Kid Takes a Beating on the Bus - Racial? UPDATE: Post #75

[OceanAnnie]

Just to clarify, by "step in", I didn't mean physically intervene. I meant intervention period. I can see how that could be misconstrued.

The fighting definitely looked unprovoked, both times. I hope the police throws the book at every one of those that punched that kid. I hope the school does too. I do wonder and hope that the kid that was beaten doesn't get more beatings because the police is now involved.

It's a horrifying clip. Horrifying. No child of mine would be on that bus after that, or even at that school. I wonder if something like that happened before maybe the camcorders are new additions to the bus?

 

[Pea-n-Me]

I am sitting here in my cubicle, choking back tears.

The kid's face is blurred out, but the hair is so similar to my 12 year old son's. The thought that your child could go through something like this... it doesn't matter the reason.

Ditto.

 

[ChrizJen]

You know, I have to make another comment. I just watched more of the video, (the unedited version, which by the way shows the kids actually getting off of the bus...and that poor kid's face is all cut up and bloody...it's still blurred, but you can clearly see how badly he was hurt). But the one thing that strikes me now that hasn't really been mentioned is that the school bus is entirely TOO FULL!!!
There were already 3 to a seat in some spots, and they keep piling more and more kids on there. I can't imagine being the driver. There's no way to keep order on a bus that obviously has way too many passengers!

I'm not making excuses for the driver. There was absolutely NO excuse for the driver not calling for help. None. But the school/transportation company needs to address the gross overcrowding on that bus!!

 

[Luv2Scrap]

You know, I have to make another comment. I just watched more of the video, (the unedited version, which by the way shows the kids actually getting off of the bus...and that poor kid's face is all cut up and bloody...it's still blurred, but you can clearly see how badly he was hurt). But the one thing that strikes me now that hasn't really been mentioned is that the school bus is entirely TOO FULL!!!
There were already 3 to a seat in some spots, and they keep piling more and more kids on there. I can't imagine being the driver. There's no way to keep order on a bus that obviously has way too many passengers!

I'm not making excuses for the driver. There was absolutely NO excuse for the driver not calling for help. None. But the school/transportation company needs to address the gross overcrowding on that bus!!

After reading your post, I went and watched the unedited version too (skipping to the end because I can't bear to watch it again), and you are absolutely right! There is no way that bus is anywhere close to capacity!

I am just sick to my stomach over the whole thing. I am definitely going to go home and give my son a big hug after work!

 

[brockash]

I agree with the PP who called it disgusting. If it had been the other way around (a bunch of white kids beating up one African-American kid), you know there would be a huge outcry calling it racially motivated and those calling it racially motivated would have been correct.

I have to say I totally agree. While I don't know if this situation was racially motivated or not, if it had been an african american kid getting beat up by a white kid while a bunch of other white kids cheered him on, the media would have a field day automatically calling it racially motivated and everyone would be up in arms about it. Like I said, I have no idea if this was racially motivated or not (either way it's completely disgusting) but I 100% agree that had it been the other way around, it wouldn't be a question of if, and it'd be all over the media.

Either way it's completely disgusting and I hope the kid that did the beating gets the highest punishment possible, and the others cheering him on get some kind of punishment, and I hope the others (including the bus driver) that did nothing to stop it feel very guilty for a long time. It's completely disgusting that ppl. act like this, no matter the race. Very very sad

 

[OceanAnnie]

I agree with the PP who called it disgusting. If it had been the other way around (a bunch of white kids beating up one African-American kid), you know there would be a huge outcry calling it racially motivated and those calling it racially motivated would have been correct.

I agree. The national news would have this story on every outlet. I don't think any major network has picked it up.

 

[Robinrs]

Wow, just wow....

 

[maddmike]

It's only racially motivated if the victim is black.

Right on...Racism is a two way street but too many are scared to admit it. They let thugs and criminals such at Jesse Jackson and Al Shapton intimidate them.

Watching that video really gets me though. That bus driver should be charged for some crime for letting it happen. The owners of the bus system and or the school district are also responsible and hopefully will be sued until they are bankrupt by the kid and his family. However if that was my kid being beaten I can promise you there would be a whole lot of people in the hospital and one guy (ME) in jail. There is a whole lot of butt whooping that needs to happen to those thugs.

 

[imabrat]

Disgusting. Just absolutely disgusting. I don't care if the attacker was black, white, or purple with green spots, I would've gotten up and defended the victim. He's just trying to find a seat - the bus was so packed there were 3 in a seat! Just because someone sits in "your" seat doesn't mean you have the right to attack them, put your big boy undies on and let it go. Whether it was racially motivated or not, I don't know. The situation just makes me angry.

 

[KAMKIM]

I wish I never watched that video. I dont care what color the kids are, had it been another black child they were beating my heart wouldn't have broke any less.

 

[OceanAnnie]

I could be wrong, but it didn't look so packed towards the back of the bus to me. It looked like 1 person per seat in the back for several rows. The guy that started hitting was the only one in that seat.

It was "probably" crowded in the front, because a lot of students probably didn't want to sit in the back with the bad guys. Just a hunch.

 

[Magic Mom]

I don't think it's 100% racial. I think the kid just happened to pick an open seat next to the wrong person. If you look, there are two or three white kids cheering him on while he beat him and a black kid trying to stop it.

The reactions of the people watching don't have anything to do with the motivation of the animal doing the beating.
Frankly, I don't care if it was racial or not. I hate the notion of "hate crimes." If my child were beaten to death just for the fun of it, I would want his killers to get the maximum punishment. Not less just because their motivations weren't racial. Racial or not racial, those pigs that beat that child need to be punished severely.

 

[ChrizJen]

I was just discussing this with a coworker who stated that she watched it and thought she saw some sort of gang signs being thrown up by one of the attackers. I don't kow which one, and I really don't want to go back and watch it again. But perhaps it was gang related. Not necessarily motivated by race.

 

[OceanAnnie]

I was just discussing this with a coworker who stated that she watched it and thought she saw some sort of gang signs being thrown up by one of the attackers. I don't kow which one, and I really don't want to go back and watch it again. But perhaps it was gang related. Not necessarily motivated by race.

I thought the guys were flipping the bird to the kid. I don't know. It was blurred. Can't tell.

 

[charlie,nj]

Just saw it on FOX hopefully it will be shown on other networks.

What a bunch of lowlife cowards.

One of them actually laughed and took a picture of the poor kids bloody face.

That poor kid.


Again where is Al and Jesse?



.

 

[KAMKIM]

I am confused as to why a hate crime is worse than a regular crime against someone of your own color. The boy that was taking the beating was someone's baby - do you think that mother/father would feel differently if he was the same color?

One thing is for sure the kids that did the beating/allowed it to go on/cheered on the attackers are animals. These boys will be in jail probably multiple time throughout their life and will go no where.

 

[KAMKIM]

I dont know what disgusts me more - the actual beating or the fact that some people on here are more upset that it was a white kid that got beat.

 

[Luv2Scrap]

I dont know what disgusts me more - the actual beating or the fact that some people on here are more upset that it was a white kid that got beat.

I haven't seen anybody here say that at all. The issue up for debate is whether this should be considered a racially motivated crime or not, and would it be treated the same way if the races were reversed.

I think it's a good question to ask. Incidents like this should be treated the same no matter what race the victim/perpetrator are. People ask questions like this to ensure the way we ALL are treated isn't swinging from one bad extreme to another.

 

[Luv2Scrap]

I am confused as to why a hate crime is worse than a regular crime against someone of your own color. The boy that was taking the beating was someone's baby - do you think that mother/father would feel differently if he was the same color?

One thing is for sure the kids that did the beating/allowed it to go on/cheered on the attackers are animals. These boys will be in jail probably multiple time throughout their life and will go no where.

I completely agree with you here.

 

[BeachGirlFLA]

I haven't seen anybody here say that at all. The issue up for debate is whether this should be considered a racially motivated crime or not, and would it be treated the same way if the races were reversed.

I think it's a good question to ask. Incidents like this should be treated the same no matter what race the victim/perpetrator are. People ask questions like this to ensure the way we ALL are treated isn't swinging from one bad extreme to another.

I agree with you.