Paterson violence

[rambling man]

Anyone hear about what happened in Paterson the other day?

A large group of black kids in Paterson invented a new kind of tag where they beat on every hispanic looking person they saw. They beat up several people as they rampaged through the streets until they found a 42 year old homeless man that they beat to death. 11 kids from 15 to 17 were charged...

First, this happened a few days ago, no big headlines on yahoo, and I missed it if the national TV news covered it. Seems if white kids did that, the media would be saturated with it but I haven't seen it anywhere but the New York Times...maybe I haven't looked hard enough.

Second, these kids will be tried as adults by the state, no question. Will they be charged under state and federal hate crimes statutes? I think they should but who knows. There is no excuse for that kind of crap, no matter what color they are. It is hate for another race pure and simple and they should be in prison for many, many years to come. And it was so open, out in the streets, llike Kristalnacht or something like that. Damned frightening. I would not be surprised if Paterson were to erupt in a race riot.

 

[WriterDom]

Teens: Beat Man 'For No Reason'

By WAYNE PARRY
.c The Associated Press


PATERSON, N.J. (AP) - Teen-agers charged with killing a homeless man during a rampage last week told investigators they beat their victim ``for no reason'' but didn't intend to kill him, according to testimony Tuesday.

``I am sorry that a man had to die today because people wanted a fight today, but no one wanted to kill anyone, that's for sure,'' one teen told investigators, according to Detective Manuel Hernandez.

Hector Robles, 42, was attacked last Wednesday, shortly after police broke up a fight between blacks and Hispanics at a nearby high school. Witnesses told police he was swarmed by black teen-agers who took his beer bottle and smashed his head with it before beating him to death.

Eleven boys, ages 15 to 17, were arrested, charged with murder and robbery and held without bail pending Tuesday's hearing in family court.

About half the teens had appeared by noon Tuesday, when a recess was called. The teens did not testify themselves. Police officers read from the statements the boys gave investigators.

One teen was asked why the group continued kicking and punching Robles.

``For no reason,'' replied the youth, who admitted punching the man in the head, according to police. ``He was laid out. It was just people stomping him when he fell down.''

A third teen thought he recognized the victim, prompting the group to go through his pockets looking for drugs, Hernandez said.

Workers from a nearby business, who had befriended Robles, rushed to his aid, but he died a short time later.

Robles had spent most of the last 15 years hanging out at the Electronic Transformer Co., chatting and joking with workers who considered him family.

``He was screaming, `Oh! Oh!' and moaning,'' said Nathaniel Washington, a shipping clerk. ``We all heard it, and ran out to his aid.'' Robles died shortly afterward.

The case shocked New Jersey's third-largest city, a once-thriving manufacturing community 15 miles west of New York. Nearly 100 people visited the beating site Sunday for a candlelight ceremony.

Prosecutor Bob Corrado said his office doesn't believe racial bias was a motive. ``From what we've gotten, it hasn't even been mentioned,'' he said.

Hispanics account for about half of the 149,000 residents, while blacks make up about a third.

``For the most part, people get along pretty well,'' city spokesman Bob Grant said.

 

[Weevil]

Ehhhhhjhh, I'm not big on hate crimes legislation. Or young kids being sent to adult prisons.

 

[dza]

crime in paterson!!!!

i'm shocked

 

[rambling man]

heres the new york times link

http://www.nytimes.com/2001/06/29nyregion/29Pate.html

 

[Weevil]

I guess you hadn't looked hard enough.

 

[rambling man]

I am not a big supporter of hate crimes laws either, but if we have them, I hope they are enforced on all race crime perpetrators and not just poor white trash kids, whom the legislation is really aimed at

 

[Weevil]

Ehhhhh. I'd hope that they weren't used regardless.

 

[rambling man]

I do too, but you know for a fact that some dumb cracker kid who's been raised by grand wizard parents goes out and beats up a black guy who hits on his girlfriend, uses the "n" word to boot, he's going to spend several more years in prison than if he beat up a white kid for hitting on his girlfriend. Those laws aren't coming off the books, no matter how bad they are. I just want to see them used fairly if there is no getting rid of them.

 

[Weevil]

I do too, but you know for a fact that some dumb cracker kid who's been raised by grand wizard parents goes out and beats up a black guy who hits on his girlfriend, uses the "n" word to boot, he's going to spend several more years in prison than if he beat up a white kid for hitting on his girlfriend. Those laws aren't coming off the books, no matter how bad they are. I just want to see them used fairly if there is no getting rid of them.

I guess so. It's kind of a dickless position though.

"I don't agree with the law but it should be administered fairly"

Change the law son, change the law.

 

[rambling man]

you got me by the balls there, my friend. I would like to see the laws abolished.
You and I would have to go to bat against the powerful lobbies and different groups that made these laws a reality, that place one kind of violence above another. Any fight to remove these laws will take time and a lot of convincing.


Meanwhile, it would be completely injust to the aforementioned dumb cracker to charge him with those crimes and put him in jail longer, and not charge these Paterson punks who decide one day they hate Hispanic people enough to go medieval on them. I imagine that if these people are not charged under the hate crime laws, people will begin to see how unjust they are and will fight for their removal.

 

[Weevil]

you got me by the balls there, my friend. I would like to see the laws abolished.
You and I would have to go to bat against the powerful lobbies and different groups that made these laws a reality, that place one kind of violence above another. Any fight to remove these laws will take time and a lot of convincing.


Meanwhile, it would be completely injust to the aforementioned dumb cracker to charge him with those crimes and put him in jail longer, and not charge these Paterson punks who decide one day they hate Hispanic people enough to go medieval on them. I imagine that if these people are not charged under the hate crime laws, people will begin to see how unjust they are and will fight for their removal.

I'm always up for a big fight.

The second point is hard for me. One could argue that the entire criminal justice system is so biased against African Americans regardless that me getting all pissy about one instance were it's the other way around....Well it's wrong but not particularly aggravating. Boo hoo.