Hatred or Envy?
On April 6th, a young and upcoming journalist went out for drinks with some of his friens to a villa in St. Maarten where they were vacationing. This 25 year old graduate of Wabash College with a degree in Political Science also has a Masters in Journalism from Columbia University. He interned at the David Letterman Show and was currently working as a researcher for the CBS news magazine 48 Hours. While having drinks with his friends several other people at the club began shouting obscenities and harrassing this group. The verbal assailants were tossed from the club and that was it. When the group of guys left the club they were assaulted by the tossed bunch. And when I say assaulted, I mean they had tire irons taken to their craniums. They were blindsided by these cowards who were waiting in the parking lot, unprovoked, and obviously looking for a fight. Our protagonist had his skull crushed and suffered severe brain damage. He was transported from the island of St. Maarten to Miami and now is recuperating at Jackson Memorial Hospital. He is still having difficulty speaking and writing, and will be in rehab for a long time to come.
Why would this young man, a rising star in journalistic circles, be beaten almost to death? Why would someone feel the need, the compulsion, the unabashed rage to almost kill someone with a tire iron? This young man was gay. He was with some of his friends who were also gay and were vacationing. They were not accosting the other group. They did not provoke them. They were minding their own business, enjoying the delights of a Caribbean vacation as anyone would.
I have very few words in my vocabulary that will serve to express my disgust, distaste, utter abhorring, and ultimate emptiness that resulted from hearing about this story. Did I know this man personally? No, but I did see him on campus frequently. I had been to his fraternity several times. I knew and continue to know his fraternity brothers. And not the least being, he is a fellow Wabash grad. I can't begin to describe what should be done to the men that assaulted him. That's not the half of it. Apparently the police on the island didn't get involved until he was airlifted off the island. They were called multiple times according to statements given by friends. Shades of the Natalee Holloway search...
Why does someone fear or dislike someone else without really knowing them? Why does someone's sexual orientation offend another person? I know this question is debated by quoting the Bible. As a Religion major, I have come to realize that men write books, articles, opinions not always for the better good. They will compose pieces to better themselves or their friends politically, socially, financially, what have you. Now, I'm sure you can make the theological leap to the biblical. People feared something, so they outlawed it or shunned it.
But really, all that doesn't matter. Right or wrong, agree or disagree, it is all a moot point when it comes to the real issue. This man was almost killed for being who he was. A sad day for humanity. But alas, these things happen all the time, unfortunately. Tolerance is not the answer. Tolerance is a dead-end. Acceptance and Assilimation are the proper means to an end.
This post doesn't even scratch the surface of how I feel on this issue.
Wabash Alumnus Victim of Brutal Beating
St. Maarten Responds To Gay Bashing Incident
Alleged Hate Crime in Paradise
Why would this young man, a rising star in journalistic circles, be beaten almost to death? Why would someone feel the need, the compulsion, the unabashed rage to almost kill someone with a tire iron? This young man was gay. He was with some of his friends who were also gay and were vacationing. They were not accosting the other group. They did not provoke them. They were minding their own business, enjoying the delights of a Caribbean vacation as anyone would.
I have very few words in my vocabulary that will serve to express my disgust, distaste, utter abhorring, and ultimate emptiness that resulted from hearing about this story. Did I know this man personally? No, but I did see him on campus frequently. I had been to his fraternity several times. I knew and continue to know his fraternity brothers. And not the least being, he is a fellow Wabash grad. I can't begin to describe what should be done to the men that assaulted him. That's not the half of it. Apparently the police on the island didn't get involved until he was airlifted off the island. They were called multiple times according to statements given by friends. Shades of the Natalee Holloway search...
Why does someone fear or dislike someone else without really knowing them? Why does someone's sexual orientation offend another person? I know this question is debated by quoting the Bible. As a Religion major, I have come to realize that men write books, articles, opinions not always for the better good. They will compose pieces to better themselves or their friends politically, socially, financially, what have you. Now, I'm sure you can make the theological leap to the biblical. People feared something, so they outlawed it or shunned it.
But really, all that doesn't matter. Right or wrong, agree or disagree, it is all a moot point when it comes to the real issue. This man was almost killed for being who he was. A sad day for humanity. But alas, these things happen all the time, unfortunately. Tolerance is not the answer. Tolerance is a dead-end. Acceptance and Assilimation are the proper means to an end.
This post doesn't even scratch the surface of how I feel on this issue.
Wabash Alumnus Victim of Brutal Beating
St. Maarten Responds To Gay Bashing Incident
Alleged Hate Crime in Paradise
posted by runrMD08 at 9:35 AM
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