Romney - it's a matter of character

I've been reading this morning about Romney's alleged attack on a classmate in school -- holding him down with his friends -- and cutting off his hair


and yes


I call it alleged.


because the family denies it - and a bit of the story was misreported


but it's interesting to me that Romney simply "doesn't recall it"


I recall small slights that I did at that age
I have things I deeply regret


things we said or did
that haunt us


and should haunt us


this is an age when we often do things impulsively
but as our character matures
most of us look back
and cringe


If the report were completely false
completely out of character


I would have denied it


so I ask myself
is such a thing so completely out of character for this man?


he is a practical joker
there are several stories about that
and when I think about practical jokes


they are always
always
mean spirited


I'm not talking about people who mutually engage in a prank war
I remember my ex husband and his brother conducted a several year long confetti war
that culminated in the filling of his brother's car air conditioner with confetti that covered him in a cloud on day one
and would occasionally send a stray flake out years later


but pranks
meant to embarrass
humiliate
humble the victim


now
let's consider that at the time
this was acceptable behavior


let's face it


until not so very long
this was all put aside as "boys will be boys"


and boys can be terrible things


but lest we put this down
to being a prep school joke


and I wish that I thought this was out of character
but the man who puts his dog on the roof
the man who pulls pranks on a visually impaired teacher?
the man who "doesn't recall" if he held a boy down and cut his hair or not?


seems like a sociopath.


sociopath  [( soh -see-uh-path, soh -shee-uh-path)] 

Someone whose social behavior is extremely abnormal.Sociopaths are interested only in their personal needs and desires, without concern for the effects of their behavior on others. 

and I imagine that being a sociopath IS a great ingredient to being successful in business -- in LIFE....because it's all about getting what you want

does he get to be my president?

I would far prefer a man who remembers such a horrible thing

views it with modern eyes

and regrets it

learned from it

changed from it

than someone for whom it was just a Tuesday.