Neighbor hangs sign saying 'Glad you have cancer, so die, stupid'

[DainBramaged]

CRANSTON, R.I. — A Cranston man is facing complaints from neighbors after erecting a sign on his property apparently telling a neighbor who is in remission from cancer to die.

The Providence Journal (http://bit.ly/nj2qKM ) reports that Edward Jimmis hung a wreath containing a hand-lettered note in a garage-door window that said “glad you have cancer” and “So die, stupid.”

Bob Gold who is in remission from Hodgkin’s lymphoma, noticed it from his backyard and called police. Authorities say Jimmis was not breaking any law but are trying to mediate the dispute.

Several other neighbors staged a small protest against Jimmis, carrying signs that read “Shame on you” and “Leave our peaceful neighborhood.”

http://newsblog.projo.com/2011/08/cranston-neighbors-upset-by-si.html

[ironrooster]

1. (may) qualify for fighting words?

http://definitions.uslegal.com/f/fighting-words/

[alcibiades_mystery]

21. The key is "immediate," so, no

[drm604]

2. What could possibly motivate someone to do something like that?

:shrug:

[Blue_Tires]

10. Not defending it at all, but maybe there is a LONG history between the neighbors?

[Dad Infinitum]

11. A friend of mine had pulminary fibrosis

Back in the late 90s and early 2000s I hung out in a political chat room at excite chat. One of my Democratic friends there had pulmonary fibrosis. The Republicans in the room made fun of him for it endlessly and taunted him because he was terminally ill. When he finally died they spammed the 'comments' section of his obituary (online) with crude insults and taunting rhetoric, to the horror of his family. His wife knew what they did in the room, but she was literally horrified by their coldness toward her family upon his tragic death. They were making jokes about urinating on his tombstone, etc.

Another woman in the room was found by her daughter that she had given up for adoption at birth. She was so happy and proud that she posted the URL of her daughters MySpace account in the chat room. The Republicans in the room contacted the daughter and told her all kinds of viscous lies about her mother. The daughter promptly cut off all contact with her long lost mother. The Republicans in the chat room taunter and cajoled her and made fun of the fact they ruined her relationship with her daughter, like it was a game. They actually thought it was funny. They told her she wasn't fit to be a mother because she was a liberal.

There are the type of people we are dealing with here. When I read this article the first thought that went through my head is that the guy MUST be a Republican, because this is NORMAL BEHAVIOR for them. They are sociopaths and they encourage this sort of thing from each other.

[drm604]

12. Wow

What horror stories! These people are immature assholes.

[FreeJoe]

Really?

I live in a heavily Republican part of the country and I've never seen behavior like you describe. While I agree that most psychopathic jerks are Republicans, I can't agree with the idea that most Republicans are psychopathic jerks.

[lpbk2713]

3. I hope he gets his ass burned real good.

Not likely but this asshole could be related to that woman that wanted a little girl in her neighborhood to die from cancer.
I don't recall if it was in RI but the circumstances were similar. The woman's life turned to shit after the story hit the media.

[Maine-ah]

4. heh, must be a tea bagger...lol "canser"

[KamaAina]

20. It looks like he had it right and then changed it!

:dunce:

[KurtNYC]

24. fits with my theory that people often betray their own flaws in the insults

the hurl at others -- "stupid"

It is probably something he has been called frequently.

[Unrepentant Fenian]

5. I just don't understand how people can be so bitter ! nt

[badgerpup]

13. I've got a friend...

...known him nearly all my life. Guy has a pretty short fuse...fuse being the operative word here.
:nuke:
When he loses it, he starts wishing cancer on whoever he's going toe-to-toe with at the moment.
It's one of his less charming mannerisms.
:sarcasm:

I haven't confronted him about it yet...you pick your battles with this person if you want to make some impression...and I've noticed that the maledicta appears when he feels as though he's come up against a wall and is impotent and helpless to do anything else but rage.
That rage is pretty impressive :hide:...but it is not what I would call...er...productive in the long run. :shrug:

[Pholus]

6. Another T(errorist)-bagger hero, mis-spellings and all.

As usual, a slight change in circumstances would probably make the guy a bit more sympathetic.

Is there a way to make empathy contagious?

[Fuzz]

16. Contagious Empathy? Make pot not only legal, but mandatory.

[Pholus]

19. I like it. How 'bout public tokings instead of public floggings.....

;)

[Bake]

7. It could be a political statement.

Offensive? Yes. So are the teabaggers' positions.

Because that's what they want us all to do ... die and get out of the way. They just don't have the balls to come out and say it.

Bake

[Pholus]

9. That's why it behooves us to get them speaking their mind as often as we can.

It's the only way for people to see to whom they're listening.

[kestrel91316]

17. They don't just want us to die and get out of the way. They want to speed

the process - hence the attempts to end medical care access and food assistance for the poor and elderly, and the obsession with stockpiling guns and ammo. Many of them dream of a day when government is powerless to stop the wholesale genocide of liberals.

They love that whole Uganda scenario.

[theophilus]

8. Isn't that the catchphrase for the new Republican Healthcare plan? n/t

[seabeyond]

14. damn, people are doing ugly, well today. nt

[AngryAmish]

15. I think this is disturbing the peace

[Renew Deal]

18. Rhode Island...Yup

:evilgrin:

[hamsterjill]

22. Ugliness is rampant.

I'm glad the other neighbors staged a protest to support Bob Gold.

[senseandsensibility]

23. The sign has now been changed to

Love Your Neighbor. He changed it after a reporter called him.

[KamaAina]

25. Is that anywhere near Quahog?

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

26. Sounds like truth in advertising from a Health Insurance Company.