Gay teen murdered

[Dan1089]

I couldn't believe this when I saw it on CNN.15 year old Lawrence King was shot in the head by a classmate during a computer lesson.Apparently the reason is that Lawrence had asked the boy to be his Valentine.I'm dumbstruck,don't know what to say.Have the children become that prejudiced?I command Lawrence for being what he was and not conceiling it,he might have been in the 8th grade but he was more of a man than I am.May his brave,young soul rest in peace.

[Mark]

Its horrible and completely wrong.

R.I.P I think is all I can say...

[wouldlikemuscle]

That's really bad. R.I.P.

What is with kids in America taking guns to school anyway??

[Smurlos]

Oh my god... that is terrifying! That young kids 1) have access to guns and 2) are willing to shoot someone over something like sexuality! Makes me wonder what they would do if you were to call them a name???

Surely he should have been HONORED that this guy had picked him out of all guys in the school? Honestly! The youth of today! (haha)

R.I.P to the very brave young lad who risked his life over a kid that didn't even deserve his thoughts!

[princealbertofb]

So what happens to the young murderer now? Does he get life sentence or the death penalty... Wake up, folks, we're talking of the U.S.of A. here... Land of the Brave, and Land of the Free (or so they think)!!! All this bravery and freedom put to bad use.

[Shadow]

Yet another example of people taking things too far - MASSIVELY too far ... Rest in Peace little one :frown:.

Such senseless violence is, as Smurlos has said, truly terrifying, as is (and again I agree with you babe) the mere notion that people of that age have access to firearms AND live ammo !!

It's absolutely insane .

!?!?! Shadow !?!?!

[Wilem]

No words really.

[ardus]

So what happens to the young murderer now? Does he get life sentence or the death penalty... Wake up, folks, we're talking of the U.S.of A. here... Land of the Brave, and Land of the Free (or so they think)!!! All this bravery and freedom put to bad use.

Here we all agree that what happend to poor Lawrence King was evil and tragic and until I read this post I was happy just saying that but of course someone has to bad mouth the United States and force me to respond to that, and therefore sound like I don't care about what happened to this poor kid. For the record, I think the bastard who shot Lawrence King, by the way his name is Brandon McInerney, should be executed like any other murderer regardless of age, and regardless of why he chose to commit that murder. And to princeablertofb, we are the land of the free and Americans enjoy a greater degree of liberty than any other place in the world. Before you start thinking I am an ignorant boob I lived in Germany for three years and have traveled extensively in Europe so I do have a basis for comparison. Unfortunately the price that our society pays for the greater freedom we enjoy is that we have to put up with people like Brandon McInerney because we don't know they're murderers until they act.

[princealbertofb]

No, Ardus, I will not think that you don't care about that poor child.

I carefully worded this to imply that the USA is not the wonderful country that it (I did not say you) thinks it is, but not to bad mouth it, as you say. Of course, to deny that I had some reserves would be being of ill faith but I did not slander your country, nor did I criticise it any more than any American with open eyes would. It's only that the politics that are sometimes applied there (federally or by some of the states) do not correspond to my idea of real freedom. To be honest, I don't think there is any country where one is totally free. This is a very relative notion. Total freedom would probably lead to anarchy. Anyhow, most countries have some form of propaganda going on to defend their views and politics. The United States is no exception. Otherwise, why would it be such a big deal to be a communist there? (Don't get me wrong, I'm not defending communism, however).

Free to carry weapons? No thanks. The death penalty? No thanks. That is not my idea of liberty nor of an evolved society. I am happy with the way my country deals with these things. It's cultural, maybe and it may not even be the best way to deal with these issues. No disrespect meant to you or the United States, I just know that the idea of living in the U.S., with the amount of violence there, scares me. I'm sure I'd feel safer in Switzerland, and yet some of their customs also annoy me.

Besides, I know there are sensible Americans too, but saying that "you are the land of the free and that Americans enjoy a greater degree of liberty than any other place in the world" sounds arrogant to me if not just foolish (but I won't give my country credit either for undermining and demeaning our motto: "Liberté, Egalité, Fraternité").

Right now, in my private citizen's concerns, I would like to be free to marry (or not) which I cannot do here, and cannot do in most of the States, but could do in Spain, Belgium, Denmark and Canada. Which country is the most evolved in that matter? Is it France or the United States? Neither. (On traîne des pieds!!= we're slacking behind)

You believe you are freer in the United States than where for instance? China? No doubt about that. Freer than in Monaco? Possibly. Freer than in Canada or Switzerland or France? Not so sure.

I have never felt so pressured to buy and consume as when I was in the US. Admittedly, it was a few years ago. How has that evolved? There again, do people have any other choice than to consume, consume and consume some more? With all the brainwashing that advertising does? If you have no money, you aren't trully free. Just like Switzerland, in America you are only as free as your bank account can make you. Unfortunately, for many, it's a lifetime struggle to make ends meet. (I'm not saying it's getting any better in that respect in my own country, though, and I might be better off living in Denmark or Sweden.)

To return to the initial post, I have heard too many (American) stories of kids or young people taking guns and using them as if they were just toys to be able to believe that carrying weapons is not wrong and should not be controlled.

I've been in the army, I've handled guns. I know they are dangerous. But that experience with guns was in that specific context. I've not held another weapon since, and I'm glad I haven't had to. That's all I meant by that post, Ardus. I'm sorry if I offended you and also sorry if you cannot see that capital punishment and the liberty to carry arms is distasteful (as a general rule) to some of us. Would Brandon have shot Lawrence dead if he'd not had the means to do so so easily? I guess, he might have used his fists instead... At least Lawrence might not have died.

As for a country that is so proud to defend freedom... What kind of country is it where it is so distasteful to a person for another person to tell them they love them, be it same sex? Had Brandon not been scared of what being gay implied, he might have responded more pacifically. The kid had obviously been taught that gay was bad, dirty, sinful, to be destroyed.
Ignorance, prejudice and bigotry are also things that should be opposed. However I doubt that arms are a good weapon for that.

You also said: "Unfortunately the price that our society pays for the greater freedom we enjoy is that we have to put up with people like Brandon McInerney because we don't know they're murderers until they act." It is not the price you have to pay for your greater freedom, it is the price you have to pay for a lack of proper education. The seed of violence had been instilled in Brandon from the year dot. We are, more often than not, a product of our own upbringing. But trying to change mentalities, that's another kettle of fish.

[Dan1089]

Americans enjoy a greater degree of liberty than any other place in the world.

Huh?Please explain that statement for me Ardus.Are you talking Constitution-wise?There are many things that come to mind when I think about the US,liberty is just not one of them though.