Long Beach, California--I'm pleased with the convictions of the nine defendants, with eight getting the "enhanced" charges for hate crimes. When you attack people unprovoked, hurling such racial-epithets as: "white bitches," "we hate white people," "I hate f*cking white people," and more, you're targeting someone because they are different. Regardless of their color, they are being treated as they should be--as profoundly disturbed criminals who should be jailed until they can prove they're normal:
All 10 minors, nine girls and one boy ages 12 to 18, were charged with felony assault for the beating, which took place around 9 p.m. in the 3800 block of Linden Avenue, an affluent section of Bixby Knolls popular with trick-or-treaters for its lavish displays. A hate crime enhancement was added to eight minors' charges, stemming from victim and witness statements that several youths within a crowd of 20 to 40 people yelled racial slurs as the victims were pelted with newspapers, fruit and pumpkins, then beat to the ground with fists, feet, a skateboard and tree branches. (Free Republic, 01.26.2007)It took the L.A. Times over a month to publish the epithets in-full, particularly the "white bitches" comment. There's no excuse for their behavior, yet the mainstream media has shown a strange reluctance early-on in the story to classify the vicious attacks as "hate crimes," yet that's exactly what they were.
While the Black communities in California seem divided on the event, prominent Black leaders in southern California have called them that with some minor-exceptions. So what gives? These defendants are not "victims" in the incident, and there is even evidence that a few of them are in gangs and have possibly been protected by others through witness intimidation (of another Black teen whose car was totaled in the alleged incident--they declined to testify afterward).
Where's Jesse Jackson? Where's Al Sharpton, CORE, the NAACP, or the SCLC? Nowhere. Jesse Jackson ancient comments that "Black people cannot be racist" has never been taken-seriously, or his "hymietown" statements, but why the silence?
In fairness to Jesse Jackson, he's been ill since last week and had to cancel a visit to Ohio. But how would he and other Black "leaders" classify this incident? Their silence speaks volumes. We had an explosion of moralism over a comedian using the word "nigger" recently, and other comments directed at two Black hecklers in a club, but the sound of crickets over this story of a Black-on-White hate crime. The hypocrisy is obvious and pathetic. There is the possibility that because this crime plays-into Black racism, speaking-out against it by these leaders would be viewed as a betrayal--they don't see any material gain in condemning it. But this is just one incident of Black-on-White crime that got little notice or comment.
During the morning-hours of June 16th, 2002, a Black man whose wife had died and had recently learned he had contracted HIV (and a colorful criminal record stretching-back to 1985), shot three white people, and even terrorized a Japanese-American:
The gunman was identified as Steven Johnson, 34, a black man who has AIDS and who, the police said, told investigators he was bent on killing as many white people as he could. ...As this was happening, witnesses say Johnson was quoted ranting about white people and vowed revenge for thousands of years of suffering [?!]," Commissioner Kelly said. "He also mentioned that this was, quote, `fun,' and that a real man chooses when he dies. (NYT, 06.17.2002)Read the article--nobody, and I mean nobody, wanted to assign the event the moniker of a "hate crime", and that's wrong. If a group of young White men had done this, it would have rocketed around the globe overnight in the world press. As a matter of fact, this was the case with Tawana Brawley, an ambulance Al Sharpton once chased over a cliff. Is it that this kind of story just doesn't sell? It's possible, but there is a definite reluctance here for fear of being labeled "racist." This writer has no-such fears in this area, and insists on a reasoned approach rather than a double-standard.
Perhaps the problem in the neighborhoods of Long Beach is one of poor role-models and poor models of manhood; but how often does anyone ask about environmental questions when Whites attack Blacks? We should, while still recognizing that there is no excuse based on the facts of the crime.
I grant the history of slavery has caused incredible damage to Black Americans, it is undeniable--but what does that have to do with the facts surrounding this case in Long Beach? Either you believe in justice, or you don't. It's like being pregnant. There are no half-way measures here when an unprovoked violent crime has occurred. I will also grant there have been stories that there might have (a big "might") been irregularities in the early identification of the suspects. That's what appeals are for, and not every single suspect was convicted on the hate crimes charges. On the other hand, the judge in the case barred significant DNA evidence of blood on one of the defendant's jeans from a victim. (LA Times, 12.14.2006) The excuse? "Too time-consuming." Jesus.
Justice Department statistics now state that Black-on-White hate crimes make up 20% of the 10,000 reported each year. This is an emergent phenomena, and a troubling one. Another troubling trend is the increase of Latino-on-Black crimes that are predominantly gang-related, something that has even had coverage right here in Michiana.
Standing-up for the guilty to serve an agenda--even a good one--only feeds the Right the ammunition they want. Because of the Left's tendency towards mythology, rationalization, and delusion (just like the Right's in many-respects), they're getting that ammunition. The most-pressing problem is Latino-on-Black (and vice-versa) hate crime, which increased in Long Beach in 2005 according to the LA Human Relations Commission that was founded in-the-wake of the 1965 Watts riots:
"This month, the authorities reported that crimes in the city motivated by racial, religious or sexual-orientation discrimination had increased 34 percent in 2005 over the previous year [Ed.--No final stats for 2006]." (IHT, 01.17.2007)
We are a silly species, and hell is other people.
Free Republic:
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1774400/posts
NYT, June 17th, 2002:
http://www.angelfire.com/pa/sergeman/issues/shootsthree.html
Earl Ofari Hutchinson at Alternet:
http://www.alternet.org/stories/45807/
LA Times on Barred Evidence in the Long Beach Trial:
http://www.topix.net/content/trb/0044260246419346595823647812750701184887
LA Human Relations Commission Report on Hate Crimes in 2005:
http://lahumanrelations.org/publications/docs/2005HCR.pdf
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1774400/posts
NYT, June 17th, 2002:
http://www.angelfire.com/pa/sergeman/issues/shootsthree.html
Earl Ofari Hutchinson at Alternet:
http://www.alternet.org/stories/45807/
LA Times on Barred Evidence in the Long Beach Trial:
http://www.topix.net/content/trb/0044260246419346595823647812750701184887
LA Human Relations Commission Report on Hate Crimes in 2005:
http://lahumanrelations.org/publications/docs/2005HCR.pdf
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