Don't call him crazy

The proper term for Doug Bruce is "mentally ill." To call him "crazy" is insensitive to people who suffer from his condition.

For readers not in Colorado, Doug Bruce is a guy who is hated by the Republicans, and loved by Democrats. He is a Republican, by the way, and Democrats love him because he is who he is.

Today, after demanding a swearing-in that had never been demanded before, Bruce kicked a photographer. Then he demanded an apology from the photographer for taking pictures.

Now, before you go saying, "That guy's crazy" consider this description:

Diagnostic criteria for 301.81 Narcissistic Personality Disorder
(cautionary statement)

A pervasive pattern of grandiosity (in fantasy or behavior), need for admiration, and lack of empathy, beginning by early adulthood and present in a variety of contexts, as indicated by five (or more) of the following:

has a grandiose sense of self-importance (e.g., exaggerates achievements and talents, expects to be recognized as superior without commensurate achievements)

is preoccupied with fantasies of unlimited success, power, brilliance, beauty, or ideal love

believes that he or she is "special" and unique and can only be understood by, or should associate with, other special or high-status people (or institutions)

requires excessive admiration

has a sense of entitlement, i.e., unreasonable expectations of especially favorable treatment or automatic compliance with his or her expectations

is interpersonally exploitative, i.e., takes advantage of others to achieve his or her own ends

lacks empathy: is unwilling to recognize or identify with the feelings and needs of others

is often envious of others or believes that others are envious of him or her

shows arrogant, haughty behaviors or attitudes

That's from the DSM description of a Narcissistic Personality Disorder.

Unfortunately, there's not a lot of good treatment, so we may just be stuck with this sideshow for the next ten years unless the people of Colorado Springs will somehow find a way to muzzle this nut job.

Oops!

Comments

[Charles E. Fromage]

Denver's NPR radio station just reported that Andrew Romanov, Speaker of the COlorado House, announced that a special bi-partisan committee will be formed to look into whether Doug Bruce shoudl be sanctioned for kicking the photog.

Although, Christ Alone Knows how much the Papparrazzi deserve to be kicked. I kind of sympathize with Bruce on this one.

[Charles E. Fromage]

Oh, yeah. For years, some pack of slavering Libertarians have peppered downtown Denver with little slips of typing paper that had a Statue of Liberty and the phrase "Thank you Doug Bruce, True Friend of Liberty" xeroxed on them.

These slips would appear in front of the display copy of WestWord, or Apartment Finder or Computer Shopper, whatever broadsheets and rags that get given away in those "Free - Take One" dispensers that live all over Downtown.

I finally found one that had a PO Box in Colorado Springs from which you could order them. I bet it was Doug Bruce himself that "printed" them and sold them at some enormous markup, to the single Libertarian that actually thought Doug Bruce was a True Friend of Liberty, and to himself, as a tax write off.

[Charles E. Fromage]

As Maxwell Bodenheim once said:

H. L. Mencken suffers from the hallucination that he is H. L.
Mencken -- there is no cure for a disease of that magnitude.

Actually, I expect that somebody (Whistler?) first said that of Oscar Wilde, but what do I know? I'm just an ignernt 'merican.