NationStates Jolt Archive

Ran across this article:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=104x4582698

Basically says a guy was about to help a woman with a broken-down minivan and a child, but sped up and left her there when he saw the 'W' sticker. He wrote the article to work out his angst, as if that justifies what he did.

I personally would be just as horrified if some guy did the same to someone with a Kerry bumper sticker. Rank hypocrisy, blind hatred, beyond reason.

Edit:
I should have posted an Other option - sorry for you libertarians/greens/commies/socialists/anarchists out there. Feel free to comment anyway. :D

That man deserves to be shot in the penis muitiple times with rusty saws.

I'm a Republican, and I don't care what your political affiliation is. People are people, and if we disagree politically, then I can respect your opinion, and move on.

That man deserves to be shot in the penis muitiple times with rusty saws.

I'm a Republican, and I don't care what your political affiliation is. People are people, and if we disagree politically, then I can respect your opinion, and move on.
I mostly vote Republican, but, as you say, political affiliation shouldn't matter in such situations. The very lack of compassion that many claim the Repubs don't have is clear to see in this person.

Ran across this article:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=104x4582698

Basically says a guy was about to help a woman with a broken-down minivan and a child, but sped up and left her there when he saw the 'W' sticker. He wrote the article to work out his angst, as if that justifies what he did.

I personally would be just as horrified if some guy did the same to someone with a Kerry bumper sticker. Rank hypocrisy, blind hatred, beyond reason.

Edit:
I should have posted an Other option - sorry for you libertarians/greens/commies/socialists/anarchists out there. Feel free to comment anyway. :D

For what it's worth, if you actually read the comments at the bottom of the page, the writer says that she feels really crappy about not stopping and that next time she'll stop no matter what. She also says this before anyone criticizes her for her actions at all. So, you know, you don't need to be too mad at her, since she agrees with you.

Where is the other option?

I think both the Dems/Repubs are too right wing, but I would help the person regardless.

Ridiculous. The reason why I vote is because I care.

For what it's worth, if you actually read the comments at the bottom of the page, the writer says that she feels really crappy about not stopping and that next time she'll stop no matter what. She also says this before anyone criticizes her for her actions at all. So, you know, you don't need to be too mad at her, since she agrees with you.
Yes, it makes it alright if she just feels a little liberal guilt. Doesn't change the fact that the woman may still be sitting on the side of the road with a hungry child.

Words don't matter unless actions prove them true. What's stopping her from going back and checking?

Let's face it both parties suck equally in opposite directions...but c'mon ya gotta help.

Ran across this article:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=104x4582698

Basically says a guy was about to help a woman with a broken-down minivan and a child, but sped up and left her there when he saw the 'W' sticker. He wrote the article to work out his angst, as if that justifies what he did.

I personally would be just as horrified if some guy did the same to someone with a Kerry bumper sticker. Rank hypocrisy, blind hatred, beyond reason.

Edit:
I should have posted an Other option - sorry for you libertarians/greens/commies/socialists/anarchists out there. Feel free to comment anyway. :D

Let's face it both parties suck equally in opposite directions...but c'mon ya gotta help.

It was just worth being said twice. The two parties keep America balanced.

What I find incredible is that most of the responses to the article on the site actually AGREE with her actions! And seem to feel that since she feels guilty about it, it's OK.

Utter BS. Feeling bad about something has not helped one person. Actions do.

It was just worth being said twice. The two parties keep America balanced.

America's balanced??

[Samuel L. Jackson] Yes they deserve to be stranded along the side of the road, and I hope they burn in hell! [/Samuel L. Jackson]

*please, oh god, let everyone recognize this as a joke.

this seems to be typical Democratic behavior. Say you care, but do nothing about it.

One of the reasons I gave up being a Democrat.

At least the last Dem prez I voted for, Jimmy Carter, puts his hands where his heart is, or something like that, by actually doing things to help, rather than just ranting and railing against the other side.

Yes, it makes it alright if she just feels a little liberal guilt. Doesn't change the fact that the woman may still be sitting on the side of the road with a hungry child.

Words don't matter unless actions prove them true. What's stopping her from going back and checking?

I don't understand the point of your "liberal guilt" comment, except to insult one side of the political spectrum exclusively, and thus perpetuate the very problem you're commenting on. I'm sure there are extremists on both sides who would refuse to help someone who disagreed with them; likewise, I'm also pretty sure that this person genuinely feels lousy about her actions, since very few people voluntarily tell the world "man, I did a crappy thing" if they don't feel like they did a crappy thing.

As I read it, she was planning to help, saw the W sticker, and was so frustrated with the current situation in this country that her feelings overwhelmed her judgment for a moment, after which she thought, "Geez, this whole radically-partisan thing makes people behave terribly. What the heck is wrong with us?" There are people on that site who missed the point and responded with "I'd do that too!" Save your wrath for them, since they actually seem to deserve it.

You're right that actions are more valuable than words, and if she passes the next W-supporter in need, you'll have a case. In the meantime, why not give her the benefit of the doubt and assume that she means what she says, rather than attempting to further divide people by implying that all liberals are hypocrites?

I'm a republican, and of course I'd help a democrat...many of my friends and relatives are dems, and I don't disassociate myself with them simply because of political views.

Simply put, human dignity extends far beyond political affiliation.

I don't understand the point of your "liberal guilt" comment, except to insult one side of the political spectrum exclusively, and thus perpetuate the very problem you're commenting on. I'm sure there are extremists on both sides who would refuse to help someone who disagreed with them; likewise, I'm also pretty sure that this person genuinely feels lousy about her actions, since very few people voluntarily tell the world "man, I did a crappy thing" if they don't feel like they did a crappy thing.

As I read it, she was planning to help, saw the W sticker, and was so frustrated with the current situation in this country that her feelings overwhelmed her judgment for a moment, after which she thought, "Geez, this whole radically-partisan thing makes people behave terribly. What the heck is wrong with us?" There are people on that site who missed the point and responded with "I'd do that too!" Save your wrath for them, since they actually seem to deserve it.

You're right that actions are more valuable than words, and if she passes the next W-supporter in need, you'll have a case. In the meantime, why not give her the benefit of the doubt and assume that she means what she says, rather than attempting to further divide people by implying that all liberals are hypocrites?
My apologies for the "liberal guilt" quip. Should have just said guilt and left it at that.

Benefit of the doubt for what? That she really is a good person, because she feels bad?

She still left the person on the side of the road. Her feeling bad has not changed that!

That's like saying we should give a bank robber the benefit of the doubt, because he feels real bad about it, and promises never to do it again. That may or may not be true, but we still don't know where he buried the money.

America's balanced??

'Course it is! Just watch FOX! They say it so often, it must be true! :rolleyes:


I'm more of a centrist, but tend to lean Republican. And of course I'd help... I'd help even if it were a hammer and sicle/red star on the side of the car, though a swastica would likely make me drive away.

this seems to be typical Democratic behavior. Say you care, but do nothing about it.

One of the reasons I gave up being a Democrat.

At least the last Dem prez I voted for, Jimmy Carter, puts his hands where his heart is, or something like that, by actually doing things to help, rather than just ranting and railing against the other side.

This is simply typical human behavior. The difference is that liberals admit when they make mistakes. Which is exactly what I'd do if I ever made a mistake. :D

I don't understand the point of your "liberal guilt" comment, except to insult one side of the political spectrum exclusively, and thus perpetuate the very problem you're commenting on. I'm sure there are extremists on both sides who would refuse to help someone who disagreed with them; likewise, I'm also pretty sure that this person genuinely feels lousy about her actions, since very few people voluntarily tell the world "man, I did a crappy thing" if they don't feel like they did a crappy thing.

As I read it, she was planning to help, saw the W sticker, and was so frustrated with the current situation in this country that her feelings overwhelmed her judgment for a moment, after which she thought, "Geez, this whole radically-partisan thing makes people behave terribly. What the heck is wrong with us?" There are people on that site who missed the point and responded with "I'd do that too!" Save your wrath for them, since they actually seem to deserve it.

You're right that actions are more valuable than words, and if she passes the next W-supporter in need, you'll have a case. In the meantime, why not give her the benefit of the doubt and assume that she means what she says, rather than attempting to further divide people by implying that all liberals are hypocrites?

Couldn't have said it better myself.

Kumay Kyair (Dem, leave in dust)
Rystocracy (Repub, leave in dust)

Either of you care to rationalize your poll choice?

I'd help someone with a bumper sticker from either party, despite my general hatred for both parties as entities.

This is simply typical human behavior. The difference is that liberals admit when they make mistakes. Which is exactly what I'd do if I ever made a mistake. :D
It sounds like the liberal here is trying to say that her action is ok - because she admitted it was a mistake. Or at least many of the responders seemed to rationalize that way.

I can't speak for all Repubs or conservatives, but if I've made a mistake, my first priority is to rectify it, not to make myself feel better by displaying what a wonderful human being I am for recognizing my human frailties.

I'd help someone with a bumper sticker from either party, despite my general hatred for both parties as entities.
My apologies for leaving out the Other option(s).

It sounds like the liberal here is trying to say that her action is ok - because she admitted it was a mistake. Or at least many of the responders seemed to rationalize that way.

I can't speak for all Repubs or conservatives, but if I've made a mistake, my first priority is to rectify it, not to make myself feel better by displaying what a wonderful human being I am for recognizing my human frailties.

You live in a stark, humorless world, don't you?

Nevermind.

Okay, let me make a serious attempt to explain. What she did was a human thing. It is common for us humans to have less empathy for those we have reason to disagree with. Afterwards, she recognized her error. In the future, she plans not to make that error again. She can't go back and rectify her error, because I'm sure someone (possibly a homosexual communist environmentalist or perhaps a fundamentalist Christian snake dancer,) eventually picked the lady and her child up.

I'm not saying the action was okay, I'm merely saying that the person-be they liberal or conservative-is okay because they realized the error of their ways.

Now, unless you have never made a mistake (like me :D,) you are in exactly the same boat. Get it now? Sheesh.

Let's face it if you can't see past a bumper sticker on a car, then you're an evil human being. Democratic, Republican or whatever.

Let's face it if you can't see past a bumper sticker on a car, then you're an evil human being. Democratic, Republican or whatever.
Forever and ever - Amen.

It sounds like the liberal here is trying to say that her action is ok - because she admitted it was a mistake. Or at least many of the responders seemed to rationalize that way.

I can't speak for all Repubs or conservatives, but if I've made a mistake, my first priority is to rectify it, not to make myself feel better by displaying what a wonderful human being I am for recognizing my human frailties.

I honestly can't imagine how you read that page and came up with the idea that the writer was trying to demonstrate what a wonderful human being she was. I very much got the impression that she was trying to make one simple point - excessive partisan fervor can make people behave like jerks. I can't argue with that point, nor can I imagine why she would have bothered to make it if she believed behaving like a jerk was a good or acceptable thing.

I also wonder what you think she could do at this point to fix her mistake other than admitting she made it and attempting to do better in future. It seems to me that's all one can really ask of someone in general...

Forever and ever - Amen.

So....one thoughtless, careless act and you're evil forever?

I honestly can't imagine how you read that page and came up with the idea that the writer was trying to demonstrate what a wonderful human being she was. I very much got the impression that she was trying to make one simple point - excessive partisan fervor can make people behave like jerks. I can't argue with that point, nor can I imagine why she would have bothered to make it if she believed behaving like a jerk was a good or acceptable thing.

I also wonder what you think she could do at this point to fix her mistake other than admitting she made it and attempting to do better in future. It seems to me that's all one can really ask of someone in general...
I don't necessarily say the writer was trying to say how wonderful she was for feeling guilty for her reprehensible acts. Actually, reading further down in the posts, she seems rather reasonable.

However, about 95% of the responders either fully agreed with her actions and would have done the same, or expressed that since she felt guilty, it was ok. And of course the obligatory "of course a conservative wouldn't even have felt guilty".

The conservatives I know would have felt guilty for about 5 seconds - then turned their car back around to help.

'Course it is! Just watch FOX! They say it so often, it must be true! :rolleyes:


I'm more of a centrist, but tend to lean Republican. And of course I'd help... I'd help even if it were a hammer and sicle/red star on the side of the car, though a swastica would likely make me drive away.


Yeah, swastika guy wouldnt get any help from me. Not because i disagree with him, but because i would fear him.

and truth is truth...if someone had a W sticker, i would probably leave him/her on the side of the road. They voted for the Bush economy. They must either be very rich--in which case they can help themselves--or they can't afford to fix their car (or buy gas) because of the stupid Bush economy. They made their bed, they can lie in it.

And likely i wouldn't pull over to help someone in a Hummer EVER.

...but it's also true that i probably wouldn't help ANYONE on the side of the road for the same reason i don't pick up hitchhikers: i'm a female. Unless someone was bleeding to death, but no, probably not then, either, since i am useless in bloody crises. I'm no doctor. I would call for help, though.

and truth is truth...if someone had a W sticker, i would probably leave him/her on the side of the road. They voted for the Bush economy. They must either be very rich--in which case they can help themselves--or they can't afford to fix their car (or buy gas) because of the stupid Bush economy. They made their bed, they can lie in it.

Gee, that sounds almost - conservative? BWAHAHAHAHAHA!!!

I don't necessarily say the writer was trying to say how wonderful she was for feeling guilty for her reprehensible acts. Actually, reading further down in the posts, she seems rather reasonable.

However, about 95% of the responders either fully agreed with her actions and would have done the same, or expressed that since she felt guilty, it was ok. And of course the obligatory "of course a conservative wouldn't even have felt guilty".

The conservatives I know would have felt guilty for about 5 seconds - then turned their car back around to help.

As I already said, I fully agree that the people who responded with comments about how one shouldn't help Republicans are idiots. However, I very, very strongly suspect that you'd see the exact same response on a Republican-oriented website in the corresponding situation. Neither end of the political spectrum has a monopoly on idiocy - and I really doubt there's much of a correlation between being a nice person and one's party affiliation. People are mostly people, whomever they vote for.

So can we just all agree that everyone should care more about other human beings' welfare than about whether those other human beings put Bush or Kerry stickers on their cars last fall? :)

So can we just all agree that everyone should care more about other human beings' welfare than about whether those other human beings put Bush or Kerry stickers on their cars last fall? :)
I can agree that "everyone should care more about other human beings' welfare", as long as that caring has action associated with it. :)

Gee, that sounds almost - conservative? BWAHAHAHAHAHA!!!


yeah, its got that 'let them eat cake' ring to it, doesn't it?

I'm a republican, and of course I'd help a democrat...many of my friends and relatives are dems, and I don't disassociate myself with them simply because of political views.

Simply put, human dignity extends far beyond political affiliation.

i'm a libertarian.....

i'd only stop if she was really hot,and the kid was taking a nap...JUST KIDDING

i stop to help people all the time(on the road alot)honestly,i would have never even thoght to see what kinda bumper sticker they had :confused:

i dont care if your a dem/rep/black/white/purple/green...even french,it's the decent thing to do....well maybe not a frenchman...oh,damn..cant help being a good samaritan.

i like to think it balances out all the shitty stuff i did when i didnt know better as a youth. :)

I'd pull over to help Hitler.

But, before I give assistance I'd tell him I'm Jewish.

I'd stop and help even if the woman were a skin-head wearing a Ku Klux Klan robe. The woman,with the W sticker, may or may not be an ass but I'm pretty sure the kid doesn't vote.As far as the DemocracyNow, Air America listener is concerned, what an asshole.

Let's face it if you can't see past a bumper sticker on a car, then you're an evil human being. Democratic, Republican or whatever.

Why ? The owner of that car put the bumper sticker on. The message it conveys apparantly is so important to her that she wants to advertise it anywhere. This was a republican sticker, but it could just as easily have been the swastika, a logo of the church of Phelps, "Go Osama !", "I fuck babies" and so on.

Judging her on something she decides to support seems far more fair than judging her on things like skincolour.

I wonder how many of those who responded, through thier tears for the hurricane victims in New Orleans, on the forum that was linked in the original post that the woman and child didn't deserve any help because of the mothers support of Bush realise that in the '04 election in louisianna Bush got about 400,000 more votes than Kerry. Isn't that about the population of New Orleans?

I wonder how many of those who responded, through thier tears for the hurricane victims in New Orleans, on the forum that was linked in the original post that the woman and child didn't deserve any help because of the mothers support of Bush realise that in the '04 election in louisianna Bush got about 400,000 more votes than Kerry. Isn't that about the population of New Orleans?

Well... I can imagine people helping those they deem deserving of help first. If my girlfriend and a known rapist are both drowning in a lake, I would get my girlfriend out first, rapist second. Gandhi and Hitler - Gandhi first.

I am neither democrat nor republican, nor do I have a real preference for either, but I can imagine that someone who is will also tend to "save their own" from disaster first.

Of course, from saving your own first to only saving your own is a small leap...

As a Canadian I would help either if I was down there. However if in Canada I would help anyone but a Communist party or a Liberal Party. I would ignore the Communist and shoot the Liberal as many times as possible!!

I hate this poll for two reasons.

One, it doesn't have a Myrth option.

Two, it's short-sighted and doesn't mention independents--- I'm growing to hate the two-party system in general, but that doesn't keep me from helping either Republicans or Democrats.

It was just worth being said twice. The two parties keep America balanced.
Yup - Between the suckitude on the Right, and the suckitude on the Left, it pays to stay in the middle.

That's why I'm an independant these days.



Oh, and the author of the referenced article/post? Scum. Scum looking for a pat on the head to make it all 'OK.'

-snip-
Oh, I hate the parties alright but what that guy did is just plain shit.

I should have posted an Other option - sorry for you libertarians/greens/commies/socialists/anarchists out there. Feel free to comment anyway. :D
How dare you leave us out :D

meh,i dont hate either side.mainly because i couldnt tell the difference between a rebuplican and a democrat.
i mean the most stereotyical republican and the most stereotypical democrat could stand side by side and do the most stereotypilcal republican and democratic thing possible,respectively,and i wouldn't know which was which.

I'm not anything, but if I saw someone broken down that still had a fuckin' sticker on their car, I would leave them on general principle. I don't care which sticker it is.