All right, enough is enough.
Imagine, if you will, being a little different; perhaps, even a lot different. Imagine trying every day to fit in but simply not being able to; or, maybe not even wanting to try any more. Imagine expressing yourself through dressing a little differently; wearing things that may not be deemed "normal" by most. Your parents are "OK" with it, but would prefer you shape up.
You decide to grow your hair long; part because you like it, maybe part protest. You even color it. After all, you're almost 18, you're about to be on your own.
The kids at school are the usual asshats they can be, calling you names, queer, fag, homo, referring to you as a girl or a loner or any one of a thousand names people can come up with when they don't understand someone that's different.
You pretty much just man up and take it. Spring break was pretty fun, you feel pretty good about yourself, you're looking good. You decide to go study by yourself when suddenly the door bursts open.
What the ?
Before you even know it, six guys are on top of you screaming and yelling and calling you all of those names again. What are they going to do? You don't suppose they'd... no, they wouldn't do THAT... what's going on, is this a joke?
You scream for help, trying to get away, you struggle, you fight, but there's six of them. They hold you down, they hate you. Why? What did I do? What have I done? Don't do it, don't hurt me...wait, what are those? Scissors? Are they going to stab me? Poke out my eyes? Cut off my balls? Dear God get away!
You scream for someone, anyone, your mom or dad, but they just laugh and hold you, others look on. Why won't they help? Why are they standing there?
Then the leader, he takes the scissors. He begins yelling how you can't run around looking that way. That you're a freak and need to be taught a lesson. He begins cutting your hair!
Yes! Your hair! He's hacking away! You've been growing it for over a year. He's cutting it all and hurting you! He hits your scalp! Ouch! STOP!
Finally, he does, they flee as quickly as they came. You're left, bruised, battered, you're hair cut in clumps and fits, branded a freak.
What is described above, if it indeed took place, would be an assault and may even classify as a hate crime if committed in today's era of zero tolerance. What it's clearly NOT is what most would describe as a high school prank. It's causing fear and terror in another human being for being different. It's behavior that is learned, accepted and usually doesn't change. Particularly if the person that did it did it so much that can't even recall the episode.
Mitt Romney, you are guilty of assault if the accounts are true; not a prank. We'll never hear from the victim, as he died in 2004. But there's been enough said, especially by you.
An apology won't cut it. You, sir, should be no where near the White House.
The Republican Party should prove they have at least a shadow of the principals of its founder, President Lincoln, and in light of these accusations pull their support from candidate Romney and appeal to the delegates to nominate in to the actual nomination the candidate with the second largest votes in the primaries, all of them.
But it won't. Which is why it truly has become something unrecognizable and destructive.
Mitt Romney, if these stories are true, and no one to date is discounting them, and you yourself simply say you can't remember (?), then you committed an assault whether you knew the kid was gay or not. And you try to apologize it away?
You, sir, are a disgrace in my eyes. A bully through and through. You would continue to bully Americans to your will; inflicting your master's beliefs on a country disguised as morality; telling women what they can do with their bodies and their lives, telling tax paying Americans who can and cannot get married... on and on.
You should withdraw. You should feel lucky if criminal charges are not brought against you. You certainly violated that kid's civil rights, and that's a federal offense, if the allegations are true.
Republicans, you should neither nominate nor vote for this man. He has no real remorse and he is allegedly a criminal. A real one.
Grow some. Put your money where your mouth is and if you really disapprove of bullies, say no to Mitt. We don't need another Bully-in-Chief. Eight years of Bush was enough.