That's what a deputy prime minister suggests in the wake of the senseless shooting death of Christopher Lane, a young Australian man attending college and playing baseball in Duncan, Oklahoma.
http://usnews.nbcnews.com/_news/2013/08/21/20116078-hes-turning-blue-911-caller-describes-moments-after-oklahoma-ballplayer-shooting?lite
Sadly, I cannot disagree with the Australian deputy prime minister. Our country is a dangerous place. What must the Australian people be thinking about our society in the wake of this horrific act that is all too common?
In addition, our racial wounds have been re-opened again so soon after the George Zimmerman-Trayvon Martin trial.The accused killers are African-American, and they have reportedly told police they did it because they were bored.
Bored.
Of course, the obvious question is "Where is Al Sharpton?" Answer? Nowhere around. Jesse Jackson, for his part, has issued this staement, "This senseless act of violence is frowned upon. Justice must prevail."
Frowned upon.
However, media commentators like Geraldo Rivera are quick to tell us that there is as yet no racial component to the motive.
Really?
http://dailycaller.com/2013/08/21/black-teen-who-murdered-australian-jogger-posted-racist-tweets/
I assure you that if three white punks had shot down a black jogger because they were bored and nothing else, the racial motive would have been assumed and the marches would be underway. In this instance, we already have a clue as to motive.
Meanwhile, we are treated to the spectacle of Lee Daniels, an African-American film maker telling the ever-receptive Piers Morgan that since the election and re-election of Barack Obama, America has become a more racist country. He only has it half-right. Under Obama and his attorney general, Eric Holder, racial tensions have increased. What Daniels doesn't get is that a lot of people are opposed to Obama's policies, which have been disasterous. Resultant criticism is, of course, blamed on racism. It isn't accurate, and it isn't fair.
But back to the issue at hand. Do you think that Holder might direct his lawyers and investigators to look into the Oklahoma case to determine if a hate crime was committed?
Just asking.
Update: (Hat tip The Blaze)
Apparently, the news has yet to reach the White House according to deputy WH spokesman Josh Earnest.
http://www.theblaze.com/stories/2013/08/21/white-house-spokesman-says-he-is-not-familiar-with-australian-student-murdered-by-teens-in-okla/
I thought one thing we agreed on was that "hate crimes" is a foolish provision to put into the law.
ReplyDeleteWas any murder committed without hate? Some homicides may be committed without hate, even in sorrow, the kind usually classified as justified, but murder requires malice aforethought as an essential element.
On the other hand, if they were just bored, does that qualify as hatred?
The essential element in measuring whether anything about this case shows "American racism" is, were the perps arrested, did they receive a fair trial, and was their race used (and was it successfully used) to excuse their crime?
If the answer to the first two questions is yes, and the answer to the second two is no, then race is not an issue.
Merely pointing out the double standard. If this doesn't qualify for federal prosecution, then hate crimes laws don't work because they are not applied evenly.
ReplyDeleteWhen the victim was black and killed by a "white" Hispanic the assumption was that the black victim was innocent and just going home and after buying some Skittles and a drink. Further, that the "white" Hispanic stalked him and killed him purposely.
ReplyDeleteAs a matter of fact (not let into the trial) Martin was on LEAN and bought two of the three ingredients for it that night. LEAN makes you hostile and aggressive which was one of the reasons he was suspended from school at the time. Copies of posting he made about LEAN were also discovered. Another reason was that he had stolen women's jewelry in his locker and a breaking and entry tool. He was anything but on an innocent jaunt home, or rather to his father's girlfriend's place, that night.
In this case there is no question the white victim was innocent. He was shot in the back. The 3 black kids were also stupid enough to post online messages that "90% of of white ppl are nasty. #HATE THEM.”
"On July 15, days after the George Zimmerman verdict, Edwards tweeted “Ayeee I knocced out 5 woods since Zimmerman court!:) lol shit ima keep sleepin shit! #ayeeee.”
“Woods” is a derogatory term for white people.
So if there ever was a case generated by racial hatred it is this one. But the Obama administration doesn't want any black defendants. That's why the New Black Panther voting intimidation case was dropped.
The Democratic Party has ruined the black community. It is now over 3 generations of negative incentives given in exchange for votes. It amazes me that black people don't universally recognize what has been done to them by the liberals.
This particular case is a casebook example of what happens when you do what feels good and fail to consider the consequences.
Hate crime laws don't work.
ReplyDeleteLet's keep it simple. The standard is so subjective that God Almighty couldn't apply them evenly. (Yes, its true, I'm glad I live in a country where self-appointed gunmen can't take me out in the street and shoot me for taking the Lord's name in vain).
Miggie, do we REALLY want to start the Zimmerman debate all over again? Zimmerman acted with criminal recklessness whether race was or was not a contributing factor -- it probably was, but certainly not the sole motive. The legitimate concern as to racial disparity was in the way the police initially handled the case. The video of Zimmerman showing the cops next day what he did, where and when, made a very convincing case to me that he WAS stalking Martin.
You may have a point about black life and liberals, but black voters keep supporting Democrats due to the fact that Republicans are not offering something more wholesome, merely more hostile.
Siarlys,
ReplyDelete"Zimmerman acted with criminal recklessness whether race was or was not a contributing factor -- it probably was, but certainly not the sole motive. The legitimate concern as to racial disparity was in the way the police initially handled the case. The video of Zimmerman showing the cops next day what he did, where and when, made a very convincing case to me that he WAS stalking Martin."
Bet you can't wait for the trial to start so the facts can come out, right?
The trial is over Gary. (Duh-uh). You weren't on the jury, and neither was I. That doesn't stop either of us from talking about what happened, does it?
ReplyDeleteHave you accepted that O.J. is innocent?
By the way, has the news reached you that the three men under rest for murdering the Australian was an inter-racial hit squad? One white, two black. No less hateful, in my estimation. Perhaps even easier to try. I guess white folks get bored too.
With regard to Zimmerman, I guess I just don't get what is reckless about legally defending yourself.
ReplyDeleteAs to the main topic, this was essentially an equal opportunity shooting, since the bad guys are a black, an apparent mixed-race (almost certainly black father/Hispanic mother), and what seems to be a white dude.
Probably the involvement of the white boy provides an excuse to take it out of the "hate crime" category, but Gary is right when he asks where the Feds are on this one.
elwood, where is your sense of federalism and state's rights? Haven't you studied the Constitution of the United States of America? We have a federal government of limited, delegated powers. The feds have NO general criminal police powers, as the Rehnquist court rightly affirmed in the Lopez decision.
ReplyDeleteIf its not a "civil rights issue," if its merely a bunch of thugs committing murder, are you in some doubt that the State of Oklahoma is capable of trying three punks for murder? Are you worried that the state is run by bleeding heart liberals, or that the DA's are so crazed by xenophobia that they won't prosecute three American boys for killing a furriner from Australia?
I ask again, what killing done with malice is NOT a hate crime? And since Oklahoma is a death penalty state, and not above actually imposing such a sentence, how long do you want these guys hanging out in federal prison on "hate crime" charges before the state gets to fry them?
(P.S. If Zimmerman hadn't been reckless in the first place, he wouldn't have been in a position where he felt he needed to defend himself).