative consequences and who doesn't.

Criminal actions deserve negative consequences in my opinion. Especially ones that involve violent crimes.

[tanyev]

24. If the woman in the supermarket only ever watches Fox News

and only ever talks politics with her Bushbot friends, how will she ever hear any truth if the rest of us are all too "polite" to say anything?

[Crazy Dave]

25. We don't know if she watches FOX News now do we?

Is that going to be the first "type" of people on your list?

1. People who watch FOX News deserve to have bad things happen to them.

There, that's a start.

Here's an idea for #2

Tell all the soldiers and their families that since they signed up and volunteered for Bush's bullshit war that they deserve anything bad happens to them. Right?

Author's quote:
"And there's some lady there who decided to share all of her problems with us"

Obviously someone who is desperate and probably needed a little compassion to keep her sanity. A desperate cry for help maybe.

Author's quote:
"Well, it looks like you got what you voted for."

Oh yeah, way to go. Shove it in her face, yeah. I'm sure that's exactly what she expected to happen to her and the bitch deserves to be out on the street.

I've said enough. You all can have the last word if you choose but if a personal attack is made it will be responded to.

[tanyev]

28. At no time have I said in this thread that anyone deserved anything

that happened to them. I did not observe the original incident happen; I cannot defend anyone's motives or intentions based solely on what is written in the OP.

I do, however, maintain on a more general basis that if an opportunity presents itself to calmly and factually point out that certain problems are a consequence of George Bush's policies, then we should do so.

[sarahinmexico]

58. It's not about list making

however we are all socially responsible to one another. Should I help out my brother, or in this case sister, yes. However at some point each individual becomes responsible for themselves and the way they have effected those around them. Does this woman, obviously dooped by the republican party deserve to lose everything, no. What about the Iraqi "terrorists" that have now lost brothers, sisters, parents, children in addition to the US families that have lost the same. At some point the American public has to take responsibilty for lax decision making and lack of interest in international events. This doesn't simply apply to international politics.

[TheFriendlyAnarchist]

29. While I'm generally against public humiliation, your

edit (no offense intended) is irrational. If these people are truly unable to live rght because they were layed off, and can't get jobs, I will DEFINATLY sympathize with them. But if they're wasting the money they do get, often handouts from truly KIND people, and they just blow it all on drugs and liquor, then I'm sorry to say I can feel no pity for them in that case. They screwed up their own life bigtime by throwing away their food, clothing, and shelter, and I don't think we should just keep handing them more drugs (which, in these cases, we ARE when we give them cash handouts). I'm not saying all homeless are winos and junkies, in fact, I'd believe that most aren't. But for some of them, it IS their fault since all they do is drink and do drugs. I wouldn't advocate hitting them while their down (I'm soooooo generous, I know), but I definatly wouldn't give those select few any more cash.

EDIT* Grammatical error

[InsultComicDog]

32. I don't blame this lady for her situation

Most of the other people waiting in line weren't doing so well themselves. And they were just as annoyed with her carrying on as I was.

[BlueStateGirl1995]

52. So...

because you were annoyed at her rambling, you felt that was an appropriate time to humiliate her in public because of her politics. I see.

So much for compassion. :thumbsdown:

[InsultComicDog]

31. Oh, you're so self-righteous

I don't take any pleasure in this lady's hardships, just don't need to listen to her complaining about it in the supermarket line. I'm not the freaking complaint department of the world.

[TheFriendlyAnarchist]

36. heh, I'll have to remember that line

[DS1]

39. You did the right thing

Make her go home and think about it

All these 'oh you'll only push them away' types here can KMA, diret in-your-face force is the only thing these people understand, it's why they watch Fox News - reading between the lines is too difficult

[rockymountaindem]

42. Unlike giving a buck to a homeless person, his sympathy wouldn't help

that woman's problems. Unless he could cut her a check for 200k out of the goodness of his heart right then and there, or give her help with finding a job, what was he going to do? How could he help solve that woman's problems?

People have to understand that what they often see as abstract policies made in far-away Washington DC really do have an impact on them. Truth hurts.

[Sugar Smack]

43. .

:thumbsup:

[Crazy Dave]

44. So an insult helps more than a kind word?

Give her $200k, no. Pay for her groceries, yes.

You people, yes I'm talking to you, remind me of the "freepers" that are saying the people in New Orleans deserve what happened to them because "they knew" they were living in a dangerous area. Do you feel the same way? I personally donated over $2k to help with the cause. What was your contribution? Just tell them the "Truth Hurts".
If doing stuff like that to others gets you and the author of this thread off and getting like minds to give you their approval too, that's fine. But it is pretty ridiculous to say someone who wants to treat people better is in the wrong. Typically, people that don't like to help people attack others that do.
That's what you were trying to do weren't you? Convince others that I'm so bad for trying to do good. It might work with the majority of this crowd.

[rockymountaindem]

46. Look, it's a simple logical progression

This woman in the grocery store line needed help connecting the dots...

Why are your job opportunities decreasing? Because the Bush administration supports damaging trade policies and a tax system which doesn't provide incentives to keep jobs at home.

Why is the Bush administration doing this? Because they don't care about the average working American.

Why are they in power? Because too many average working Americans voted against their own self-interest and put him there. You were one of them.

Do you feel bad for this? Yes (hopefully)

What are you going to do from now on? Vote Democratic.

Saying "gee, I'm so sorry, let me buy your groceries" may have been patronizing and offensive. Plus, you're assuming the OP has the money to do that. Maybe he doesn't. Besides, that's only helping with the symptom, not the disease. The disease is the poor "leadership" of the Bush administration. The OPs comment will hopefully make the lady in line see that. If not, then we haven't lost anything.

FYI, I also donated money to the recovery efforts in NOLA. Way to paint with a broad brush and play the victim at the same time. When it comes to homeless people, I'm happy to give money because it is a moral and religious obligation for me. If I had the resources (I don't, I'm a college student) to buy groceries for everybody who couldn't afford them, I would.

To the point, the OP did nothing wrong. Walking up to a drug addict and asking them "does all that meth really make you feel better?" isn't being mean, it's being realistic.

[LostinVA]

49. The people in NOLA didn't contribute to what happened to them

But, if you support a person's policies, and put other people in power who support his policies, then y6ou are NOT a victim, you are a contributor. I guarantee she's someone who always thought someone in her now position caused it themselves (ie... sue your bootstraps).

If someone gets totally drunk, gets in their car, and kills themselves by slamming into a pole, I have no sympathy for them, only for their families. If the same person hits another car, killing the people in THAT car, as well as themselves, then not only do I have no sympathy for that person, I also have contempt for the other lives they;ve ruined. This lady helped ruin her own life, as well as other people's. It's not like The Cabal has EVER hidden their beliefs, motives, or policies.

She has unfortunately reaped what she sowed. She's not a victim. She is an active enabler, and she's taken other people down with her.

[Skittles]

47. f*** bush voters

those ignorant assholes not only hurt themselves THEY HURT US

[Sugar Smack]

48. You've kicked this damn thread enough to let us know

what a "good guy" you are. Congratulations. Get off your freaking high horse, dude. We really don't give a shit. Some of us need to vent. This is our country as well as yours, and last I checked, "free speech" was an option. Disagreement was an option. Comparing a Bush voter who is obnoxiously venting in public to beaten women and homeless people is obtuse. He's not even bragging; he said it was probably obnoxious.

Thanks for letting us know how swell you are. Do I need the "sarcasm" smilie or are you going to get it all by yourself?

[Crazy Dave]

51. Kick!

I did that on purpose just because I think you're a great person too.

:sarcasm: :P

[tanyev]

7. So what was her response?

Is she sorry now, or is she oblivious?

[InsultComicDog]

33. She really didn't react

but she was quiet after that.

[Heidi]

9. Off-topic, but you're lucky to live in a place

that has all-night supermarkets. That's one of the things I miss most about living in the US: shopping in the relatively quiet and uncrowded middle of the night. :thumbsup:

[Crazy Dave]

11. Heidi?

I thought you yourself were a kind person who would deplore such an intentional degrading gesture. :shrug:

[Heidi]

12. I don't understand.

I _loathe_ grocery shopping and shopping in general, but it's mostly due to the crowds, smells, lights and sensory overload of the experience. Here, grocery stores are only open from about 8:30 a.m. to 6 p.m., and until 8 p.m. on Thursday, closed on Sundays. One sort of has no choice but to shop when it's crowded, because it's always crowded.

Am I misunderstanding something? :shrug:

[Crazy Dave]

14. The author is bragging about how he made fun of a woman in public

Because she voted for George Bush. So in the author's opinion the lady deserves to lose her job and her home and making fun of her in front of other people felt like the right thing to do and get everyone's approval for doing so. That was the main purpose of this thread, not to talk about "all night supermarkets".
I'm really hoping it's just a bullshit story otherwise it comes real close to a thread that I read on here yesterday by an individual who said he'd like to help whoever was burning all those churches down in the mid-west.

[Heidi]

15. Agreed.

That's why I said, "off-topic" in the subject line of my post. I'd never speak to another person that way simply for my personal gratification, like a big "I told ya so." There are more rational ways to win red voters over to progressive thought than rubbing their noses in their misery, in my opinion.

:hug:

[Crazy Dave]

16. I help just to help. Don't need a reason.

If I win somebody over that way good, if not, no big deal as it was never my original intention to begin with. :hug:

[Heidi]

19. For me, intent is about 90 percent of the equation

in human communication. If my intent is to make someone look foolish or to make myself look smarter, I'm better off (karma-wise) to just keep my trap shut. I have to do that a lot. But I'm gettin' better at it. You're a good guy, Dave. :pals:

[Crazy Dave]

21. Thanks Heidi

There's a lot of things I do as far as charities and helping others in the community and I do not dare insult the efforts or lower myself to make it into something political. I do separate volunteer work for solely for that purpose and with my wife, my mom and I it is strictly forbidden to use our charity help to benefit our political efforts.
My mom and I go twice a month to a nursing home her church runs and help out. In conversation with the residents, asking if they're taking their medications regularly or just how the heck they're doing we never say things like, "you know, if you all vote democrat from now on things will get better". Not only are actions like that pitiful and disgusting but that's not the purpose of us being there and anybody and everybody who takes advantage of people in need just to support their political agenda are evil and wrong.

[InsultComicDog]

34. You're putting words in my mouth

and thoughts that aren't there.

[InsultComicDog]

37. Yes

They are very convenient. Normally they are pretty much empty when I shop at them at such a late hour. But because of the snow about to arrive this one was unusually busy.

Still, you don't get the "normal" crowd at 1 am.

[Commie Pinko Dirtbag]

55. No all-night supermarkets in Switzerland? Weird.

There's plenty of those in Brazilian big cities. And in some small ones too.

[Heidi]

57. Probably there are some in the Zurich area

but none that I know of in Ticino. :shrug:

[ChoralScholar]

17. Maybe a better approach to making your point

would have been to be indirect, as in:

"I'm sorry to hear that. That's what happens to us when Republicans are in the White House. It's been proven over and over."

[SammyWinstonJack]

18. I think that would have been a better response, too be sure.

[akwapez]

23. A more thoughtful approach may have been better.......

but these people have to see how THEIR lives are affected. For the most part they don't care how their vote impacts others. This Insult got the point across, and maybe the unfortunate events this person was going through will open her eyes.

[patdem]

Hey, you rightous do-gooders..the fuckers name is InsultComicDog

what did you expect some sort of pity party right then and there for the old gal?

[qnr]

30. Really - how the hell is "You got what you voted for" insulting? It's the

truth, period.

[patdem]

26. Hey, you rightous do-gooders..the fuckers name is InsultComicDog

what did you expect some sort of pity party right then and there for the old gal?

[InsultComicDog]

41. lol

I did feel sorry for her but got snarky after she went on and on and on and on and on...

[mithnanthy]

50. Well....

to come to the defense of the OP, (don't let his username full ya). I have known InsultComicDog for 30 years and he is the one of the most brilliant,kind-hearted, warmhearted, funny, generous people I have ever known and one HELL of a piano master! I'm sure, if you had seen his "delivery" it wouldn't have come off as offensive, he was just stating the facts. (we didn't know until recently that we shared a love of DU, since we live 2000 miles apart).Enjoy the snow "ICDog".

[InsultComicDog]

56. Hi Nanthy!

:bounce:

It's snowing but not that hard yet. "Mrs. ICDog" and I are settled in listening to some music. Tomorrow I will have a lot of shoveling to do...

[ScreamingMeemie]

35. The supermarket line can be a powerful tool.

As one who often holds forth while in the lineup...I find myself feeling sorry for this woman. Only those who live in big palaces on the hill are deserving of my derision. I understand why you said it...I just couldn't say something like that myself. I look at these people as duped into voting for Mr. Bush.

[alcibiades_mystery]

38. Can I get a witness!

Mmmmm-hmmmmm.

[InsultComicDog]

40. Yeah, it was a lot like that

[Rabrrrrrr]

45. Nicely done! And to all the complainers and whiners -

go fill your pampers somewhere else.

These idiots need to know the truth, and need to know that they are DIRECTLY affected by their choices, that voting republican doesn't mean only minorities and immigrants are gonna get fucked, but that EVERYONE who isn't rich gets fucked. Even born again American white Christian taliban get fucked by republicans.

[maveric]

53. I Love to and will continue to rub their noses in that.

Fuck em!

They didnt listen to us or the rest of the world about how evil and DUMB bu$h is, but they continued to take the moral high ground and anti-liberal bullshit to the bank.

Now they are realizing how big of a mistake they made voting for this twit.

I hope that she and others like them lose their homes, jobs and financial security.

Fuck em!

[Maat]

54. Thanks for saying it, ICD!

I'm sorry, but people need to be made aware that there choices not only affected them, they affected all of us - and our relatives and friends.

[sarahinmexico]

59. Thank you

I agree as posted in #58 of this thread, we are all responsible to one another.