Four Teens Beat, Attempt to Drown Black College Student

Posted by Pam Spaulding at 6:04 AM on September 26, 2007.

Pam Spaulding: It makes me sick and sad to hear about young people full of such hate. Have we learned nothing?

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This post, written by Pam Spaulding, originally appeared on Pam's House Blend

Why?

Four teenagers have been charged with a hate crime, accused of the beating and attempted drowning of a black college student at Haulover Beach Park Marina over the weekend. After calling him the N-word, the teens beat Florida International University freshman Stephen Barrett with a baseball bat and tried to drown him in the Intracoastal Waterway, Miami-Dade police said.

The suspects in the attack range in age from 15 to 18. All had attended a keg party at an island in the middle of the Intracoastal. About 1 a.m. Sunday, Barrett and two other FIU dorm mates were on a boat headed back to Haulover Marina when the driver of the boat said it was overloaded. ''Get off the boat, N-----,'' the teens said to Barrett, according to police reports.

After that, Barrett and his dorm mates got off and waited for the next boat. When they did get back to the marina, the thugs were waiting for them with baseball bats. According to the Miami Herald, Barrett was knocked into the waterway, and the teens held his head under water.

It should be noted that Barrett's friends were white and Hispanic, but the thugs went right for Barrett with the racial slur then beat them all -- guilt by association since they were with a young black man. It makes me sick and sad to hear about young people full of such hate.

Have we learned nothing?

Tagged as: race, racism, hate crimes

Pam Spaulding blogs at Pam's House Blend.

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Do we know the residency and citizenship status of Miguel Aranda, [Report this comment] Posted by: albrechtkrausse on Sep 26, 2007 6:19 AM Current rating: 1 [1 = poor; 5 = excellent] and the others accused in this awful crime? Will he simply be deported (as with most violent immigrants) or, if he is a US citizen, we he be punished accordingly? Also, as a minority, can he be charged with a "hate" crime or does this only apply to "white" citizens? Here is another beating, of course, this one is not race related: linked text [« Reply to this comment] [Post a new comment »] [Rate this comment: 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5] » Hmm.. can he be charged with a hate crime??? Posted by: JoshuaLudd » Charged means nothing. Even the proverbial "ham sandwitch" will get indicted Posted by: albrechtkrausse » do we know your residency and citizenship status, albrecht? Posted by: KaptainSpiffy » RE: Do we know the residency and citizenship status of Miguel Aranda, Posted by: ifnhateu2 THE HATE CRIME LABEL [Report this comment] Posted by: VZEQICVA on Sep 26, 2007 8:17 AM Current rating: 4 [1 = poor; 5 = excellent] Maybe it's time to stop identifying so many things as hate crimes. We aren't supposed to beat people and try to drown anyone. Plain and simple. We muddy up the waters. It's more important to be specific. There's something about all of us that could be stretched to be described as a 'victim of a hate crime'. It paints things with a broad brush. Too much can be read into it. The idea is to present a clear picture to a judge and or jury. Just a thought. Thanks, ANNA [« Reply to this comment] [Post a new comment »] [Rate this comment: 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5] » Not too broad Posted by: Rabblerouser hate is hate especially historic hate [Report this comment] Posted by: just_n_blak on Sep 26, 2007 9:38 AM Current rating: 1 [1 = poor; 5 = excellent] I really am uncomfortable telling you this...I mean you are in an alternative news site...that being so I would think that you are not naive enough to truly feel that the hate crime label should be taken off of acts that are deliberate outcomes of a persons creed, ideaology, or sexual orientation. The sad fact is that though civil rights acts and amendments and such were passed, you really cannot legislate love. Even though this is the case you can legislate and hold those accountable and mark as a piece of that accountability that the act committed was especially heinous because there was no reason for its commission but one of the characteristics of someone being human [« Reply to this comment] [Post a new comment »] [Rate this comment: 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5] Maybe I'm a sick a-hole for saying this, [Report this comment] Posted by: hurricane hugo on Sep 26, 2007 10:07 AM Current rating: 3 [1 = poor; 5 = excellent] but, being raised (and still living) in the Detroit area, I saw fights like this fairly often. What's the big deal about this one? This shit hardly qualifies as news imo; at least it didn't end in gunfire...the way they all too often do 'round here. plur [« Reply to this comment] [Post a new comment »] [Rate this comment: 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5] » RE: Maybe I'm a sick a-hole for saying this, Posted by: phrogg40 » I'd like to live next door to you in Fantasyland, Posted by: hurricane hugo Hate crimes [Report this comment] Posted by: frank69 on Sep 26, 2007 1:25 PM Current rating: 3 [1 = poor; 5 = excellent] You people who never see hate when crimes are committed had better get your heads out of your asses! [« Reply to this comment] [Post a new comment »] [Rate this comment: 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5] Attempted Murder [Report this comment] Posted by: JSquercia on Sep 26, 2007 5:07 PM Current rating: Not yet rated [1 = poor; 5 = excellent] Isn't that what the charges are against the Jena Six are ? BTW whatever happened with that case in West Virginia with those hillbillies assulting that black girl [« Reply to this comment] [Post a new comment »] [Rate this comment: 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5]

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» Hmm.. can he be charged with a hate crime??? Posted by: JoshuaLudd

» Charged means nothing. Even the proverbial "ham sandwitch" will get indicted Posted by: albrechtkrausse

» do we know your residency and citizenship status, albrecht? Posted by: KaptainSpiffy

» RE: Do we know the residency and citizenship status of Miguel Aranda, Posted by: ifnhateu2

» Not too broad Posted by: Rabblerouser

» RE: Maybe I'm a sick a-hole for saying this, Posted by: phrogg40

» I'd like to live next door to you in Fantasyland, Posted by: hurricane hugo

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