"Bush Derangement Syndrome" explained

For some time now, I have been searching for a practical, yet non-canonical, illustration of Bush Derangement Syndrome. 

Everyone knows about Ted Rall cartoons, the Dixie Chicks, Margaret Cho, Kanye West, etc.  I wanted to find something different, yet something that perfectly encapsulates what I call "Bush Derangement Syndrome."

I have finally found it, in a Democratic Underground post by "Demgurl," linked some time ago by Arthur Chrenkoff:

I Did Not Stop To Help A "W" Supporter Today

I had no idea how deeply my hate for that man ran. My lack of an interaction, with a "W" supporter is still haunting me a couple of hours later.

I was on my home and was on the ramp getting off the highway. I saw a mini-van on the side of the road. There was a lady standing next to the van and in her arms she held her child. I can only assume her mini-van had broken down. I don't know, perhaps with so many gad stations being out of gas, she had also run out. I slowed down and started to pull over to offer her a ride. At the very last second I noticed a "W" sticker on the back of her vehicle and I sped up and drove off.

I feel really bad as a human being. That child is not responsible for their parent's belief system. They are innocent and do not deserve to be out in the heat. (It is warm but not so bad that they would even break a sweat) I try not to punish people for what they believe.

On the other hand, so many hateful thoughts went through my head. I wondered how a person could see what was going on in NO and still have one of those awful stickers on their car. How could they support an awful excuse for a human being that has let our country down and is letting Americans die after they have made it through the storm? How can someone be so blind and so stupid?

I thought that if she loves "W" so much, maybe he would come along and help her the same way he is rescuing all of those poor people in the weather stricken part of our country. Let's see what her hero can do for her.

I never did go back. I was so upset with that sticker and with the fact that someone would support an idiot who is so clearly running our country into the ground.

So why am I writing this? It is not to boast, I really feel bad about passing this child and not picking up their mother. Perhaps it is for a catharsis of sorts? That would be an educated guess. I suppose it is because I feel conflicted and I am writing this to try and sort through what I am feeling. There are two emotional sides, for me, on this incident and neither seems completely right or wrong to me. Even writing this, I am still not able to work through what happened. I feel like I am floating between right and wrong and am unable to grab either side.

Thanks for listening.

I have to wonder if Demgurl's car is plastered with stickers that say "Visualize World Peace," "Coexist," and "Who Would Jesus Bomb?"

And it gets even better in the comments:

Zodiak Ironfist:

I wouldn't have stopped, either. Last year at this time, maybe, but not any more. I just cannot stop thinking about the lack of compassion for the unfortunate that Bush supporters have in massive amounts, and I conclude that if pulling themselves up by bootstraps is what they stand for, who am I to stand in their way?

The baby does complicate things a bit...but I know if the woman was alone, she would get nothing from me.

It is wrong? Yes, it probably is, but that is how far I have come in hating W an all he stands for (inluding those that support him and his neocon death machine).

Rude Horner:

I've never been in that position, but I can say that everytime I see one of those stickers, the hate that fills my mind is almost embarrassing. People I don't even know, and I see that sticker and all of a sudden I hate their guts.

Quit kicking yourself over it.  She's not suffering anywhere NEAR what those people down south are right now.  [reference to Hurricane Katrina]

Cobaltviolet:

I think you did the right thing.  They're harsh people who careless about other people. Let them get some of what they love. What goes around comes around.

Kerrytravelers:

I was leaving a grocery store once. It was really quiet there with no one in the parking lot and no store workers outside at all. There was a person--- not in the handicapped area, not handicapped--- just struggling with their groceries. I started to help, then saw the W sticker. I put the bag down and said "I'm sorry. Republicans don't believe in helping people. Pull yourself up by your own bootstraps." Then I walked off. They were stunned. Amazing what happends when their policies are shown to them on such a simple, personal level.

I don't regret it, but then again, it was a grocery store. Instead of lifting heavy bags, they could have taken the items out one by one and put them in the trunk.

NCevilDUer:

The difference is that when we do the wrong thing, we do feel guilty about it.

They never do.

In the interest of fairness (which is much more than you would get from these folks) many of the posts in response to Demgurl said things like:

Don't look to me to say it was the right thing to do. Don't look to me to ease the guilt YOU SHOULD feel for making a child pay this price.

Take your guilt and leave it on your shoulders.  You deserve it.

And Free Republic picked up on this thread and continued to pummel Demgurl and her supporters at DU.

...

I have known people who hated Bill Clinton, who ripped down Clinton/Gore signs or took pictures of their dog shitting on a picture of Bill and Hillary.  That is juvenile stupidity, of which I claimed no part.

Over on another blog, a liberal commenter snarkily replied that Bush Derangement Syndrome is simply "paying attention."  It isn't.  It is a psychotic state induced by irrational fear and hatred.    There is a vast difference between defacing a symbol of an ideology or a person whom you dislike, and deliberately inflicting or wishing for suffering among those with whom you disagree.

Comments

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[Joe]

Wow. Harsh.