Gay man beat "to the point of disfigurement" by three 19 year olds

[romantico]

Posted: 6/3/07 at 2:40pm

No, we certainly don't need hate crime legislation, do we, Republicans and conservative Christians? This $hit will NEVER end!

LOWELL -- Three Lowell men are facing charges of mayhem and civil rights violation after police said jumped a Lowell man early Saturday morning and beat him to the point of disfigurement, police said.

Jonathan M. Artis, of 201 White St., Jeffrey J. Buchannan, of 378 Adams St., Apt. 152 and Jules V. Ruggs, of 32 W. 4th Street, 1st Floor, all 19, were arrested for mayhem, civil rights violation (assault and battery) and simple assault and battery, police said.

The 22-year-old victim of the attacks told police he was walking down the street when the three men began harassing him, hurling homophobic epithets at him before repeatedly punching him in the face shortly before 3 a.m.

http://www.lowellsun.com/ci_6047441

[Mr Roxy]

Posted: 6/3/07 at 2:47pm

This point out the arguement re hate crimes. It should be the same thing if the guy was straight

No crime I know of was ever committed out of love. These 3 should have the book thrown at them because they beat up a human being.

A hate crime against vandalizing a house due to hate (gay or race) is one thing & I agree . This is a crime against a human being (no matter straight or gay) & should be treated as such. Put these 3 degenerates in jail & throw away the key. Let them languish in jail & when they get out maybe they will think twice about doing this to anyone

[jrb_actor]

Posted: 6/3/07 at 2:57pm

the point, mr. roxy, is that crimes committed only because of a person's gender, race, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity should carry a heavier penalty to dissaude people from such motivations.

and the motivation has to be proven to be declared a hate crime same as the degree of a crime is set by proven motivation.

and it's not a special protection for gays--if the roles were reversed and 3 gay men beat up someone because they were straight, they would deserve to be slapped with a hate crime law just the same.

[touchmeinthemorning]

Posted: 6/3/07 at 3:02pm

it's not really about dissuading others from commiting future crimes, it's about protecting the public from people who harm others for no reason other than a perceived culture they belong to.

e.g., you get 10 years in prison normally for hitting someone with a baseball bat, but if you do it because they are black, you get 30. Why? Because the law says that hitting someone who made you mad because of something they said is DIFFERENT than hitting someone because of who they are.

[romantico]

Posted: 6/3/07 at 3:07pm

I know people who roll their eyes whenever the words "Hate Crimes" are mentioned.

Their arguments usually make no sense.

For example:

1) "All crimes are hate crimes!": No they aren't. A person stealing from his employer is not usually doing so out of hate. Killing a person while driving drunk is a crime, but it's hardly a hate crime. Smoking marijuana is a crime (and shouldn't be) but it's not a hate crime. Selling heroin isn't a hate crime.

2) "We already have laws that can punish these acts": One could say the same thing about killing another person. Why do we need 1st degree murder, 2nd degree murder, voluntary homicide, involuntary homicide, negligent homicide, etc? After all, they are all basically the same act. What's the difference?
MOTIVE!

3) "It gives crimes against certain people special treatment".: No it doesn't. I don't know about you, but I've never met anyone who didn't have a race, gender, sexual orientation, age, etc. The laws protect whites as well as black and straights as well as gays. Now some may argue that more often than not hate crimes are charged for actions against minorities and that would be true, but is it our fault that gay guys don't hang out near Hooters waiting to beat the **** of some heterosexual?

4) "If these laws are passed, every action crime against will be considered a crime!". That is just nonsense on the face of it.

5) "It punishes thought!": No....it punishes MOTIVE. Which is no different than what we have done for hundreds of years in the legal system.

6) "It will stifle free speech! (or have some other bizarre consequence)": 45 states already have hate crime laws on the books and yet all the dire predictions about preachers being arrested in their pulpits for preaching homosexuality is immoral or some such idiocy haven't come to pass.

And what REALLY is telling is that 99% of people who argue against hate crime laws are people who are likely never to be a victim of a hate crime since and have no idea what it is like to be singled out for violence for an innate trait or live in a community where people are being singled out for violence because of an innate trait and have to look over their shoulder and worry all the time that some bigot is going to single them out and do what happens in so many of these stories.

Updated On: 6/3/07 at 03:07 PM

[MasterLcZ]

Posted: 6/3/07 at 3:17pm

I am a bad person for really wanting to see these three punks get beaten into blood pudding?

Updated On: 6/3/07 at 03:17 PM

[blueroses]

Posted: 6/3/07 at 3:32pm

Great post, romantico.

[TheatreDiva90016]

Posted: 6/3/07 at 4:36pm

Not at all Master.

Matter of fact, I'll do the pounding.

[mateo]

Posted: 6/3/07 at 4:40pm

poor baby.

I hope he will recover.

Updated On: 6/3/07 at 04:40 PM

[MotorTink]

Posted: 6/3/07 at 4:40pm

I'll be behind Diva with my 4" heel boots with a reinforced toe!

[TheatreDiva90016]

Posted: 6/3/07 at 4:46pm

Behind me?

That's an exit, honey, not an entrance.

[MotorTink]

Posted: 6/3/07 at 4:47pm

I meant behind you waiting until you are done beating them up, then it'll be my turn.

[TheatreDiva90016]

Posted: 6/3/07 at 4:49pm

Oh, okay!







whoops.

[MotorTink]

Posted: 6/3/07 at 4:50pm

hehe, dirty boy!

[polly2]

Posted: 6/3/07 at 5:05pm

me & my 3 1/2 inch heels are right behind Tink in line for that priviledge

[Liverpool]

Posted: 6/3/07 at 5:19pm

hmmm, Mr roxy defending bigots and hate mongers again...SHOCKING..oh wait, no THAT ALWAYS HAPPENS.

[EverythingIsRENT]

Posted: 6/3/07 at 5:34pm

excuse me, but when did Roxy ever defend the criminals? READ what he said before making ridiculous statements.

[best12bars]

Posted: 6/3/07 at 7:46pm

I echo blueroses---Great post, romantico.

[sondheimboy2]

Posted: 6/3/07 at 11:25pm

The scarry thing about this is it that shows that no matter how fit, or buff, or muscular a gay man can get, he is still no match for a bunch of kids with baseball bats.

[kjklo]

Posted: 6/3/07 at 11:50pm

That's the scary thing?

[sondheimboy2]

Posted: 6/4/07 at 12:07am

O.k., I'm over simplifying.

But, that's a fear that all gay men live with.

[PalJoey]

Posted: 6/4/07 at 12:34am

I also want to applaud Romantico's post.

EverythingIsRENT --you nasty ol' gay-hater--try reading Romantico's post. It may make your bigoted head explode.

[romantico]

Posted: 6/4/07 at 9:37am

Anyone ever see the episode of 'Queer As Folk" where there was a guy in a group called the Pink Pistols? Its basically having all gays arm themsleves with firearms while going out. Now, before I am labeled some radical let me say that I HATE guns! However, since this sort of thing is happening way to often I think gay men need to do as much as they legally can.

Just once I would love to read in the paper that three men were shot buy a homosexual while attemtping to gaybash him. However, something tells me if this did happen it would be the gay man's fault and the three men would be the victims!

Updated On: 6/4/07 at 09:37 AM

[lildogs]

Posted: 6/4/07 at 11:41am

Great post, romantico--couldn't and wouldn't have said it any differently.

[Magdalene]

Posted: 6/4/07 at 12:13pm

My kudos also to romantico for such an eloquent post----bravo!