Mitt Romney’s campaign calls gay teen bullying report ‘exaggerated’

[Suudy]

That’s simply not true. The student was basically acting feminine, and since he was already presumed gay, Romney led a gang to assault him and humiliate him. Romney was known for taunting gays.

Oh? Two incidents were mentioned (the cutting of hair and the “Atta girl” comment). Only the hair cutting was corroborated by anyone, and there is zero evidence it was motivated by the homosexuality (real or perceived) of Mr Lauber. There is no corroboration of the “Atta girl” comment, and given that Gary Hummel was a “closeted gay student at the time,” how could Mr Romney know?

Any word on if Romney has apologized yet?

He did apologize for pranks. It’s mentioned in the article.

Again, you might want to read the article

You might take your own advice. From the article (emphasis mine):
Romney is now the presumed Republican presidential nominee. In a radio interview Thursday morning, Romney said he didn’t remember the incident but apologized for pranks he helped orchestrate that he said “might have gone too far.”

 

[ringil]

If Romney has any real integrity, he will apologize to the family of the gay student for leading a gang to assault and humiliate him. And he will use the controversy to open up a new dialogue about bullying in general and bullying of gays specifically.

Come on Jerry,

I lean left myself- on political matters but not related to the Faith- but invoking this kind of situation is just silly and detracts from real conversations related to Romney and his shortcomings as a candidate.

It debases the seriousness of meaningful discourse.

The Right has done this type of thing with Obama so let’s not go down this road.

Just my 2 cents.

 

[rlg94086]

So, I guess this means that Mitt and Barack were both demon seed. Since that is established, maybe the nation can focus on some of the other, more pressing issues.

Probably not,

John

I hope we can discuss the economy and future of the country at some point. I won’t hold my breath.

 

[Birdpreacher]

What’s the source for “Romney was known for taunting gays”?
Any word on if the left has apologized yet to Romney for improvising a teenage hazing into an allegation of a present character fault?

Wonder how many detective firms the DNC has hired in order to dig out every story it possibly can about Romney’s life, well and about his wife’s and childrens’ lives too. Wonder how many writers it has hired to fabricate some or all of it.

Wait and see what happens. The Dems will keep doing this (in between pedophile priest and charging bishops with crimes stories) more and more, departing more and more from anything factual. And know what? I’ll bet Romney doesn’t reciprocate.

HAzing is when somebody wants to enter a social circle. Example: Fraternity with pledges highschool sports team with freshmen/new guys. This was an incident were the victim just wanted to be left alone with his long hair, Romney wasn’t having that for some reason and jumped him.

Dosnt sound fabricated as 5 former students have come forth with details. Furthermore, Romney suddenly remembered the incident this afternoon and has apologized for it. Of course, he made sure that there was no way the incident was motivated by sexual orientation.

 

[oldcelt]

I hope we can discuss the economy and future of the country at some point. I won’t hold my breath.

Nor will I, but hope springs eternal,or so they say.

John

 

[Suudy]

Dosnt sound fabricated as 5 former students have come forth with details. Furthermore, Romney suddenly remembered the incident this afternoon and has apologized for it. Of course, he made sure that there was no way the incident was motivated by sexual orientation.

What do you mean “made sure”? Do you presume to know Mr Romney’s mind? There is no evidence it was “motivated by sexual orientation.” So why presume he is guilty and imply that he is somehow covering this up?

 

[Havard]

So you mean you aren’t bothering to read the article? It might help, if you want to make informed comments. When you read it, you will learn that Romney’s victim was basically acting feminine, and since he was already presumed gay, Romney led a gang to assault him and humiliate him. Romney was known for taunting gays.

The Post article doesn’t even source the “perpetually teased for his nonconformity and presumed homosexuality” comment to anyone, yet you take it as fact?

 

[SwizzleStick]

HAzing is when somebody wants to enter a social circle. Example: Fraternity with pledges highschool sports team with freshmen/new guys. This was an incident were the victim just wanted to be left alone with his long hair, Romney wasn’t having that for some reason and jumped him.

Dosnt sound fabricated as 5 former students have come forth with details. Furthermore, Romney suddenly remembered the incident this afternoon and has apologized for it. Of course, he made sure that there was no way the incident was motivated by sexual orientation.

Sigh. Do you really want to compare high school activities of the candidates? Really?

"While the Washington Post has been diligently digging into relatively innocent high school pranks by Mitt Romney, they’ve spent the last few years diligently ignoring President Obama’s far more controversial high school days.

Obama, by all accounts, was a habitual drug user in high school. He tried cocaine, he admits in Dreams From My Father; he “tried drugs enthusiastically.” The Chicago Tribune reported back in 2007 that Obama thanked the “Choom Gang” in his high school yearbook; “chooming” was Hawaiian slang for smoking pot. The Honolulu Advertiser reported that Obama’s senior portrait “prominently displayed … A package of ‘Zig-Zag’ rolling papers and a matchbook.” One of Obama’s close friends was arrested for drug possession during high school."…

Blue excerpt from: breitbart.com/Big-Journalism/2012/05/10/Obama-High-School-Drugs

 

[Birdpreacher]

The Post article doesn’t even source the “perpetually teased for his nonconformity and presumed homosexuality” comment to anyone, yet you take it as fact?

LOL Well they did talk to 5 students. But you are correct, sue them for libel.

 

[Jerry_Miah]

The Post article doesn’t even source the “perpetually teased for his nonconformity and presumed homosexuality” comment to anyone, yet you take it as fact?

Please reread:

In an English class, Gary Hummel, who was a closeted gay student at the time, recalled that his efforts to speak out in class were punctuated with Romney shouting, “Atta girl!”

So Romney taunted presumed gay students as well as leading a gang to assault and humiliate at least one of them.

I give credit to Romney for his partial apology, and for his awakening memory of the incidents. But he really needs to address how his past as a bully might affect his current policies against gay rights.

 

[tarboy]

It is petty when we should be focused on the men they have become
Also, 40+ years ago society taught boys it was not acceptable for a man to be feminine.

Sigh. Do you really want to compare high school activities of the candidates? Really?

"While the Washington Post has been diligently digging into relatively innocent high school pranks by Mitt Romney, they’ve spent the last few years diligently ignoring President Obama’s far more controversial high school days.

Obama, by all accounts, was a habitual drug user in high school. He tried cocaine, he admits in Dreams From My Father; he “tried drugs enthusiastically.” The Chicago Tribune reported back in 2007 that Obama thanked the “Choom Gang” in his high school yearbook; “chooming” was Hawaiian slang for smoking pot. The Honolulu Advertiser reported that Obama’s senior portrait “prominently displayed … A package of ‘Zig-Zag’ rolling papers and a matchbook.” One of Obama’s close friends was arrested for drug possession during high school."…

Blue excerpt from: breitbart.com/Big-Journalism/2012/05/10/Obama-High-School-Drugs

 

[Birdpreacher]

Sigh. Do you really want to compare high school activities of the candidates? Really?

"While the Washington Post has been diligently digging into relatively innocent high school pranks by Mitt Romney, they’ve spent the last few years diligently ignoring President Obama’s far more controversial high school days.

Obama, by all accounts, was a habitual drug user in high school. He tried cocaine, he admits in Dreams From My Father; he “tried drugs enthusiastically.” The Chicago Tribune reported back in 2007 that Obama thanked the “Choom Gang” in his high school yearbook; “chooming” was Hawaiian slang for smoking pot. The Honolulu Advertiser reported that Obama’s senior portrait “prominently displayed … A package of ‘Zig-Zag’ rolling papers and a matchbook.” One of Obama’s close friends was arrested for drug possession during high school."…

Blue excerpt from: breitbart.com/Big-Journalism/2012/05/10/Obama-High-School-Drugs

I didn’t, and I fail to grasp how this makes Romney’s assault anymore acceptable. I agree with you that drugs are bad and Obama exercised poor moral judgment in his past. Heck, he wrote a book about it. On the other hand Romney dosent “remember” attacking a sobbing kid.

 

[Birdpreacher]

It is petty when we should be focused on the men they have become
Also, 40+ years ago society taught boys it was not acceptable for a man to be feminine.

1000s of years ago men were taught not to attack the weak and vulnerable.

 

[SwizzleStick]

It is petty when we should be focused on the men they have become
Also, 40+ years ago society taught boys it was not acceptable for a man to be feminine.

I was just thinking along those lines. I would guess that 47 years ago nearly 100% of the population would have taken issue with a man who acted in a feminine manner and Romney would not have been remarkable at all in that reaction if that was the case.

 

[SwizzleStick]

I didn’t, and I fail to grasp how this makes Romney’s assault anymore acceptable. I agree with you that drugs are bad and Obama exercised poor moral judgment in his past. Heck, he wrote a book about it. On the other hand Romney dosent “remember” attacking a sobbing kid.

The point is that high school kids sometimes make poor choices and do things they shouldn’t. If Obama’s criminal drug use in high school can be overlooked, and it has, why are we looking at Romney’s incidents? Do they matter today? Or, do incidents only matter if one is a Republican?

 

[Jerry_Miah]

I was just thinking along those lines. I would guess that 47 years ago nearly 100% of the population would have had acceptance issues with a man who acted in a feminine manner. I wouldn’t think Romney was remarkable at all in that reaction.

100% of the population didn’t lead a gang to assault and humiliate gay peers, though. Bullies, people with issues, and those who feel entitled and superior did that kind of thing and still do. Romney was very remarkable in taking that action.

 

[_Abyssinia]

Please reread:

So Romney taunted presumed gay students as well as leading a gang to assault and humiliate at least one of them.

I give credit to Romney for his partial apology, and for his awakening memory of the incidents. But he really needs to address how his past as a bully might affect his current policies against gay rights.

Nowhere in the Washington post article are they described as a ‘gang’ or an ‘assault.’

Saying ‘atta girl’ does not necessarily note they were mocking student because he was homosexual. High school boys say similar like that all the time in a pranky way and it has nothing to do with sexuality.

 

[_Abyssinia]

I didn’t, and I fail to grasp how this makes Romney’s assault anymore acceptable. I agree with you that drugs are bad and Obama exercised poor moral judgment in his past. Heck, he wrote a book about it. On the other hand Romney dosent “remember” attacking a sobbing kid.

It was a prank, not an attack.

 

[SwizzleStick]

100% of the population didn’t lead a gang to assault and humiliate gay peers, though. Bullies, people with issues, and those who feel entitled and superior did that kind of thing and still do. Romney was very remarkable in taking that action.

Again, I think you are getting yourself into quite a lather over the incident.

 

[_Abyssinia]

He was perpetually called a homo by classmates due to his appearance and demeanor. Surely you agree that one need not out himself to be deemed “unmanly” in the eyes of his peers.

Aggressive pranks are hazing a kid who wants to join a football team, not a group attacking a social misfit who is all by himself

Where does it say John Lauber was ‘perpetually called a homo by classmates?’ And if he was, where does it say Mitt Romney called him that?