PUBLISHERS RANT: Cerritos Mayor Pro-Tem Barrows calls resident A**hole

This is a Publishers Rant from Los Cerritos Community Newspaper regarding the current situation involving Cerritos Mayor Pro-Tem Bruce Barrows.

By Brian Hews, Publisher

Embattled Cerritos Mayor Pro Tem Bruce Barrrows.

A**hole! A despicable word when, used towards a person, will likely initiate some kind of negative response.
But that is what Cerritos Mayor pro tem Bruce Barrows said to a resident of Cerritos because Barrows disagreed with him during a conversation after the June 4, 2012 council meeting.
This statement is in the Cerritos Sheriff’s police report. A report that interviewed the Cerritos resident, Barrows and a witness. Actually the witness reported Barrows called the resident a F***** A**hole.
Analyze the statement. What kind of person-who is a public servant no less- would call a resident-an active resident- that in public. With witnesses present?
Even if you are in a disagreement with someone, calling them an A***hole will increase the chances that things are not going to go well after that.
In two witness statements, which includes Barrows, after Barrows called the Cerritos resident an A**hole, the resident said, “at least your wife likes me”.
Which is where the incident went awry.
Barrows admitted in the report that he “lost control” after the wife statement, pushed the resident on the shoulder and then “walked away”.
Yet, the resident and witness both said it went farther than that, with Barrows grabbing the shirt and tie and pushing him against the wall. In the fluff Press Telegram story dated 6/5/12 “Barrows denied allegations by Gray that he had made other physical contact.”
So there is no question that Barrows called the resident an A***hole and assaulted him. The only question is the level of assault.
Can you imagine what would happen if an LA County Supervisor called a resident an A**hole after a meeting?
Can you imagine what would happen if a California Assemblyperson called a resident an A**hole after a meeting?
Can you imagine what would happen if a Congressperson called a resident an A**hole after a meeting? And they did this with witnesses?
Why is it OK that Barrows did it?
Where is the outrage Cerritos?
If Cerritos mayor pro tem Barrows can call a Cerritos resident a A**hole for a simple disagreement and then accost that person, what is next?
We can all just F***** imagine.