Dangerous, Dirty, and Unfun

“Crazy pills” is actually a somewhat disingenuous title for this post. Reading comments on newspaper stories doesn’t make me feel like crazy pills. It just makes me realize that the comments sections of newspaper stories are traditionally inhabited by assorted paranoids, malcontents, psychotics, misanthropes, insomniacs, Know-Nothings, misogynists, Whigs, nervous-Nellies, racists, low-blood-sugar-sufferers, megalomaniacs, impulse-control-deficients, sociopaths, wannabe demagogues, and racists. Same old same old.

What we have here is a really short piece, with a link to a longer piece, on a plan that the state of New Jersey has to encourage supermarkets to open locations in poor and relatively under-served communities. Now, given the connection between poverty and obesity (and all of the health problems that come along with high rates of obesity), the state has a strong interest in poor neighborhoods being provided with places where affordable, fresh food is available. It’s basically the state telling private industry “we have an interest in you providing a service that free market principles apparently prevent you from providing. Here’s a financial incentive to encourage you to change your behavior.” This sort of thing happens every day. Entirely uncontroversial.

Here’s what “stickygrips” has to say:

Tthere is a reason why there isnt a stop n’ rob in the middle of the hood.

Class!

And then we’ve got newrkpeeches:

Take down the bird feeders and the birds will leave and crap someplace else.

mrrealist checks in with this doozy:

There are no major stores in Newark for a reason.
It ain’t worth it for the Business, too much crime. I do understand that gangs have to eat too, but I dont think they are that interested in cooking homecooked meals. Got plenty of popeyes and mickey ds around for them.

I am sitting here envisioning a super walmart on broad street, would that be a site to see! the greeter would have to be dressed in armor, hold a machine gun and be wearing track shoes. “Welcome to Walmart of Newark”, please put this on for your protection”. “We have a drive by in aisle 6″ please bring a bucket”. and trust me their would be no self service registers…LMAO

And finally (not for the comments; there are dozens. Just finally for the ones I wanted to highlight), we have scrapthesys:

You see what you liberal idiots got with Coleslaw and B. Hussein Nobama the end of the free market. Next up mandatory health insurance from the government and tons of red tape to get medical procedures. Coming soon the government is going to tell us where to work, where to live and how much education we are allowed to have. Just keep voting blue you stupid people. Actually I think the colors should be switched and the democrats given the color they earned RED as in communist.

I found this one particularly funny and unhinged, considering we’re commenting on an article about the government funneling money into the market, instead of doing the more efficient, and arguably more “communist,” thing, and opening its own government-operated food distribution center. But I suppose today’s loonies take what they can get in terms of imaginary socialism.

Now, I could spend all day and all night copying and pasting the anonymous Internet comments of lunatics. I won’t. I just wanted to remind you, precious reader, that everywhere you go, there’s always some people that are just batshit insane. Be careful!