just me wrote: So, it seems it was about conformity. That certainly fits with being Mormon. Very hard for Mormons to tolerate non-conformity. He'd probably heard a lesson at church about the evils of being a beatnik.
Bingo. That was the issue in 1965 and most of the 60s. There were coaches banning long hair in my area into the early 70s. I don't buy the story the WP is peddling inferring that gayness was the issue. It does not fit in 1965.
DarkHelmet wrote:The point is bullying in general. People are latching onto it as gay bashing, but he is also accused of causing a blind teacher to walk into a door as one of his pranks. When I read the story, I saw a pattern of bullying against people who were different - long haired kid, blind teacher, yelling "Atta girl" at the effiminate kid. He just comes off as one of those douchebags we all knew in school. It certainly doesn't help his image with the voting public, even though I'm sure he has matured over the last 50 years. I just wish he had made a more sincere apology.
Listen, Mitt has nothing against the queers. He has always been accepting and willing to feel bad for them. Likewise, a prank on a blind a.k.a. retarded person is all in good fun. He meant nothing by it. Boys will be boys. It is not his fault these folks are like this. They chose to be this way. I expect an apology.
Rambo wrote:I'm pretty sure he has changed since then. There is a guy in my parents stake that is good friends with Mitt. They were mission companions with each other and have kept in contact ever since. From his perspective he thinks Mitt is a real nice guy.
I knew someone else that was related to him. She had nothing but good things to say about him as well.
Anybody else here know him personally or through friends?
I have a friend connection. Their verdict? "Cold, calculating, arrogant and self righteous."
Really his treatment of his dog says it all.
Well, then there's the utter shame of Bain.
From the Ernest L. Wilkinson Diaries: "ELW dreams he's spattered w/ grease. Hundreds steal his greasy pants."
just me wrote: So, it seems it was about conformity. That certainly fits with being Mormon. Very hard for Mormons to tolerate non-conformity. He'd probably heard a lesson at church about the evils of being a beatnik.
Bingo. That was the issue in 1965 and most of the 60s. There were coaches banning long hair in my area into the early 70s. I don't buy the story the WP is peddling inferring that gayness was the issue. It does not fit in 1965.
right. no homophobia in 1965.
It fits perfectly.
From the Ernest L. Wilkinson Diaries: "ELW dreams he's spattered w/ grease. Hundreds steal his greasy pants."
No, certainly not in his assumption that the whole story is made up, but when he says 60s-era bullies didn't call their effeminate targets "gay" or "fag" as they do today.
It was more along the lines of "sissy," "girl" or "pantywaist." That doesn't mean they weren't tortured regularly, however. We all knew who these boys were -- the ones who would rather spend their time playing dolls and dress-up with the girls than playing baseball. We may not have made the connection that they had a hankerin' for boy flesh (at least I didn't), but we knew they were not like us. And they paid a price for it.
"The DNA of fictional populations appears to be the most susceptible to extinction." - Simon Southerton
Panopticon wrote:I'm not suggesting that Romney should be jailed for attempted murder. I'm simply stating that Romney should not laughingly dismiss this incident from his past, particularly in light of the many recent reports of children killing themselves due to bullying.
I think this would do the trick, for at least some people:
Mitt Romney, taking a PR cue from the greatest man since Jesus, wrote:I was left to all kinds of temptations; and, mingling with all kinds of society, I frequently fell into many foolish errors, and displayed the weakness of youth, and the foibles of human nature; which, I am sorry to say, led me into divers temptations, offensive in the sight of God. In making this confession, no one need suppose me guilty of any great or malignant sins. A disposition to commit such was never in my nature. But I was guilty of levity, and sometimes associated with jovial company, etc., not consistent with that character which ought to be maintained by one who was called of God as I had been. But this will not seem very strange to any one who recollects my youth, and is acquainted with my native cheery temperament.
Blixa wrote: I have a friend connection. Their verdict? "Cold, calculating, arrogant and self righteous."
I don't know. That description fits every single aggressive ladder climber I've ever known. I'm pretty sure it's more the rule than the exception. So while I don't find this all that implausible, it also seems too general - like a psychic cold reading. To wit, is there any major candidate in the primaries where this isn't probably true?
Blixa wrote: I have a friend connection. Their verdict? "Cold, calculating, arrogant and self righteous."
I don't know. That description fits every single aggressive ladder climber I've ever known. I'm pretty sure it's more the rule than the exception. So while I don't find this all that implausible, it also seems too general - like a psychic cold reading. To wit, is there any major candidate in the primaries where this isn't probably true?
eh, I could add some details, but I don't think they would say anything different than what is already known about him. So I kept it general.
From the Ernest L. Wilkinson Diaries: "ELW dreams he's spattered w/ grease. Hundreds steal his greasy pants."
just me wrote: True. It sounds more like a case of effemiphobia.
BartBurk wrote:Long hair was not considered feminine as much as a form of sloppiness. I can imagine this would have been a sign of low class behavior in a preparation school in 1965.
And of course it's okay for preparation school boys to bully the lower class boys, so in the proper light we can see that Mitt's behavior was perfectly acceptable. There we've taken care of that, it will look so much better for Mitt if everyone just understands he was addressing low class behavior.
Last edited by Guest on Fri May 11, 2012 4:28 am, edited 1 time in total.
café crema wrote:And of course it's okay for preparation school boys to bully the lower class boys, so in the proper light we can see that Mitt's behavior was perfectly acceptable.
It's just like A Separate Peace. Except Phineas got a haircut instead of being pushed out a tree.
Whatever appears to be against the Book of Mormon is going to be overturned at some time in the future. So we can be pretty open minded.-charity 3/7/07
MASH quotes I peeked in the back [of the Bible] Frank, the Devil did it. I avoid church religiously. This isn't one of my sermons, I expect you to listen.