What in the world are you talking about? This article does not state anything that would lend credence to your "rant."
Posted on 12/26/2003 7:43:37 AM PST by Chi-townChief
Matthew Baures loves Christmas, but he learned the hard way that there is very little holiday cheer while waiting in line at a Wal-Mart on Christmas Eve.
The 22-year-old Berwyn man was pummeled with a baseball bat and beaten by as many as four people after a dispute over a place in line at a Forest Park Wal-Mart.
"I couldn't believe someone would actually do this on Christmas Eve,'' Baures said Thursday as he nursed a bruised eye and aching tailbone and ribs.
Forest Park police were looking for two to four male suspects in the incident. There had been no arrests by Thursday afternoon, but police "have some good leads,'' Sgt. Mike Keating said.
Baures, an unemployed Web designer, was last-minute shopping with his girlfriend and another friend at the Wal-Mart at 1300 Des Plaines Ave. about 6 p.m. Wednesday. They picked up some toy race cars, Batman figures and other gifts for his girlfriend's children, along with some household goods.
The checkout lines were "the longest I've ever seen at a store,'' Baures said. His girlfriend went to the car while he waited with their friend. There were so many people it was confusing exactly where the ends of the lines were, he said.
They got into one line, and a girl began yelling at them they had cut in front of her. Baures and his friend argued with her, but let the girl go in front of them. The girl proceeded to allow what appeared to be her mother and friends to cut in front as well, but neither Baures nor his friend objected.
At one point the girl began staring at his friend "like she was going to kill her,'' Baures recalled, and they asked the girl's mother to ask the girl to stop. That led to an even bigger argument.
At that point, Baures says, he loudly proclaimed, "It's Christmas Eve. I just want to go home.''
But as Baures and his friend left the store after about a half-hour in the checkout line, they passed the group of women, who were talking on cell phones. Then he realized they were being followed, and the group now included boys and men, including one who was carrying a baseball bat.
"This young kid comes up to me with a baseball bat, saying, 'What did you say to my sister?' '' Baures recalled. "He was holding the bat like he was going to hit me, so I grabbed the bat.''
Another man then punched him in the face, and he fell down. Several men began hitting, punching and kicking him in his face, ribs and back. His friend then jumped on top of him and said, "Please stop hitting.''
Then the men pummeled her.
"All I could think as I lay there on the ground was, 'I cannot believe this is happening on Christmas Eve.' '' Baures said. "It was over nothing. They went straight to violence.''
Although a crowd formed, no one came to their aid, Baures said. But someone did provide police with the license plate number of a light-colored Cadillac in which some of the men fled. Others left in a different car.
Baures said Wal-Mart security did little to either calm the situation in the store or break up the fight in the parking lot. No one answered the store's phone on Thursday.
Forest Park police, who arrived after the fight, said they didn't know how security responded, but said tempers flared in the stress of the holiday rush.
"I'm glad I got my shopping done early,'' Keating said.
Forest Park Mayor Anthony Calderone said, "It's sad that anyone would resort to that type of conduct, especially with the holiday, but any day of the year.''
Baures was treated by Forest Park paramedics and declined to go to the hospital because he has no health insurance. But he said he was in so much pain he slept through most of Christmas Day and decided not to visit his family.
"I feel bad it happened but at least I'm not dead,'' he said. "It didn't dampen my Christmas spirit. The only thing broken on me is my heart.''
Is that what happened here? For all we know, the guy didn't say anything out of the way at all.
Whatever income or race --- they were the types who ride around in Cadillacs --- several men together.
I sort of sympathized with the guy until the end when I read this part --- he sounds like kind of a wimp --- he gets beat up and he's got a broken heart over it?
So you would be overjoyed to spend your Christmas eve and day recovering from being beaten with baseball bats?
Oh palllease. What is with this blame the victim excuse the criminal mentality some have here? I could see if this were a liberal site, but its not.
Sheeesh, friggin pathetic.
I think that's a pretty reasonable suspicion. As soon as they run that plate I suspect either Chicago residence or Maywood or Bellwood. I've lived in integrated areas all my life. I've seen the stick up for your own vigilantism mindset among lower class blacks scores of times.
And unless this guy attacked them first and they were defending themselves then thats what this probably is.
I and two friends of mine were robbed and beaten by a gang of black kids when I was in high school. Since the guys took our wallets (complete with school IDS) The friends I was with didn't even want to report it for fear of retribution. I on the other hand called the cops as soon as I got home because I was mad as hell and wanted to see them caught, it was worth the risk.
Different people react differently. But so what who f*^%ing cares? No matter what the reaction THE ONES WHO ARE WRONG IN THIS ARE NOT THE ONES WHO GOT BEATEN ITS THE ONES WHO DID THE BEATING
Sheesh, you would think that would be obvious.
it was in style when white trash was in, that is, when Clinton was in the White House.
Ahh, playing the race car, eh?
The only thing LIBERAL going on here is your screwy-- excuse-the-criminal, blame-the-victim mindset.
This is one of the ways the Great Wall-Mart keeps its prices down.
They just flat refuse to hire enough checkers and the public be damned.
The rubes want the cheaply priced communist China goods so bad they put up with the long lines.
Its another case of the media hushing up facts they find uncomfortable.
Let us all gasp in amazement. I would have bet my next paycheck it was (insert oppressed minority)-on-white crime. 'Cept I was thinking Mexicans, since I live Nuevo Texas.
It is really, really, really, hard for me to lend any support or sympathy to anyone who wants to outlaw my handgun, who votes to outlaw guns, and who does not want me to carry a handgun.
Lets see: he lives in a place that lets no one carry a handgun, he probably used the n word in a crowd full of minorities and more/worst than that, he doesnt go to the hospital but yet claims he was seriously hurt, he blames Walmart for this happening to him, he is the only one in the country who was attacked by a crowd(and the woman's brother on Christmas because he "did NOT cut into a line"? hmmmmm,
I want all the real facts and both sides of the story first.
What in the world are you talking about? This article does not state anything that would lend credence to your "rant."
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.