While your question is highly rhetorical, my answer is "YES," you are missing something.
As far as I know, the article is not about an incident where "a person of color said boo." It is about a group of thugs ATTACKING AN INNOCENT FAMILY ON THIER PROPERTY. And, no, it's not enough to arrest them. There is no guarantee this group will not attempt to assault others in the interim or that they will ever even be caught. No family should ever feel they must succumb to the ill will of others. They have a right to protect themselves on their own property. Just this year Ohio passed the Castle Doctrine which affirms a citizen's right to protect themselves and their family on their property, and expands the definition of said property. It would seem you disagree with the state adopting this doctrine and with the construction worker's right to defend himself and his family.
I never said the assault that happened was just a person of color saying boo. I said that NOW
after the fact, the city does not need everyone armed and ready to shoot the first person of color that says boo. You did not read what I said.
It was an assault and I think that the boys should be prosecuted for it. My question in my pp was "would it be enough if the boys are arrested
and prosecuted for assault.
When I asked if I was missing something, I was asking if the police department of the city of Akron is just not doing anything at all or are they just not doing it in the way you all think they should. Are they investigating the crime? Are they just ignoring it? The article in the OP said it was being investigated and that the gang unit was involved; which is why I asked if I was missing something.
Look, I know hate crime ok? I live in the good ole' boy south. My son (who is white) was severely beaten by white bouncers at a local night club. Their reason? They assumed that his gf (now his wife) is mixed race. They didn't like him dating a black (not the word they used) girl. Oh, and because he wouldn't bend the bib of his hat and he wore a "grill" over his top teeth. (the hat thing is something that for some reason is usual for young black men and teens--I have no idea why). He never said a word to these guys, in fact they were leaving the club at the time. The bouncers and manager of the club have since all been fired and are not allowed to work in that type of business anymore and several were prosecuted for this assault and another one.
Its a scary thing to think someone can hate another person that much. Especially when that hate is geared toward you or someone you love.
These bouncers were not charged with a hate crime even though we all knew that is exactly what it was. But they did serve time for aggravated assault on my son and on another patron of the bar.
This situation in Akron, if it happened the way it was said, was a hate crime; I am not denying that. Just remember there are three sides to every story. The victim may not be telling everything either, which in no way excuses what happened or even gives reason to it; but may change the crime from a "hate crime".
Part of what I meant in my pp was if "hate crime" cannot be proven what would be the point of charging them with it. "Aggravated assault" can be proven and would send the boys to jail. Does it matter what charge sends them to jail as long as it gets them off the street? When my son was beaten, we didn't care what the charge said as long as they served some time for it and were banned from working in those types of environments again.
I don't have a problem with any doctrine or law in the state of Ohio, I don't live there; it has no bearing on me. Guns are not exactly outlawed in Mississippi. I just don't think someone should say things that gets every Tom, Dick and Harry thinking they need to be armed. When you start saying things that makes people get the "race war" mentality going, you are treading on dangerous ground.
And according to the article quoted, it was not ON THEIR OWN PROPERTY, they were gathered outside a friends home. They could have been on the sidewalk. Which is really irrelevant to the case, but since you were so adamant about it, I thought I would point that out.