Here is seriously the world’s biggest asshole:
Much like Batkid, Hawaii has found its own superhero. Except that instead of protecting the powerless from harm, he roams the streets with a sledgehammer and looks for homeless people in order to literally smash their possessions.
Remarkably, this vigilante isn’t just some random Hawaiian, but five-term State Rep. Tom Brower (D).
Noting that he’s “disgusted” with homeless people, Brower told the Honolulu Star-Advertiser about his own personal brand of “justice”: “If I see shopping carts that I can’t identify, I will destroy them so they can’t be pushed on the streets.” Brower has waged this campaign for two weeks, estimating that he’s smashed about 30 shopping carts in the process.
“I want to do something practical that will really clean up the streets,” he explained to Hawaii News Now as he showed off his property destruction skills while sporting an Armani Exchange hat…
It would be nice if one of the homeless men he is assaulting fought back and kicked his ass, but with a scumbag like this, he’d probably just become a martyr. What dark part of the human soul creates men like this?
Hunter Gathers
Greed
Scamp Dog
Wouldn’t “Hawaii’s own supervillan” be more accurate? Except for the super part.
The Other Chuck
@Hunter Gathers: I dunno, just plain greed doesn’t necessitate outright causing others suffering. Sadism, really.
PaulW
The part that read Ayn Rand and took it seriously. :shudder:
Violet
Wow. Classic bully. I hope the good folks of Hawaii do not send him back to represent them.
? Martin
Man, the homeless. Can’t sell them into slavery, can’t eat them. There’s simply no solution.
burnspbesq
Wait, this guy’s a Democrat?
Primary his ass.
scav
@Hunter Gathers: We can add Lust for power/domination (without risk if you only attack the already vulnerable) and a “legitimized” outlet for anger and violence (with none of the messy guilt, shame or self-doubt hangovers). Agreed, small-time super-sized bastard.
JWR
I thought it was illegal to destroy shopping carts? (Those things are expensive!)
Ash Can
How is this even legal?
? Martin
Actually, it would be more practical for him to hire one of the homeless people to smash up the shopping carts of the other homeless people. At least one person wouldn’t be homeless…
Tonybrown74
He imagines himself a super hero? Well I think we should all help him out by coming up with a Super Hero name. We should make a contest out of it.
Cowardly Prick
Super Sphincter
Societal Shitstain
Dick
The Brown Eye of Humanity
Those are the few I can come up with off the top of my head.
Asshole …
beltane
@? Martin: Not only would it be more practical, it would allow Brower to claim the title of “Job Creator”.
srv
@? Martin: You have no idea how hard Creative Destruction on the destroyers. Bill Kristol has all sorts of PTSD.
gbear
If the recent same-sex marriage hearings are any indication, the whackos in Hawaii are extra-super whacko. I wonder what’s going to happen to this guy now that his story is public? He’d better stay away from restaurant food…
kindness
Kenya. Isn’t Hawaii in Kenya?
vickijean
My mom’s neighbor had a lovely patio table with chairs she no longer needed. In good condition. She offered it to my mom, who didn’t need it. So the neighbor put it out on the street for trash pickup. But first she smashed it because she didn’t want someone picking it up and selling it. Didn’t want them to make money off it. Would rather destroy than share. Mean just to be mean. But smashing belongings of someone living out of a shopping cart? Wow, that is one extreme set of mean.
Suffern ACE
Freed of their possessions, the homeless are…better off somehow? Able to buy tickets to Omaha?
Also, if the possessions are stowed in a cart, wouldn’t smashing them up lead to stuff strewn all over the place? Wouldn’t the streets be less clean?
I’m not sure if I see the logic here. I guess this is like those super hero adventures where our hero smacks the villain so hard, he knocks down a building, leaving everyone to wonder why have a hero if having one leads to sky high property insurance rates.
Scotius
I think he is in for a bit of of a surprise if he thinks that people will be telling him how awesome he is for picking on the homeless. At least I hope he is. Hawaii doesn’t have a reputation for nurturing sadistic assholes.
jenn
How is this legal? I mean, we can all agree that it’s reprehensible, and the fact that he’s an elected official makes it even worse, but it seems like this vandalism must be against the law. Property rights are *rights*, and don’t go away just because you’re homeless.
schrodinger's cat
Asshole Congress Critter can take lessons from these critters, on how to be a better human being.
Just Some Fuckhead, Thought Leader
@? Martin: You can eat them. No one ever misses homeless people.
NCSteve
@jenn: Well duh! Homeless people aren’t people, so they can’t have rights.
The Other Chuck
@jenn: They don’t really have rights to the shopping cart; the possessions in them on the other hand… At the very least it’s tresspass to chattel, and quite probably intimidation and/or assault.
Tone in DC
This guy must be a Teahadi in disguise. Seriously, I had hoped that D after his name was a typo.
Maybe Brower is a transplant from North Carolina. Where they’re cutting unemployment benefits entirely, and SNAP as well.
Yatsuno
@Tonybrown74: Haole Cheney. Trust me that’s funny.
Jebediah, RBG
@vickijean:
That is… wow. Going to extra effort to be a jerk.
Kyle
@Scotius:
The Mormons have a long history of missionary work in Hawaii so they make up a significant percentage of the population. I get the impression the Hawaiian LDS aren’t as parochial-right-wing-assholish as the Utah tribe, but there’s a definite puritan strain in the culture.
Plus there’s a large military presence, so they get a lot of migrants from military-worshipping right-wing parts of the US and not all of them mellow out under the island influence.
MomSense
@Suffern ACE:
Wow, here in Maine you put stuff out by the road and someone will snap it up in seconds–even take the “free” sign.
Jebediah, RBG
@jenn:
Exactly what I have been wondering. Being homeless means you aren’t allowed to own anything? He’s treating people like not-people. I hope this bites him on the ass so hard it leaves marks for the rest of his nasty, miserable life.
ETA: Maybe the fucker’s fortunes will take a dive and he will spend some time homeless. Maybe some of his former victims will see and remember him.
FlyingToaster
The parents who drove you everywhere and never let you interact with anyone who wasn’t EXACTLY like them, or with the help. So instead of learning how to get along with everyone, the child learns only to suck-up or treat abominably.
Since homeless people aren’t even good enough to be the help, all they can ever be is abused.
Those of us who raise our children to be part of society, rather than nascent MOTUs, can only use these assholes as cautionary tales.
JustRuss
I can understand the guy’s frustration, I’m tired of stepping over the homeless when I go downtown too. But I’m not mad at them, I’m pissed that we as a society don’t give enough of a fuck to do anything to help them. And this ass hat’s “solution” is beyond pathetic. I’ve done some work with the homeless, most of them have serious issues and no amount of bootstraps will allow them to pull themselves up. That’s not to say many of them couldn’t live productive lives given some help and support, but the People Who Matter would rather use them as cautionary examples and punching bags than actually do something constructive.
JWR
“I don’t want to be threatening to anybody, said Brower, sledgehammer resting on his shoulder.”
Just watched a local news report, and the guy really is a douchenozzle. And the cart he’s just finished smashing looked usable to me. Hope the store owners go after him.
Waspuppet
Conservatism in a nutshell: If we make “their” lives more and more miserable, “they” will just sorta magically vanish.
Jebediah, RBG
@JustRuss:
Exactly. Their presence on the streets means he has at least partially failed as a legislator.
TG Chicago
@Waspuppet: Self-deportation!
Citizen_X
From here.
If I was in this jerk’s district, I’d be pissed. Oh, you’re “tired” of trying to pass laws? That’s your job, asshole! Get back to fucking work!
ranchandsyrup
@vickijean: WHAT? That is asinine. I am a proponent of using The People’s Recycling Company. Saves landfill space and fuel. Gives another use to things.
Trinity
Sweet FSM….these people. Appalling. Just no words.
SiubhanDuinne
@Suffern ACE:
According to this dude’s Ballotpedia entry, “Brower is a volunteer with Citizens [sic] Patrol and Community Clean Up, former President of the Resident Association, and member of the Waikiki Neighborhood.” Sounds like a George Zimmerman in the making.
Source: Ballotpedia.org/Tom_Brower#Personal
Botsplainer
I don’t give a fuck about the homeless and generally perceive the world to be a better place when any of them drop from the face of it.
Liberals fuck up whenever they start getting teary eyed over the self-imposed fate of the filthy, nasty, useless fuckers.
kindness
@Botsplainer: Jesus loves you or your snark. Me, I don’t.
You Don't Say
He’s more than an asshole, he’s a criminal. How is this any different than smashing a women’s purse sitting on a park bench or a kid’s backpack sitting on the curb? It’s someone’s property. Hope he gets thrown in jail.
kc
He’s a Democrat? Fuck that. Kick his ass out of the party.
kc
@You Don’t Say:
He absolutely is a criminal. On the other hand, I hope someone smashes the crap out of his car. And eggs his Armani suit.
kc
@kindness:
Consider the source. It’s not snark.
Botsplainer
@kc:
Free Mumia, man…
Jebediah, RBG
@Botsplainer:
Mental illness may be inconvenient, but I doubt it can reasonably be called self-imposed.
The Thin Black Duke
@Jebediah, RBG: Besides, every single one of us is one bad day away from being homeless. Life Ain’t Fair, especially if you ain’t rich.
Jebediah, RBG
@The Thin Black Duke:
You’re right, of course. And it’s a great argument for a robust safety net.
Botsplainer
Can we worry about the level of wages, the value of work and the societal effects of income inequality before we get all spastic about providing a means to convey the authentic voice of some drug addled shithead who steals grocery carts and pisses on your windshield?
Kthxbye.
ranchandsyrup
@Botsplainer: I think that obamacare covers empathy chip replacement. Not sure if it can fix your false choice fallacy.
Botsplainer
@ranchandsyrup:
How many heroic progressives who get all sad over the plight of borderline personality disorder drug addicts actually have to reckon with the consequences directly caused by them?
ranchandsyrup
@Botsplainer: More than zero, less than infinity.
celiadexter
Can the Dems kick him out of the party?
Eric U.
every time I’m harassed by homeless people, I blame Reagan. Anyone around in the ’80s remember that all of a sudden there were tons of homeless people because of him. They are a fact of life now, but when I was a kid there were very few places where you would see homeless people. Now they are in every U.S. town and city of any size at all. Granted, they used to be locked up in mental institutions.
FlyingToaster
@Botsplainer: Plenty. How many greed-o-philes go into social work?
Jebediah, RBG
@Eric U.:
One of many things I blame Reagan for.
NobodySpecial
@FlyingToaster: Why are you arguing with the Reagan Democrat?
JWR
@Eric U.: Regular Pacifica Radio listener that I was, I heard constantly about Reagan’s godawful plans and what they would do to our society. And here we are! Who coulda thunk it?
@Jebediah, RBG: See my response immediately above. Reagan: The tragedy that keeps on giving.
Cliff in NH
@Botsplainer:
Satan Luvs You!
Cliff in NH
@Botsplainer:
It’s amazing how all the satan worshipers are republicans.
Yay intolerance! = Hail satan!
JoyfulA
I’ve been an overnight host at a homeless shelter. Something most people don’t know is that about half of my homeless were employed. I’d hand out loaner alarm clocks so residents could get up at, say, 5:30 to get to their jobs. They just don’t make enough money at minimum wage to save up for apartments.
(The social worker did find livable wage jobs for two people, and she filed the paperwork to get an elderly woman her social security.)
Ruckus
@Botsplainer:
Since no one else has, I’ll say it.
You are a fucking asshole.
And yes I owned a business for decades in an industrial area of LA that had homeless people who slept on the street and lived out of shopping carts. I’ve been around homelessness for decades and understand almost always it is not their fault. These are the people who fall through the cracks of society. You should join them for a couple of months. Maybe you could find some humanity. I doubt it but anything is possible.
Arclite
Hawaii is one of the most diverse, ethnic, and tolerant states in the nation. This man is an anomaly, and I am ashamed as a registered Dem. I can’t believe that he’s a Dem. He’s not in my district. My rep is is more typical: Della Au. She’s a Princeton grad, former teacher, Asian American. She’s introduced useful legislation supporting the sick, the elderly, workers rights, sexual assault victim’s rights, breastfeeding rights, sustainability, healthcare rights, voting rights, etc. etc. and yes, even legislation to improve the lives of the homeless. Basically she tries her best to improve the lives of her constituents, ALL of her constituents. She’s a gem, and we’re lucky to have her.
dexwood
This asshole could use the Louisville slugger persuasion to the knees. Might make him consider the attributes of compassion in the future.
BruceFromOhio
No soul present: not a man.
QED
@Arclite: Gaia demands balance. Alas, it works both ways.
Another Holocene Human
@Botsplainer: People with BPD really improve their behavior and emotional control when you harass them and smash all their stuff. Trufax.
Kropadope
@Botsplainer: I would say most. That’s probably why they care enough to want to help.
giantslor
@burnspbesq: He’s probably a Republican who ran as a Democrat. Republicans aren’t very electable in Hawaii.
C.V. Danes
At least gas chambers are still off the table. For now.
slippy
If this guy gets beaten to a pulp by one of his victims, I will not shed a single tear.
slippy
If this guy gets beaten to a pulp by one of his victims, I will not shed a single tear.
fuckwit
@Hunter Gathers: no. projection. cue the revelations about this sick fuck’s drug/hooker/etc habit in 3….2….1…
fuckwit
@jenn: the property he’s destroying actually belongs to the supermarkets. i hope they press charges.
fuckwit
@Botsplainer: i’ll make you an offer, douchenozzle. you can come here, point a loaded gun in my fucking face, and blow my brains out while looking me in the eye. because then you can rid the world of at least one of the vermin like me polluting your precious fucking world. oh, don’t have the stones for that? then fuck you. i’m tired of being casually and antiseptically given a death sentence from a safe distance, by people who refuse to face the real-world follow-on effects of what they are saying..
BruceH
Those shopping carts are typically stolen from grocery stores. When a homeless person finds his shopping cart has been destroyed, he’s not going to just throw out his meager possessions and do without, he’s going to steal another shopping cart. Store owners are going to be outraged.
Paul in KY
@? Martin: He wouldn’t pay them enough money to get an apt. This is Hawaii.
Paul in KY
@Botsplainer: Homeless or not, they are citizens of this country & you don’t treat fellow citizens that way.
slippy
@Eric U.:
I remember asshole Rush Limbaugh trying in the early 1990’s to tell us they weren’t really homeless, or some horseshit like that. In fact, I think it was Limbaugh trying to deny the existence of the homeless that I could drive past every day on my way to school that made me despise him so fucking much. I got interested in his bullshit lies and started researching all the other stuff he’d said, and it didn’t take me long to realize he was a pathological liar and a gigantic asshole.
slippy
@Botsplainer:
Wow, you got all that hate from one lame-ass trolling comment.
Either you are really that big of a fucking failure as a human being, or you are a troll, either way it’s obvious your opinion is not wanted, nor much cared about. Why not try a giant cup of shut the fuck up tomorrow morning?