November 11th, 2009
On Monday, Marine reservist Jasen Bruce attacked a visiting Greek Orthodox priest with a tire iron after the priest asked him for directions. Bruce originally claimed that he attacked Rev. Alexois Marakis, whose English is poor, because he thought the man was an Islamic terrorist. Now Bruce, who’s also a beefcake model, is changing his story. He’s switching to the gay panic defense, claiming the priest tried to grab his genitals.
How many issues can you count in that paragraph?
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Burr
November 11th, 2009
I was wondering if you’d pick up this story. I thought it was ridiculous enough that he used the terrorist excuse, but then his lawyer uses the gay panic defense. Pathetic little bigot.
Ben in Oakland
November 11th, 2009
he’s way too old for most priests
Timothy Kincaid
November 11th, 2009
Apparently, the “full legality of the law for being sexually attacked” includes bashing someone over the head with a deadly weapon four times. I think that Mr. Bruce has found himself a lawyer as truly stupid as he is.
Because in Florida attacking someone for being perceived as gay is not a hate crime. But this does raise the question, now that we have federal hate crimes law, does that impact this situation?
Emily K
November 11th, 2009
wow. bashing someone over the head with a tire iron several times when they come ask you a question is not ok in any situation. I don’t understand this man’s mind-set at all. I have no idea how asking a question would at all be interpreted as a threatening act.
John
November 11th, 2009
Um…is this fellow like Levi Johnson, naively thinking that women are the ones who read such publications as these photos appear in?
Emily K
November 11th, 2009
@John:
Some women DO read those publications, because women have sex drives too… this isn’t to say it’s exclusively women.. but let’s not pretend all females get their jollies with trashy romance “novels.”
John
November 11th, 2009
Sorry Emily, I left out the word “only”. *sigh*…
Trevor
November 11th, 2009
“How many issues can you count in that paragraph?”
Hmm, racism, bigotry, homophobia, and straight-male idiocy. That’s at least four.
Quo
November 11th, 2009
Jim,
Do you mind if I suggest that the title you’ve chosen for your post was a little, well, frivolous? It doesn’t appear to have anything to do with Freud. If you’re implying that Bruce must be a repressed gay just because he’s a beefcake model, that’s rather mean.
don
November 11th, 2009
Quo, you’re pretty naive when it comes to beefcake
John
November 11th, 2009
I would suggest that his defense blame the whole thing on long term steroid abuse. That, or just make a deal and plead guilty. Either seems a better strategy than his current attempts to get out of this.
Quo
November 11th, 2009
don,
You sound like someone with a desire to believe that all men are really gay or all good looking men are really gay, or that all men willing to pose for a camera are really gay. Guess what: that’s not true in reality.
CB
November 11th, 2009
This Jasen Bruce seems to have some abuse issues. First he suspects the man is a terrorist, then changes his story to something more “acceptable”. He looks big enough that he wouldn’t have needed a tire iron. This boy is a lune, and you know that the far CHRISTIAN right is going to back him, saying the Greek Orthodox Priest was into Greek, and will put the blame on him. No wonder other countries hate us. Enter Maggie Gallagher….
Jose
November 11th, 2009
I think we found ourselves a new boyfriend for Carrie Prejean, after that last one sold her video.
paul j stein
November 12th, 2009
http://www.tampabay.com/news/publicsafety/crime/tampa-tow-truck-driver-also-accused-marine-reservist-of-rampage/1051132
paul j stein
November 12th, 2009
http://www.hcso.tampa.fl.us/pub/default.asp?/Online/qdisp/bn=09061654
Bearchewtoy75
November 12th, 2009
Yeah….
Makes perfect sense for a healthy muscular man to beat some priest with a tire iron!
CLS
November 12th, 2009
The case is even more bizarre, at least Bruce’s excuses for the beating are more bizarre. He also claimed the priest was trying to mug him. So, this multitasking priest was trying to mug, molest and blow up Mr. Bruce at the same time. Obviously not even the police believed him, and they aren’t the first people to serve and protect “gays” so they didn’t think the priest was gay.
The beefcake photos indicate he is not uncomfortable in having men look at him as a sex object, which implies the gay panic is more likely merely a made-up excuse. And his promotion of steroids indicates a possible use by himself of the drugs, one of the side effects of which can be rage.
Richard W. Fitch
November 12th, 2009
One question that has now occurred to me is: What might there have been in the trunk of that car, besides laundry, which Bruce did not want discovered?
Tim
November 12th, 2009
I happen to know Father Marakis. He’s a kind, gentle soul who wouldn’t hurt a fly.
What is up these days? Why is violence so often the reaction of first resort? Regardless of his stupid lawyer’s defense strategy; regardless of the beefcake moron’s perceived reasons; regardless of almost any other fact contained in this story — it’s the fact that this young, strong, muscular young man felt it necessary to strike a man of the cloth (and not a young one, I might add) with a tire iron (!!!) because … what? He felt threatened? Absolutely absurd!
THAT’S the saddest part of this story.
Candace
November 12th, 2009
little
Yeah, I can see that. Literally.
werdna
November 13th, 2009
I’m amazed to find myself in some form of agreement with Quo… I’d love to hear from Jim what exactly the title of this post is supposed to mean. What’s Freud got to do with it?
Burr
March 11th, 2010
Charges dropped.
http://www.tampabay.com/news/charges-dropped-against-marine-reservist-accused-of-attacking-priest-in/1078441
stjean
February 17th, 2011
Since the prosecution has dropped the battery charge, then maybe Alexio Marakis did 1st grab the man’s groin against his will, which caused him to beat up the homosexual with a tire iron. If this is true & had I been on the jury, I would acquit.
It’s expected that you would attack this man’s defense as ‘panic defense’ but the way I see it, the homosexual committed a crime ranging from battery to sex abuse & the man reacted by hitting the homosexual over the head with a tire iron & self-defend.
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