I think I'm going to be sick: US teen killed because he was gay

[インフェルノの津波]

No, I'm not saying he walks away free. I'd be surprised if he did.

 

[Steven]

My thoughts on this is:

Why is this getting so much attention when gay people are routinely killed by governments around the world because they illegalize homosexuality and put a death sentence on it?

It's sad that this had to happen though.

 

[FreakyLocz14]

No, I'm not saying he walks away free. I'd be surprised if he did.

If we walks, that's be due to poor evidence on the part of the prosecution.

My thoughts on this is:

Why is this getting so much attention when gay people are routinely killed by governments around the world because they illegalize homosexuality and put a death sentence on it?

It's sad that this had to happen though.

I wonder if those people could immigrate to more friendly nations as refugees. It's not our job to police the world, but I'd support refugee policies if the burden was shared so that it doesn't overwhelm any one nation.

 

[dante1w]

My thoughts on this is:

Why is this getting so much attention when gay people are routinely killed by governments around the world because they illegalize homosexuality and put a death sentence on it?

It's sad that this had to happen though.

True, but then again those governments do it because of a common belief. Its still disgusting how they could actually think about it, but when it comes to a situation like this, it sickens me even more, cause this guy wasn't acting out of a group's common belief (not that that makes it right), he killed him cause he wanted to, and as NyxUmbreon said, may he BURN IN HELL !!

 

[Shining Raichu]

When I saw this thread title, I thought it had happened again, but yeah I remember this one particularly well, it was all over the news here in Australia. It's absolutely disgusting, and it's mindblowing that Larry has been gone for three years now... but the real reason I remember it is because Ellen DeGeneres did a particularly touching speech about it on her show.

 

[dante1w]

When I saw this thread title, I thought it had happened again, but yeah I remember this one particularly well, it was all over the news here in Australia. It's absolutely disgusting, and it's mindblowing that Larry has been gone for three years now... but the real reason I remember it is because Ellen DeGeneres did a particularly touching speech about it on her show.

:( :( :'( :'(

That makes the story sound so much worse. Seriously I'm on the verge of crying for the first time in 3 years, and I'm not ashamed. As a matter of fact, I would be ashamed if I hadn't cried. :'(

Damn the evil parts of life, and the evil people at that. Damn them for they are what ruins our community. :(

 

[deoxys121]

It's quite simple here: You don't kill someone unless you have direct reason to believe they will kill you if you don't. Did he hold you at gun or knife point? NO! It makes it even worse that he killed him for "unwanted advances." One thing I heard about this (I never saw the actual story) was that it occurred around Valentine's Day '08, and the victim's "unwanted advance" was asking the killer to be his Valentine, not knowing he wasn't gay. My response to a situation like this would be "I'm sorry, but I'm not gay. I don't mind being your friend though." The fact that he killed him was totally uncalled for. Like I said, don't kill someone unless they are, right at that moment, going to kill you.

 

[FreakyLocz14]

It's quite simple here: You don't kill someone unless you have direct reason to believe they will kill you if you don't. Did he hold you at gun or knife point? NO! It makes it even worse that he killed him for "unwanted advances." One thing I heard about this (I never saw the actual story) was that it occurred around Valentine's Day '08, and the victim's "unwanted advance" was asking the killer to be his Valentine, not knowing he wasn't gay. My response to a situation like this would be "I'm sorry, but I'm not gay. I don't mind being your friend though." The fact that he killed him was totally uncalled for. Like I said, don't kill someone unless they are, right at that moment, going to kill you.

The reasoning doesn't make it worse to me. Killing anybody is wrong, but if those advances really infuriated him that much, it's technically not premeditated.

If I were a prosecutor, I'd prosecute him for second degree murder.

 

[Chiar]

I'm wondering if this thread would have existed if a muslim teen was killed instead of gay...

 

[インフェルノの津波]

Religious Leader Shoots 4 Year Old Boy To Death Because He Might Be Gay.

I'm not kidding, folks. Here's the link.

A religious leader in North Carolina shot to death his four-​year old step son because he thought the boy, Jadon Higganbothan, might be gay. The man, Peter Lucas Moses, 27, who also shot to death a 28-​year old woman, may face the death penalty.

Moses, whom police stopped short of calling a cult leader, lived in a one-​room home with nine children and three women. The 28-​year old woman, Antoinetta Yvonne McKoy, Moses killed had been beaten and strangled with an extension cord before Moses murdered her.

The day he did, she had escaped to a neighbor's house and begged her to use her cell phone. The neighbor did not call police because she claims she thought the woman might be mentally disturbed. She witnesses Moses dragging her into the house, and still never called police.

Discuss.

 

[Alley Cat]

For one, that religious leader has some seriously messed up problem. Shooting someone because they are gay? Not even that, because they MIGHT be gay, is just horrid. Not only that, it was his step-son, someone who was his child, just not biologically. How could you bring yourself to do that? I can't imagine what kind of hell it must have been in that house with someone like him living there. Not to mention 8 other children, and 3 women, one of them probably being mommy. In a 1 bedroom home. I can't say much on the living conditions, but things sound like they could have been pretty bad. Then it mentions that he beat and strangled a woman, and dragged her into the house something that the children were probably subjected to. Those children are better off now, though, that this happened, the woman too, perhaps they will finally get the help and support that they need.

The neighbors are pretty ridiculous too. They didn't call the police when the woman went to their house begging to use their phone? First of all, if someone came to my house begging to use my phone, the I would definitely let them. It said that she was beat and strangled, so I'm sure there was evidence of that, which would only give me more cause to let her use my phone. Then, it was even reported that the neighbors had saw the woman being dragged back into the house by the man, yet they still didn't call the cops. So they basically knew that some level of abuse was going on, yet they chose to do nothing about. That's not AS bad as committing the crime yourself, but it is still pretty bad. You could always step in help someone. Of course though, the crazy man next door had guns. So perhaps the neighbors were afraid for their own lives that if they got involved harm would come to them.

Either way, those children and those women need justice done. Let's hope the justice system doesn't fail them, as it has done people in the past.

 

[Shining Raichu]

I'm wondering if this thread would have existed if a muslim teen was killed instead of gay...

Ugh. There's always one.

In the weeks leading up to Spirit Day last year, which was intended to commemorate the lives of those involved in the then-recent plague of gay teen suicides, there were people posting on the Facebook event saying things along the lines of "People commit suicide all the time, why do these ones get a special day just because they're gay?"

My answer to them was "There are many reasons for people to commit suicide, but these people did it because they were bullied over something so insignificant it hardly even matters. This needs publicity, it needs to be brought to light so that we can stop it happening again. That's what Spirit Day is about."

My answer to you is that the murder of a gay kid because of his sexuality is more than tragic, and it is worthy of a thread. The murder of a Muslim kid just because of his religion is equally tragic and discussion-worthy and if you were really so invested in the plight of the religious minority you'd find a story about a murdered Muslim kid and make a thread about it yourself. But I guess it's easier to point out the hipocrisy in society than to do anything about it.

 

[Dawn]

Not that other victims are more deserving, not at all, but that the apparent reason for this murder was only that the kid was gay, which is like saying someone killed someone else because they were black and for no other reason. It's all to do with the state of mind of the killer and how it's kind of shocking that he thought it was enough of a reason to kill someone. Compare that to murders where you have jealous lovers, gang members and so on and you can see where the mind of this kid differs from those other killers.

It's also getting attention because it involves kids and because it's a particularly horrifying example of what queer kids are facing today.

Given his excuse is ridiculously vague, it's kind of hard for me to judge. Does anyone know what unwanted advances is code word for? Because that could mean almost anything to me. -3-; That could seriously mean anything, though a stigma of it being sexual is blatantly there.

/All/ murder is a horrible, horrible thing though. It's a crime of such severity that no reasoning can hope to justify it. >~< Killing in general is an evil, terrible thing that is really only tolerated to any degree because the world isn't perfect.

On another note, I just noticed that the guy was accused of being a white supremacist simply because he owned "nazi literature" and not because of anything he did or said. Huh. So that's why there are quotes around it in the source! It's a lie being passed off as fact in the most legal way they can manage. D;

I'm not kidding, folks. Here's the link.

Okay... so a nutcase that happens to have his own obscure extremist religion kills his own daughter who happens to be gay.

I don't see how he's more significant than every other nutcase murderer. It's not as if you can intentionally murder someone whilst being right in the head to begin with. >.<

Doesn't leave me a whole lot to discuss besides why we care about him but not all the other murderers of no greater significance. ;(

 

[professor plum]

The main topic is incredibly old news. National of Day of Silence 2009 and 2010 were both in memory of Larry King. It's absolutely awful that this occurred, though.
But, it just shows ignorance can come in all shapes and forms.

 

[Mr. X]

If we walks, that's be due to poor evidence on the part of the prosecution.

Or the fact that he was 14, and it is a scientifically proven fact that at that age a persons brain in not developed enough to signifigantly consider the results of long term actions.

Just another crime that is only gaining attention due to the victim being of a diffrent sexual orientation.

 

[Xyrin]

I'm disgusted. This kid is horribly messed up.

Ugh. There's always one.

In the weeks leading up to Spirit Day last year, which was intended to commemorate the lives of those involved in the then-recent plague of gay teen suicides, there were people posting on the Facebook event saying things along the lines of "People commit suicide all the time, why do these ones get a special day just because they're gay?"

My answer to them was "There are many reasons for people to commit suicide, but these people did it because they were bullied over something so insignificant it hardly even matters. This needs publicity, it needs to be brought to light so that we can stop it happening again. That's what Spirit Day is about."

My answer to you is that the murder of a gay kid because of his sexuality is more than tragic, and it is worthy of a thread. The murder of a Muslim kid just because of his religion is equally tragic and discussion-worthy and if you were really so invested in the plight of the religious minority you'd find a story about a murdered Muslim kid and make a thread about it yourself. But I guess it's easier to point out the hipocrisy in society than to do anything about it.

I agree it's sad that this kid was killed because he was gay. But gay killings always get more attention. What if somebody killed me because I'm Christian? Do you really think I would get this much attention? No. Because we are a high minority so everyone would assume it wasn't because of my religion!

 

[Esper]

I agree it's sad that this kid was killed because he was gay. But gay killings always get more attention. What if somebody killed me because I'm Christian? Do you really think I would get this much attention? No. Because we are a high minority so everyone would assume it wasn't because of my religion!

If it wasn't known that you were hypothetically killed for being a Christian then, yes, it probably wouldn't get as much attention. If it were known, as in this case where it is known that he was killed for being gay, that you were specifically targeted (let's say your killer said specifically it's because you were Christian, that your killer was a Christian-hater) then you would probably get even more media attention.

 

[FreakyLocz14]

Or the fact that he was 14, and it is a scientifically proven fact that at that age a persons brain in not developed enough to signifigantly consider the results of long term actions.

Just another crime that is only gaining attention due to the victim being of a diffrent sexual orientation.

This.

We're prosecuting kids younger and younger as adults just because of what race or sexual orientation the victim was. A 14-year old IS NOT AN ADULT. He's less mentally culpable than an adult.

 

[Gothitelle.]

Or the fact that he was 14, and it is a scientifically proven fact that at that age a persons brain in not developed enough to signifigantly consider the results of long term actions.

Just another crime that is only gaining attention due to the victim being of a diffrent sexual orientation.

This.

And I hope that they dont use the victim's orientation to wrongly convict someone. :-/

 

[Mr. X]

Well, at least the death sentence is no longer allowed to be used on child criminals, or those who commited crimes as children.

But then again, they are almost always given a 'death in prison' sentence (aka, life without parole)

That said, trying him as a adult is almost as stupid as this four year old who was tried for sexual harrasment for giving his teacher a hug.