Florida Teen set on fire by schoolmates

[South Fl Marc]

Posted: 10/16/09 at 12:40pm

The cruelty of kids can be abominable.
I can't imagine what this kids life - if he lives- will be like.

[Anakela]

Posted: 10/16/09 at 12:56pm

I've been obsessed with reading about this for the past couple of days.

Latest link below for those who don't know the story.
911 tapes reveal agonizing moments after Deerfield teen set on fire

[tazber]

Posted: 10/16/09 at 1:04pm

I hadn't heard of this until now, but it is so deeply upsetting to me.

I just can't even bear to imagine what that boy's life will be like now.

[StockardFan]

Posted: 10/16/09 at 1:18pm

I saw this on the Today show yesterday. It's horrifying.

[South Fl Marc]

Posted: 10/16/09 at 1:29pm

The face of evil.

[millie_dillmount]

Posted: 10/16/09 at 1:44pm

This is just one of those days where I want to headdesk non-stop.

Between this and the bizarre-o Balloon Boy story, all I can think is, "WTF is wrong with people??"

[Calvin]

Posted: 10/16/09 at 1:51pm

Both in this case and in the Queens beating, the older sisters of the accused are trying to paint their siblings as these poor misguided kids who were never capable of anything as heinous as what they did. I know people stand up for family, but how can they in the face of things that are so indefensible?

[Mister Matt]

Posted: 10/16/09 at 1:55pm

I can't sort out what these boys thought the eventual outcome would be. That they would, I don't know, KILL A KID and just get away with it? Or just maim him horribly for life and get away with it? It was a group effort and two of the kids were specifically responsible for lighting someone on fire. This wasn't just some sort of misguided accident. And they were all old enough to assume the consequences of such an action. It's just mind-boggling.

[tazber]

Posted: 10/16/09 at 2:04pm

It is matt. I just can't get my head around it. Even at that young age you know that setting someone on fire cam kill.

Are those the boys who did this marc?

[StockardFan]

Posted: 10/16/09 at 2:05pm

Yes, taz they are. I think there were more of them too though right?

[mominator]

Posted: 10/16/09 at 2:06pm

What type of people are raising these kids?! Oh wait a minute, no one is raising them them. These are what RC and I call "free range children" My lord throw the book at the so called "parents as well!

[ErikJ972]

Posted: 10/16/09 at 2:13pm

"The face of evil."

If only it were that simple.

[Anakela]

Posted: 10/16/09 at 2:20pm

"free range children"- I like it.

I think there were more of them too though right?

There were five people arrested, the two in the pic posted above are brothers (one is named Denver Colorado, kid you not, the other is his brother Jeremy.)

Pics of all five can be found here:
PHOTO GALLERY: Five accused of burning Deerfield Beach boy

[StockardFan]

Posted: 10/16/09 at 2:23pm

Yesterday when they were interviewing the boy's mother she just couldn't stop crying. It was heartbreaking.

[D2]

Posted: 10/16/09 at 2:27pm

This is so horrifying on so many levels I can't even begin to process it all. My heart goes out to the boy and his family.

[Anakela]

Posted: 10/16/09 at 2:27pm

This link has more of the info that I remember reading right after it happened: that a few of the suspects laughed about it when they were arrested, and that all five have sealed juvi records-

Bent and Denver Jarvis laughed under questioning, Feeley said.

Only Mendez, arrested along with Shelton on Tuesday, showed remorse, the deputy said.

Should Brewer die, all five could face murder charges, Lamberti said. All have previous juvenile records, which are sealed.
How authorities say the Deerfield Beach burning happened

[Jane2]

Posted: 10/16/09 at 2:30pm

"The face of evil."

Yes, definitely - they sure do look evil.

This makes me think of how angry these kids are. They don't respect life, nor themselves. They've had horrendous, if any, upbringing.

[sabrelady]

Posted: 10/16/09 at 2:33pm

The true "banality of evil" faces.

No doubt they thought it would be "fun".
How much crap happens "cos we were just having fun"?

[tazber]

Posted: 10/16/09 at 2:34pm

If he lives he has a long road ahead. The pain associated with these types of burns is unimaginable.

[papalovesmambo]

Posted: 10/16/09 at 2:38pm

cal, the siblings might see absolutely nothing wrong with what the kids did. oh sure they pretend to, but in their heart they are most likely as disturbed as the accused. some folks just don't see others as human. or see anyone as having any worth whatsoever outside the immediate family. but i agree with jane that this is almost assuredly the result of failures by the parents. i don't think i believe anymore in people being "born bad". i blame those whose responsibility it was to teach these children to value life.

[MotorTink]

Posted: 10/16/09 at 2:45pm

beyond sickening....

Posted: 10/16/09 at 2:54pm

One of the suspects is named Denver Colorado? I think we've got our first "Mother of the Year" nominee!

[Broadwayboobs]

Posted: 10/16/09 at 3:03pm

Too bad their parents didn't read this....

10 Tips for Raising Children of Character
by Dr. Kevin Ryan

It is one of those essential facts of life that raising good children--children of character--demands time and attention. While having children may be “doing what comes naturally,” being a good parent is much more complicated. Here are ten tips to help your children build sturdy characters:


1. Put parenting first. This is hard to do in a world with so many competing demands. Good parents consciously plan and devote time to parenting. They make developing their children’s character their top priority.


2. Review how you spend the hours and days of your week. Think about the amount of time your children spend with you. Plan how you can weave your children into your social life and knit yourself into their lives.

3. Be a good example. Face it: human beings learn primarily through modeling. In fact, you can’t avoid being an example to your children, whether good or bad. Being a good example, then, is probably your most important job.

4. Develop an ear and an eye for what your children are absorbing. Children are like sponges. Much of what they take in has to do with moral values and character. Books, songs, TV, the Internet, and films are continually delivering messages—moral and immoral—to our children. As parents we must control the flow of ideas and images that are influencing our children.

5. Use the language of character. Children cannot develop a moral compass unless people around them use the clear, sharp language of right and wrong.

6. Punish with a loving heart. Today, punishment has a bad reputation. The results are guilt-ridden parents and self-indulgent, out-of-control children. Children need limits. They will ignore these limits on occasion. Reasonable punishment is one of the ways human beings have always learned. Children must understand what punishment is for and know that its source is parental love.

7. Learn to listen to your children. It is easy for us to tune out the talk of our children. One of the greatest things we can do for them is to take them seriously and set aside time to listen.

8. Get deeply involved in your child’s school life. School is the main event in the lives of our children. Their experience there is a mixed bag of triumphs and disappointments. How they deal with them will influence the course of their lives. Helping our children become good students is another name for helping them acquire strong character.

9. Make a big deal out of the family meal. One of the most dangerous trends in America is the dying of the family meal. The dinner table is not only a place of sustenance and family business but also a place for the teaching and passing on of our values. Manners and rules are subtly absorbed over the table. Family mealtime should communicate and sustain ideals that children will draw on throughout their lives.

10. Do not reduce character education to words alone. We gain virtue through practice. Parents should help children by promoting moral action through self-discipline, good work habits, kind and considerate behavior to others, and community service. The bottom line in character development is behavior--their behavior.

As parents, we want our children to be the architects of their own character crafting, while we accept the responsibility to be architects of the environment—physical and moral. We need to create an environment in which our children can develop habits of honesty, generosity, and a sense of justice. For most of us, the greatest opportunity we personally have to deepen our own character is through the daily blood, sweat and tears of struggling to be good parents.

[StockardFan]

Posted: 10/16/09 at 3:16pm

I could probably work on #5.

[AbbaRabbit]

Posted: 10/16/09 at 6:10pm

things like this just make me hate people. i know that's not healthy, but i honestly don't know how else to respond to something like this. that 5 kids could think it was ok to set another kid on fire makes me sick.