More reports from the Reading Eagle. The dead kid was playing video games (GTA?)with his two co-attackers, when his probation officer found him. He was told to stay where he was and to report to the probation office later that day with his parent/s and was then fitted with an ankle monitor. The other two were told to leave. After the probation officer left the dead teen met up with the other two and start their crime spree. They beat and robbed two other seperate victims until they picked the wrong one. Acting out?,acting out of desperation?, no, I think they were acting like criminals.
I remember him as a lovely guy playing awesome keyboards… apparently I missed out on something… 
scientologist
Um, that’s because the 65-year-old man had a weapon.
More details. I’m amazed the man had the presence of mind to draw his weapon. You’re on your bike riding, a punch to the face knocks you off, and immediately you get kicked.
That would shake up anyone. To remember that weapon and successfully get it out of the holster in the few seconds available isn’t easy.
DA rules that the bicyclist won’t be charged. Understandable since this was the trios third mugging that morning.
http://readingeagle.com/article.aspx?id=362023
According to the article Johnson was already on probation for aggravated assault and wearing an electronic monitoring device when he and his friends went on their crime spree. Apparently the rule about not reporting the names of juveniles in the paper doesn’t apply for some reason. Johnson and the name of one of the other juveniles is in the article.
I teach 4th grade. It’s disturbing to imagine any of my students ending up in such a tragic situation. It’s not always surprising, but it’s almost always sad to know that just a few years ago these criminals were 9 years old, laughing on the playground or smiling when they made a good grade on a test or project. Maybe they were bullies or sullen troublemakers, but they were still just kids. Now, their lives are over or ruined. I don’t feel necessarily feel sorry for them, but it is sad.
I do feel sorry for the gentleman who killed one of them. It has to be tough living with the knowledge you ended someone’s life in such a violent way. It’s hard for many policemen who shoot someone. I think it would be difficult for most civilians.
Little kids can be total fuckin’ savages. Do not idealize the world of little children. It’s serious business. Little kids take the job of being kids as seriously as you take your adult job. The idealized world of the playground is actually filled with power jockeying and abuse.
That lion who just chewed your torso open was once a cute little lion cub, you know. But make no mistake, the cute little cub would have done the same thing if he could - he just wasn’t big enough.
Perhaps the playgrounds at some schools are fillled with nothing more than animals looking to destroy each other with gossip, verbal abuse, and physical beat-downs, all the while being in the charge of adults who choose to look the other way. That is a world with which I am not familiar. I’ve seen cliques develop that hurt feelings and I’ve seen situations that could have led to some nasty fights, but if you think the typical elementary school playground is nothing but a reflection of the darker side of society at-large, I must disagree. I’m not idealizing anything. I live it 180 days of the year and have for a long time. Most little kids are still little kids. However, lots of change can take place from 4th to 9th grade.
I don’t know that anyone is wanting to call for a party on any of this. But, some of the posts in this thread suggest that the world would be better off if the 65-year-old man had just let the kids take his money and not put up any kind of a fight. Certainly, the three kids’ lives would not be as fucked-up, and the man wouldn’t have the trauma of having killed someone; win-win all around.
But, the man would have to live with the fact that he did nothing (in a situation that never should have occurred). And, the kids would have felt just that more enabled for the next person they attacked (Hey, it isn’t like they were trying to kill the old man or anything).
No, I think what is being mistaken for celebration is just relief that a victim had the means (both physical and mental) to defend himself against a incredibly violent attack and that the perpetrators (who obviously thought they would pay no consequences for their actions) will be hampered in their attempts to repeat the act (one of them, permanently).
No, I see that the result is a win-win (for the victim and society). The victim should not feel any regret for his actions, as I would imagine he felt it was either kill or be killed. Society should also feel relief that the actions of these kids, which is completely indefensible, has not been rewarded.
excavating (for a mind)
Well, there is empathy and misplaced empathy. Like saying that having your shirt grabbed and being knocked off your bike isn’t a terrifying experience for the one it is happening to.
Oh, well. The old guy (I was going to say the victim, but in your world isn’t that everyone who was there?) was just ruffled up a bit. He should have felt sorry for the little darlings and voluntarily handed over his wallet while bashing his head against the ground so they wouldn’t take a chance on hurting their fists. Maybe he should have shown them how to make a club from a tree branch. You know, teach a man to fish and all that.
Or he could have shot himself as a token of his taking responsibility for his role in creating a society in which children violently assault old people.
It’s interesting that you got that impression, because I don’t see a single post in this thread suggesting that. There are several saying that it’s sad and not a cause for celebration.
I’m mildly surprised myself that no one wrote that it might have been better for the victim to not have defended himself. You can usually count on at least one person in a large group to have a contrary view.
So, again, it’s interesting. Did I miss a post, or were you just taking some posters lack of praise for condemnation?
Excavate a little more, and then read the thread again.
He was mugged by L. Ron.
You have to admit it’s a clever username though.
You and excavating, can we stop with the strawman arguments? No one suggested anything even remotely similar to what you’re saying. Please address the comments as they actually are, not what you wish them to be.
That’s really poor debating skills.
Apparently a consensual mugging.
Is that setting up a “strawman”, or just ridicule of the other side?
Can’t it be both?