Baltimore Bus Beating Being Probed as Hate Crime

Fox News ^ | Saturday, December 08, 2007 | AP

[GAB-1955]

I will not defend these kids’ conduct. However, they are middle-schoolers. I have worked in a middle school in P.G. County (not far from Baltimore and many of the same demographics), so I think my observations are valid.

Middle schoolers have near adult bodies but childlike minds. The real purpose of middle school is to keep the kids from killing each other until they are ready to learn again. They don’t have good impulse control, and they are very susceptible to peer pressure.

Now, add to this a broken family, where there is no adult male in the house to teach them manners. Mom is too tired to discipline or just doesn’t care.

Now, add to this the “queen bee” phenomenon. There’s always one arrogant, presumably pretty girl whose opinions go. If she’s nasty and cruel, her group will be nasty and cruel.

The result is as dangerous as fulminate of mercury.

I do believe there is a place for hate crimes. There have been acts of violence to prevent people from exercising their civil rights because of their race, religion, or national origin. These fit the specific and narrow categories for hate crimes. Hate crimes do not automatically occur when a person of one race assaults a person of another race.

The machinations of demagouges such as Sharpton, Jackson, the La Raza, and others don’t change the legal criteria for charging someone with a hate crime. The law, thank Heaven, is above popular passion, imperfect as it is.

Of course, I’ve already seen this on sites such as the Baltimore Examiner and the Baltimore Sun. People have their narrow prisms of hatred and grab every example as a “See, I told you so!” It happens here, too. Nevertheless, the demagogues should be told firmly to butt out.

I noticed the parents are trying to make this into a racial issue and blame the victim. That’s because they know it’s an easy issue to stir up and they are hoping to pollute the jury pool so their kids will get a mistrial. If these kids had better parents, of course, they would’t have been riding in a pack on a city bus with Queen Bee urging them on to crimes.

I believe the book should be slammed down firmly on their heads. However, they are middle schoolers, and such shouldn’t be tried as adults. Juvie until they are 21 years old suits me.

[chatham]

The time appears to have arrived when all all people with a carry permit do so, and brush up on their marksmanship.

This lunatic in the mall out west could have been brought down with one well placed shot.

[Caramelgal]

So far this year, 270 people have been shot, stabbed, beaten or burned to death on Baltimore’s streets…

17 more dead in ‘criminal city’

Three Plead In Sowers Beating; Fourth To Stand Trial Monday

Guilty pleas have come from three of the four defendants in the beating of Zach Sowers. He's the Baltimore man who remains in a coma, after he was beaten by four teens who were trying to steal his wallet.

Under the plea agreement, announced in open court, the three face sentences of 30-years in prison, but Judge John Themelis told the defendants he'll suspend all but 15 years of that sentence.

More on Zach Sowers (excellent read):

A Short Walk Home....A Long Journey Ahead

Teenage killer sentenced; Girl gets 25-year term for fatal stabbing of light rail passenger

A teenage girl was sentenced yesterday to life in prison with all but 25 years suspended for chasing down and fatally stabbing another girl whose cell phone she tried to steal after they left a light rail train last year in Baltimore.

Lataye S. King, now 17, entered an Alford plea on charges of first-degree murder and second-degree assault in the attack on Nicole "Nikki" Edmonds, who was returning home from work at a fast-food restaurant when she was killed.

Note that Nicole "Nikki" Edmonds, the murder victim in this case was Black as where her attackers.

Baltimore doesn’t have a hate crime problem; it has a serious criminal thug problem and a court system that hands out slaps on the wrists for serious violent crimes including murder.

[TLEIBY308]

I do have a P.A concealed carry permit bu its no good in the surrounding states.

[TheRake]

“God bless America and God bless Argentina”

Do you live there? What can you tell me about Argentina? When my wife and I have enough funds, we’ll be looking for an option.

[Travis McGee]

Jesse and Al are on their way to comfort the Baltimre nine, for the pain of all those broken knuckles they busted on that white racist lady’s head.

[damondonion]

Baltimore has a demokkkrat problem; all the other problems flow from that.

[Theodore R.]

I thought that popular “hate crimes” could apply only to whites against African Americans? I did not know they were reversible in ultraliberal MD.

[Godwin1]

There must be some mistake: the victim is WHITE and the assailants BLACK; the story’s been ignored by the Chicago Tribune; Al Sharpton, Jesse Jackson and the NAACP have been AWOL: there wasn’t a noose in sight. How can it be a hate crime?

[Minipax]

B-more is the home of the "stop snitching" movement.

[Enterprise]

That pretty much encapsulates the mentality, and it's the same song, different day.

Beat the white girl, blame her for starting it.

Beat the white boy, blame him for starting it.

Etc, etc, etc.

[Leftism is Mentally Deranged]

“Hate Crime” Sure. Let’s see how long that lasts before the “civil rights” hucksters start yelling. The words “hate crime” will disappear faster than Jesse Jackson’s limousine.

[sobieski]

My wife teaches in a middle school. There is no need to keep them from killing each other, b/c they know how to behave. Too bad for PG Cty.

[upchuck]

ATTENTION JE$$E AND AL:

I’ll donate an extra $100 to my fav charity if you show up and defend the victims and condemn the perps.

Hmmm.... {crickets}

[trickyricky]

"Baltimore has a demokkkrat problem; all the other problems flow from that."

When I was a kid, Theodore McKeldin (WHITE REPUBLICAN) was mayor of Baltimore.
I should have said "WHITE LIBERAL REPUBLICAN".
Liberal Republicans are every bit as vile as liberal democrats.

Baltimore has a LIBERAL problem.

I feel sorry for anyone stupid enough to remain in Baltimore.
A few years back a yuppie from Columbia, Md. sold his nice house and moved into a renovated
rowhouse near the inner harbor. He loved the "atmosphere" and could ride his bicycle to work.
I think within a month one of Baltimore's finest mugged him.
Shortly after that he got mugged again.

I take it back. I don't feel sorry for anyone stupid enough to live in Baltimore.

[damondonion]

Baltimore is the one place I normally ever go where I’d like to be carrying a pistol with on general principles and I might start doing that legal or no.

[Stentor]

The subway episode was the single most disturbing television episode I have ever seen

[HIDEK6]

Kreager has an unlisted phone number and attempts to reach her Friday were unsuccessful.

What has this got to do with anything. Only the reporterette's boss would be interested in this.

[liberty or death]

I’m with you. I carry always and everywhere.

[TommyDale]

I think the attackers’ parents should be beaten in a public place for trying to sell the idea that their thug children were “provoked” into beating these victims.