Cop Fights For Life After Homophobic Attack

A trainee police officer is fighting for his life in hospital after being set upon by up to 20 thugs in a homophobic attack.

[Catholic created gay]

If the parents of these teens were taken to task for their part in this crime these crimes would cease to happen.

[Yobyag]

Catholic created gay wrote:

If the parents of these teens were taken to task for their part in this crime these crimes would cease to happen.

While I agree on principle, "blame the parent" is not always the answer. Plus you can't prove a parent had any influence one way or another on a child. Are they acting out because Mom and Dad like the "gays" and they think that's wrong or are they acting out because their parents are homophobes and they are just acting in the way they were raised? How do you prove the parent is in anyway at fault for their child's behavior?

[McMike]

And they call us 'evil'...

[Pagan and Proud]

Yobyag wrote:

<quoted text>
While I agree on principle, "blame the parent" is not always the answer. Plus you can't prove a parent had any influence one way or another on a child. Are they acting out because Mom and Dad like the "gays" and they think that's wrong or are they acting out because their parents are homophobes and they are just acting in the way they were raised? How do you prove the parent is in anyway at fault for their child's behavior?

In that a parent is still responsible for their child's actions until they reach the age of majority, holding them responsible is the right thing to do. I honestly believe one of the major issues today IS parents not actually being a parent. My parents made it extremely clear to me that so long as I was legally considered to be a minor that where I was, what I was doing, who I was out with, and what we planned to do were THEIR business because if I did something wrong the cops came knocking on their door and it was their butts as well as mine in the hot seat.

[denise]

violence against gays is bullying to the nth degree. historically, society has felt a level of sympathy for these perpetrators. when they bully someone to death or almost to death, they feel justified when they can claim that the victim was hitting on them. after all that is something they can't abide. just to show what a homophobic society we live in the judges and juries buy into this crap. shame on the justice system. wow, all those men who pestered me for sex could have been gone in a flash if i said they came onto me and i bullied them to death. a slap on the wrist is all they get, if that. it's somehow justified. in reality, i doubt most of them were ever approached. it was just a 'good' reason to rob and bully someone. because the flaw was not in the victim, the flaw is in the criminal. it's like when i was a kid and some of the bullys tortured and killed the cats in the neighborhood. they enjoyed doing it. these people need to be put in jail and not let out. they have no human compassion and are a blight to our society. if that were done to any other human on earth, there would not be a mention of the victim's seual orientation. we've moved an inch in the right direction for new legislation on hate crimes, but i'll wait to see what they actually do about it.

[Curteese]

This is a horrible story. I am sickened by it. I have seen homophobia my entire life, and that is a LONG time, and this is sickening proof that it is not likely to go anytime soon.
I thought the Brits more liberal, but obviously I am mistaken. Those young thugs went out of their way to stalk and attack a stranger. I hope they do not pull out that same old tired "I was offended by him coming on to me!" cliche in the thugs' defense. They tried that one while defending Matthew Shepard's killers.
I hope and hope that young man recovers soon. I wish I had not even read about this. I am going to be depressed all day at it. Why do we even bother anymore? the scary part is that somewhere, with out even knowing who I am, someone out there has a baseball bat with my name on it, just waiting to cave in my skull. But, hey, are they straight? Well, they are then *good* in this society.
As for the hurt young man, God speed to him.

[Short Left Index Finger]

It's time to breing back the draft.Less violence in the streets and unplanned pregnancies that way.

[Catholic created gay]

Yobyag wrote:

<quoted text>
While I agree on principle, "blame the parent" is not always the answer. Plus you can't prove a parent had any influence one way or another on a child. Are they acting out because Mom and Dad like the "gays" and they think that's wrong or are they acting out because their parents are homophobes and they are just acting in the way they were raised? How do you prove the parent is in anyway at fault for their child's behavior?

I doubt there are any parents that are completely in the dark about what their children are doing or what they think. If this be the case then they are guilty of 'not knowing', and they should.
Quite often the parents are the instigators of the hate, think Felps.

[Catholic created gay]

Short Left Index Finger wrote:

It's time to breing back the draft.Less violence in the streets and unplanned pregnancies that way.

I've been saying that for years, but because it is more fair. Freedom is not free, and it is everyone's job.

[Ziggy on High]

The fact that this young guy is a police trainee is what will get him some amount of justice. Even in the UK, mess with a cop and expect the other cops to come down on you like a ton of bricks.

Between him being a cop, being gay, the sheer brutality of the attack; these kids are going to get screwed. They deserve it, too.

[Silverlady]

In an earlier post someone mentioned; if parents were held accountable. To a certain degree I agree; I have a daughter, and I've never believed in teaching her tolerance. I've always taught her acceptance, because we accept people, not tolerate them, cause we're all the same. So maybe parents should start teaching that.

[Jeffrey]

Please, the parents of these thugs are just as homophobic as the kids are, if not more so, I guarantee it. Right now they're telling their kids "It's ok son, you did right, it's society that's sick and wrong. We'll get you a good lawyer and get you off scot-free." These kids didn't learn to be vicious, violent bastards from their grammar teacher. The learned it from the vicious, violent bible, and from their parents telling them that this is how gay people should be treated.

[Short Left Index Finger]

It's another case of monkey see monkey do.

[Pagan and Proud]

Short Left Index Finger wrote:

It's another case of monkey see monkey do.

And monkeys belong in a zoo.

[Robert]

Over 37 years as a teacher, I've seen parents abdicate their roles. They've ceased being parents for the most part and have chosen to be friends with their kids first and foremost. Today kids need parents present in their lives, parents who are willing to provide parameters/guidelines and will abide by those parameters/guuidelines. Too many parents today are wishy-washy saying, "If you don't do this or that, I'll..." and they make some idle threat which is never followed through. The kids get away with no discipline, the parents become more impotent with their hollow threats, and the spiral deepens. I'm reminded of something Jesse Jackson said to a group of parents some years ago: "Your presence is more important than your presents." The classroom became more and more difficult over the years, more of a battleground of the mind. Good teachers, and there are a few of us I believe, teach from the heart and confront the issues of hate, intolerance and acceptance, deal with gay and lesbian issues, don't let the kids get away with their name-calling and racism, and hold them accountable for their actions. I know we are somewhat successful as years later, in an email or seeing a former student somewhere,(s)he will comment on remember when we discussed the history of intolerance in America, or do you remember when we drew our political cartoons on social issues, or do you recall the conversation about why a person would never come into the classroom and tell a joke about a minority person because they are visible but would tell one about a gay person because they are "invisible"? I guess all this is to say that there is something to be said about holding the parents responsible for the actions of their kids. But more than that, maybe the parents need to be responsible for being parents, real parents first!

Here's hoping this young man has a full recovery. I'm pulling for him.

[ya its me]

if this was a hate crime what happened to the friends he was with. being attacked by that many seems like they would have gotten something or even the clowns doing the attacking would have gotten something especially in a gay neighborhood

why is it every time one of you guys get into a fight and lose its a hate crime

something sounds fishy

[Curteese]

ya its me wrote:

if this was a hate crime what happened to the friends he was with. being attacked by that many seems like they would have gotten something or even the clowns doing the attacking would have gotten something especially in a gay neighborhood
why is it every time one of you guys get into a fight and lose its a hate crime
something sounds fishy

Uh, did you READ the article? There were TWENTY of the attackers. TWENTY. I am not sure how many friends the attacked guy had with him, but not that many. Even if there were ten of them, highly unlikely that anyone runs in such a group, they would have been outnumered and outpowered.
This was not a fight, it was a brutal attack. The young man may die. It was a pack of hyennas attacking one or two people.
How dare you somehow try to blame the victim in this. Do you think a 90 year old grandma who is raped is "asking for it" like many intolerant people think of rape victims?
I'd like to see how YOU would come out of an attack with 20 young people kicking you in the face and head, big man.

[ya its me]

Curteese wrote:

<quoted text>Uh, did you READ the article? There were TWENTY of the attackers. TWENTY. I am not sure how many friends the attacked guy had with him, but not that many. Even if there were ten of them, highly unlikely that anyone runs in such a group, they would have been outnumered and outpowered.
This was not a fight, it was a brutal attack. The young man may die. It was a pack of hyennas attacking one or two people.
How dare you somehow try to blame the victim in this. Do you think a 90 year old grandma who is raped is "asking for it" like many intolerant people think of rape victims?
I'd like to see how YOU would come out of an attack with 20 young people kicking you in the face and head, big man.

listen there sparky i wasn't knocking the guy i think it is terrible what happened to him but my question was what happened to his friends why only just him was attacked even if his friends weren't gay is still highly unlikely they weren't touched in any way

and if 20 young people attacked me im sure i would look worse than he does but so would my friends

still fishy
yes i did read the article

[McMike]

Curteese wrote:

<quoted text>Uh, did you READ the article? There were TWENTY of the attackers. TWENTY. I am not sure how many friends the attacked guy had with him, but not that many. Even if there were ten of them, highly unlikely that anyone runs in such a group, they would have been outnumered and outpowered.
This was not a fight, it was a brutal attack. The young man may die. It was a pack of hyennas attacking one or two people.
How dare you somehow try to blame the victim in this. Do you think a 90 year old grandma who is raped is "asking for it" like many intolerant people think of rape victims?
I'd like to see how YOU would come out of an attack with 20 young people kicking you in the face and head, big man.

For once I wish a homophobe would have enough balls to take a gay man on one-on-one. I think it's about time when a gay man is attacked he attacks back and doesn't stop until he inflicts the same amount of damage the attacker intended to inflict upon him. The day we hear of a gay man fighting back and perhaps beating the attacker to a bloody pulp is the day these attacks might stop. However, of course, this isn't taking into account homophobes never attack unless they're armed with bats and greatly outnumber the victim.

[Curteese]

ya its me wrote:

<quoted text>
listen there sparky i wasn't knocking the guy i think it is terrible what happened to him but my question was what happened to his friends why only just him was attacked even if his friends weren't gay is still highly unlikely they weren't touched in any way
and if 20 young people attacked me im sure i would look worse than he does but so would my friends
still fishy
yes i did read the article

You sort of got me. I wasn't there, or even in the same country, so do not know. I hope you don't think that smiling photo is the AFTER beating shot. He is in intensive care and I doubt if he is looking much like that now. So, don't know. Fishy, who knows? Maybe he mouthed off to the group, as I reach my golden years, I note that no one gets angry or upset faster than white trash. Their dignity level is right below the surface and easily ignited.
I still believe they went a huntin' for game and he was the unfortunate victim.
But no matter what..did any human deserve to be beaten that way?