Bruce Reyes-Chow - Latest Comments

Re: Why Romney’s High School “Prank” Matters

Katherine Harms — Wed, 16 May 2012 19:30:47 -0000

Well, I guess if high school behavior is at issue, then we need to get Barack Obama out right now. How did he ever get in? He plainly says he spent the last two years of high school in a drug-induced haze. Who knows all the things he did in that condition? His administration almost makes one think that the haze has not really diminished, but he hasn't commented on that. So I leave it at the place where this columnist thinks we should stop. High School. Romney aggressively cut somebody's hair. Obama fried his brain on reefers and beer. Which one is likely to have a lasting bad effect on the practitioner? Which one means that the perpetrator has a bad attitude, an antisocial attitude, an attitude which leads to destructive behavior and an inability to think straight. ?????

Re: Why Romney’s High School “Prank” Matters

fordneri — Wed, 16 May 2012 18:58:44 -0000

Romney would be charged today with a felony hate crime, expelled from school and branded a violent sexual predator since he was obsessed with the sexuality of the man he attacked and the attack was motivated by sex. He is a malignant narcissist campaigning to a party faithful burried under tons of narcissistic shame. He cannot connect with the American voter because he has no empathy with them or respect for the core values of the founders.

Re: Why Romney’s High School “Prank” Matters

Morgan Sheridan — Wed, 16 May 2012 18:55:30 -0000

As a politician he is supposed to say, "Yes, I did do that. I recognize now that what I did was wrong and hurtful to my classmate and I'm sorry I was not able to apologize before he died." That's what a good man does.

Re: Why Romney’s High School “Prank” Matters

Dstewar17 — Wed, 16 May 2012 18:50:31 -0000

Romney was apparently 18 years old (so he was *not* a minor) and, as described, it meets the common law definition of an assault.

Re: Why Romney’s High School “Prank” Matters

Musubiman — Wed, 16 May 2012 17:32:39 -0000

Here's a great example: The mainstream media coming down on Romney for being an elitist for having a fundraiser in Hillsborough at $2500/plate. Talking about how this is in bad form because it reinforces the notion that Romney is only out for the rich people.

And yet, the article says nothing about the $40k/plate fundraiser that Obama put on. It's this type of imbalance and slanted reporting that turns off people.

Should Romney have been part of this group that terrorized this poor student? clearly not. But it absolutely sickens me that this 45 year old incident is singularly pointed out by the left as a reason as why Romney is unfit to be in office.

The economy is THE one and only issue that people are concerned about in this upcoming election. Obama's policies have not only failed but have taken this country a couple of steps backwards.

I don't want 4 more years of the same with Obama...give Romney a chance. Simply put, we cannot afford four more years of Obama and his policies.

Grasping at an event that occurred 45 years ago speaks to the desperation of Obama and his allies that their "golden child" is a great campaigner but a lousy president.

Re: PC(USA) Moderator Candidates’ Wildcard Question

Claire Wirthington — Wed, 16 May 2012 16:15:44 -0000

I note that Robert Austell is the only candidate from North Carolina. That state recently voted to amend its constitution to ban same-sex marriages. As a resident of that state, how did he vote and what is his position?

Re: PC(USA) Moderator Candidates’ Wildcard Question

Jared Warren — Wed, 16 May 2012 14:45:16 -0000

I would ask: "What is your most outlandish dream for the PC(USA)? What would it look like for the PC(USA) to strive for that dream? What would it look like for a moderator of the PC(USA) to strive for that dream?"

Re: PC(USA) Moderator Candidates’ Wildcard Question

Andy Wong — Wed, 16 May 2012 12:27:11 -0000

I would ask the candidates about how they understand evangelism in today's postmodern world and what that means for a congregation, session or individual on the ground.

Re: Gay AND Christian . . . Welcome!

Kimberly — Wed, 16 May 2012 12:08:11 -0000

Bruce, you humble me with your incredibly warm welcome. I am honored to share this space with creative leaders like yourself. Grace and peace my friend.

Re: Why Romney’s High School “Prank” Matters

scottyp — Wed, 16 May 2012 00:15:24 -0000

Mitt Romney has never changed. The Romney's have only become more sadistic. Romney's high school bullying was the training ground for more serious and abusive actions.

Although, Romney may have given a passionate speech, the truth
is his speech is hypocritical – and Romney knows it. Everything from his family responsibility
slant in the speech to “justice for the
persecuted, compassion for the needy and the sick, or mercy for the child
waiting to be born.”

Protest outside Mormon Church Northville Ward in Michigan

http://mittromney2012potus.blo...

video clip above at link

Where is Romney’s compassion? The man who introduced Mitt at
Ford Field was David T. Fischer. Fischer is Mitt’s head Michigan bundler – and the
man’s whose sister-in-law is selling the foreclosed on home of the home the
protester was raised in. The home that
was filled to the brim with tension and abuse and one cover-up after another was
done by the Mormon Community in Michigan, his father, as well as members of the
Romney family. Where is Romney’s Mitt compassion?

The boy grew to manhood seeing corruption in the
courts – all linked to the Romney name, experienced being bullied out of school
– all by Romney friends and cronies.
What about the persecuted Mitt?

What about justice when courts and attorneys are paid off

Re: Why Romney’s High School “Prank” Matters

Musubiman — Tue, 15 May 2012 22:53:42 -0000

If a story of Obama had been pulled up of him bullying someone 40 plus years ago... Do you seriously think the mainstream media would make an issue of it? I guarantee you this would be a non-issue.

Do you remember how the media pulled up the story of GW Bush's drinking and possible drug use the weekend before the election day? The media put the story out on the weekend so the Bush camp could have minimal time to respond and do damage control.

Obama has admitted to drug use and the media is so not interested in making this an issue.

Simply put, this article is a hatchet job on Romney. People who are going to vote for Onama will make a big deal out of this.

And for those of us who recognize this for what it is will be accused of being thoughtless and uncaring. This is no doubt a very sad situation. I was bullied in elementary school... But in the end, it's partisan politics.

And Bruce, while you may not have given Clinton a pass... 99% of democrats, liberals, and feminists did give Clinton a pass on his abhorrent behavior. Politics... All is politics.

So the feigned outrage is nothing new from the left as was their deafening silence when it's "their guy" who makes the mistake.

Re: Clay Gunter – Once Upon a Time . . .

Awc100 — Tue, 15 May 2012 22:14:32 -0000

Brother I could not have said it any better. We have the divine responsibility to affect the people's lives we encounter for the better, and especially to teach our children hope, love, and accountability of their actions.

Re: Why Romney’s High School “Prank” Matters

Jobi Wan Kenobi — Tue, 15 May 2012 18:56:58 -0000

As I recall, Clinton got on national television and denied (lied) his affair. So Clinton didn't claim responsibility either. BTW, the whole boys will be boys thing, it is really group behavior. People do things in groups they would not do individually. Romney's was group behavior. Clinton's was individual behavior, not inspired by the group.

Re: Why Romney’s High School “Prank” Matters

allforfunnplay — Mon, 14 May 2012 20:28:36 -0000

as politician, what's he supposed to do? his best bet is to simply laugh it off and move on. it doesn't do him much good to focus on it and draw more negative attention.

all you can do is judge him on his actions and inactions since the incident. does he still act like a bully? (some of those companies that Bain Capital gutted might want to chime in).

Re: Why Romney’s High School “Prank” Matters

Bruce Reyes-Chow — Mon, 14 May 2012 20:04:18 -0000

Thanks for commenting again. My main point of the post, though, is actually not about the incident itself, but in his actual response to it today. The fact that he has not actually acknowledged his part in it and even laughed it off as a boyish prank is not really an apology. If he had, as many have before, owned up and spoke words of redemption, this post would not have been written.

Re: Why Romney’s High School “Prank” Matters

allforfunnplay — Mon, 14 May 2012 18:46:06 -0000

hmmm...i haven't posted here since Bruce's gay marriage posting last year....

well, i'm not a christian but i'm going to play the christian card here. btw. i'm not a Romney supporter either...but not because of this issue.

as a christian bruce, i assume you believe in redemption, forgiveness and all that other stuff...learning from one's mistakes...etc....

so we all admit to doing things when we were younger that we're not particularly proud of. what is important is that we regret them and/or learn from them.

the question is if Romney still bears any of the traits that led to the overt bullying incident during his high school days? does he regret the incident? did he learn anything from it? we don't have Romney's words. all we have are his actions and inactions. and since we do not know of any other or more recent stories of such bullying we have to assume that Romney matured and learned from his past behavior. either he simply learned bullying is wrong or he learned to deal with issues in a more subtle and socially acceptable way (being a politician, I'm assuming the latter). either way he learned from the incident and will not repeat the same behavior. so the question to you bruce, is can you forgive him and move on?

Re: Why Romney’s High School “Prank” Matters

Frank — Mon, 14 May 2012 17:55:08 -0000

First of all the reports say that Mitt was one who held him down not the one who did the cutting of the hair if they are to be believed.

Second of all it was 45 years ago.

Re: Why Romney’s High School “Prank” Matters

Allie — Mon, 14 May 2012 17:43:54 -0000

If demanding to see Obama's birth certificate is fair game how is this not?

Re: Why Romney’s High School “Prank” Matters

Kent — Mon, 14 May 2012 15:42:45 -0000

In reviewing the article by Bruce Reyes-Chow on "Why Romney's High School Prank Matters", I find it highly offensive that you would ever assume that a person’s character is only based on their High School Days. I wonder how many young people have had their feelings hurt or even been injured in "Goal Posts" being torn down or who were shunned all through school days? Could it be that there is a closet in everyone's life? As we consider the events with Mitt Romney, maybe we should consider those individuals that actually held John Lauber down. Are they the Lawyers, The Prosecutors, the School Principles, and the Dentists you are talking with? If it was so appalling where were they as witnesses to the assailed victim? Did they simply stand by and laugh with the crowd "All in good High School fun"? Who came to the defense of John Lauber? Where were the accusers, of Mitt Romney then? We face in an immature ridiculous effort to slander a man who has grown from childish ways, as we all have to become a man with the highest integrity. Profound in his effort to change a Nation on the brink of Constitutional failure, to giving this nation one last chance to be God Fearing and protecting the freedoms of even the greedy, self-centered and the selfish, "ONLY THINGKING OF ME" syndrome. The country was founded on principles of self-government, not on the dictates of someone who thinks they know what is best for us. Hmmm...that sounds a little like a Stalin-Lennon philosophy.
Does it matter that we have had High School Pranks gone too far? Sure it does! But to hold one man accountable for the act of many is wrong. Is this a nation run by "High Schoolers", who when not getting their way, look to a child for answers. Or do we look to the Man that the trials have made? The man that is compassionate and willing to give his life to the freedoms we enjoy. Maybe we should look to JR High and Grade School for the answers of who is the best candidate to lead the most powerful Nation in the World. I wonder if anyone got their hair pulled or pushed on a play ground?
To all of you who think you are the same person you were in High School as you are now, I feel sorry for you. Certainly you have changed for good or bad but you are not the same. If you are, you are the only one who thinks you are. Give credit where credit is due. Mitt Romney is now the man, not the child. It takes leadership and commitment to accomplish what he has done. The only person you have to fear is yourself and your judgment of High School days. GET A LIFE! VOTE FOR ROMNEY! He won't hold you down. OBAMA WILL!!!

Re: Why Romney’s High School “Prank” Matters

George Love — Mon, 14 May 2012 15:27:55 -0000

It's fair. But it will need to be recognized that whatever vetting process is in place will now include everyone's high school record. It's our most important office so anything that illumines can be helpful. It can't seem random. The press will need to explore everyone's background and let us know if they find anything and what. This could have the effect of dampening further peoples enthusiasm for public office, but what is the alternative.

Re: Why Romney’s High School “Prank” Matters

Fortuna Veritas — Mon, 14 May 2012 15:10:14 -0000

The weirdest thing is how everyone seems to very pointedly ignore that the events as being recalled would count as assault and that Romney could have very easily "accidentally" slipped and gouged out the guy's eyes, cut off his nose, or slit his throat.

Kinda makes me wonder if, in his youthful exuberance, he has some literal skeletons in his closet that his father's aegis and the prep school environment of willful child abuse covered up to the point where too many pigs would fry beyond him for it to actually ever come to light.

Re: Why Romney’s High School “Prank” Matters

Fortuna Veritas — Mon, 14 May 2012 15:03:50 -0000

Bullying seems like even more of an understatement than the more common way of phrasing it as "being an asshole" that I kept running into.

Re: Why Romney’s High School “Prank” Matters

Michael Gizzi — Mon, 14 May 2012 15:01:32 -0000

We all did stupid things in high school, most of us did not do things like that things that truly hurt a human being, and did so just because we could. It is a glimpse into his soul, but I think he has given us plenty of other things to be concerned about in terms of his lack of compassion from recent decades which alone should disqualify him from the office of president. The prank bothers me, but his adult-life choices bother me far more.

Re: Why Romney’s High School “Prank” Matters

Anon — Mon, 14 May 2012 15:00:09 -0000

I was bullied in high school. Bad. It never was physical, but it was emotional and reputation-al. It was all rumor and innuendo based, but it was damaging and hurtful.
Years after I left school, the rumors that were started about me while I was in school were still floating around the school ("I" had become somewhat legend)...to the point that when I picked my younger sister up from school one day, and gave a friend of hers a ride, her friend's eyes got big and they uttered, "Wow! So *you're* ____. You're not at ALL what I expected!" (To this day, I run into people from High School who are amazed that I could possibly be a Pastor. Based on the rumors, I should be a drug-addled, booze soaked, wash-out with a parcel of kids all by different men (if not dead) by now. Seriously)
Bullying is hateful, horrible, and life-long damaging. (My bully was someone I once had thought to be a friend...it now takes me a *very* long time to really trust a friend).
There is no excuse for it, and we need to very much so take a stand against it and teach our kids (and adults) that there is no place for it in our world.

Romney needs to admit that he was wrong, and then reach out to this former classmate and apologize to him. No qualifications, no waffling. He needs to apologize.

Having said that:
While I think that it is important for us to call out bullying of all kinds, work to rid our culture of it, etc...
I believe that this should be put on the same level as Clinton's pot smoking, Obama's friends from high school/college, etc...That is to say, I don't think that something that someone did when they were a teenager should be part of a political conversation. We all did and said stupid things when we were teens, some worse than others, yes, but would we all want to be held *permanently* and *professionally* accountable as adults for the things that we said when we were 16?
Developmentally, the part of our brains that deal with consequence and decision making aren't fully developed then, so it follows that we do and say things at this age that we wouldn't dare think of doing or saying as adults.

I guess, for me, Romney has done and said enough as an adult (and recently) that demonstrate his regard for others, how he views others, how he treats others. Things that demonstrate how he would approach the office of President and the decisions that he would have to make. Things that show how he would or would not listen and respond to certain groups of people in our country to deal with their needs, etc.

I doesn't seem to me that we need to lift up something that he did as a 16 year old to make our point.

Re: Why Romney’s High School “Prank” Matters

Bruce Reyes-Chow — Mon, 14 May 2012 14:51:52 -0000

For the record, I did not give Clinton a pass. And the big difference for me in regards to the length of time that has passed, is the way in which Romney has not actually claimed his involvement in this. So for me it's not even in the action, but in the reaction to being called on it. Claiming responsibility for the specific act would have made this go away, but his laughing it off as childhood pranks is what really rankles folks. Thanks for commenting.