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Image & Responsibility
By punch bowl | November 30, 2007
We are what we eat is an old adage that seeks to use food as a vehicle for assessing one’s personality and character.
In this day and age I think it is appropriate that that nature of that adage can be extended to facebook, creating perhaps a more appropriate adage for College Republicans: We are what we facebook.
These statements are made in light of a recent email sent to CR Nation by an anonymous Illinois CR.
Contained within the email was the allegation that Jeremy Rose, Executive Director of the Illinois College Republican Federation, had created an arguably inappropriate and slightly offensive facebook event titled “Drink for Jesus”.
The email further alleged that the group stated within its description the following –
It’s that time of year again folks. Yup, drinking on account of little baby Jesus. So, in honor of our little guy….let’s get wasted!!!…So come one, come all! Lets do this one for Jesus!…No Jewish people were harmed during the making of this message
These allegations were confirmed by CR Nation by simply looking up the facebook event.
In all fairness, CR Nation sought comments from Mr. Rose and Mr. Binning, the Chair of the IL College Republicans. Both graciously compiled.
Mr Binning, in an email, stated –
I understand that there was some concern about the “Drinking for Jesus” party, a non ICRF-event that was associated with my Executive Director, I apologize for this on Jeremy’s behalf for offending anyone who may have been inadvertently offended. That being said, it is important that we come together as one team and put aside our differences, so that we can accomplish our goals over the next 12 months.
Contacting Mr. Rose himself, CR Nation obtained this comment –
Recently is has come to some people’s attention that I signed on to be a host of a Christmas party with the title “drinking for Jesus.” I’d like to apologize if this has offended anyone. It was caviler and irresponsible of me.
I apologize for the distraction this has cause the Illinois College Republican Federation. We have serious issues to attend to and I suspect this came to light due to another individual’s personal grudge. That however doesn’t excuse my behavior. What we at the ICRF have to do is important work and we can all go without distractions like this.
I hope this will just be a bump in the road on the way to the ICRF achieving its goals this year and I look forward to continuing assisting the ICRF in its endeavors.
The initial email claimed that the actions of Rose and Binning constituted “more of the same” and indicated that Mr. Binning and Mr. Rose were not living up to previously made promises to implement “change”.
While I agree that the creation of the event was highly inappropriate, and agree that such an event reflected poorly on Mr. Rose, Mr. Binning, and the Illinois Federation of College Republicans, I disagree that such constituted “more of the same”
When someone makes a promise to make an organization better, they are not promising that they will never make a mistake.
With this in mind, I don’t believe that the creation of the event, in and of itself, constituted more of the same, despite being improper.
What would have constituted more of the same would have been the creation of the event in addition to shady or dishonest tactics instituted in order to cover up or otherwise avoid political fallout from the creation of the event.
Since Mr. Binning nor Mr. Rose sought to implement any type of “shady tactic” to circumvent accountability for the creation of the event, I don’t see how a claim that Mr. Binning and Mr. Rose constitute “more of the same” can be taken seriously.
My opinion, of course, might change if things like this become a regular occurence within the leadership of the Illinois College Republicans.
Topics: CR gossip |
December 1st, 2007 at 12:46 am
I think Mr. Rose was disingenuous when he said that “I suspect this came to light due to another individual’s personal grudge”. This comment has nothing to due with the facts (I’m sure that there were some grudge holders that vocalized impeaching him, but that’s of no consequence neither here or there). It’s also regressive in what Mr. Chairman Binning states, “it is important that we come together as one team and put aside our differences”. Mr. Rose should’ve taken his boss’s advice and put the fact that some might have differences with him aside.
December 1st, 2007 at 3:41 am
In my opinion, this is ridiculous and should be a non-issue.
December 1st, 2007 at 11:19 am
To put it a bit more succintly than Punch Bowl, what the essence of this post tries to capture is
1) watch what you put on Facebook - people are watching; and 2) messing up isn’t disallowed, but covering up the mess up with lies is.
And Mr. Murphy, both of these are very much issues within CRs.
December 1st, 2007 at 2:02 pm
This doesn’t appear to be a CR-sponsored event. So, why is this even posted here? Some people really must have lots of time on their hands to make an issue out of nothing.
December 1st, 2007 at 2:52 pm
I knew the opinion being stated originally, there’s no need to restate your opinion.
This entire thing comes down to opinion. You think that what Mr. Rose did was wrong, and I do not. If the guy wants to get drunk in the name of Jesus, I don’t see any reason to shut him down.
Most of us will be attending Christmas parties this December, and depending on the situation, you’re most likely going to have a few drinks. If it’s a kegger, you’ll have plenty.
Since Christmas is the celebration of Jesus’ birth, wouldn’t that be drinking to Jesus?
Mr. Rose was just being straight-forward and up-front in the title, for that I can’t blame him, and I don’t think anyone else should either.
December 1st, 2007 at 4:09 pm
When an organization is actively seeking donors and their potential donor base is greatly made up of Christian conservatives, it doesn’t look good for the organization whose Executive Director is creating events like this on facebook.
It’s one thing to just have the title be, Drinking for Jesus, but when you include all this junk, it takes it a little further. The ICRF is lucky that someone could use this against them didn’t get ahold of this before all the explanations came about.
If anything it was these parts of the description that took it to far:
It’s that time of year again folks. Yup, drinking on account of little baby Jesus. So, in honor of our little guy….let’s get wasted!!!…So come one, come all! Lets do this one for Jesus!…No Jewish people were harmed during the making of this message
December 2nd, 2007 at 12:13 am
From a donor aspect, I don’t think this makes a difference. I sincerely doubt that potential donors would know, or even care, about the non-ICRF parties that an Executive Director is throwing and promoting via facebook.
Personally, if they’re not going to sign a check over something so insignificant, I wouldn’t want their money in the first place.
For someone familiar with the politics in the state, I can’t believe this is anything more than an attempt to lodge attacks against the characters of Mr. Rose and Mr. Binning. And, like I’ve said before, I don’t believe that Mr. Rose did anything wrong, so it’s a dumb attempt at best.
Perhaps my views on drinking are just more open than most CRs. This, however, would be a gaping hypocrisy considering how much, and how often, CRs imbibe alcohol at their functions. I don’t see anything wrong with drinking when you’re over the age of 21, I don’t think it’s anything to be ashamed of, and being honest about why you’re drinking (for baby jesus) is much funnier than it is a serious religious affront.