The Death of our Friends Son...

[M.D. Holloway]

Articles: Beaten to Death at McDonald's

Some may remember this. They live just two homes down. We have been close to them for the past 10 years. This has affected them and many.

We met him when we first moved into the neighborhood. To say Denton was a great kid is an understatement. No one should die like that. How would you do if it was your son or daughter that died like this?

I read many posts in various legal forums about how awful they were to sue McDonalds. Its not McDonalds fault right? I mean, these people are just looking to get rich and should be ashamed...until you know the whole story best to reserve judgment.

As in most all cases. The public never really knows what happened by going by what the media says. Sad really.

And please save the snarky comments - instead send me a PM if you want. I would love to come visit with you for a spell and hear about how you feel.

[speeder]

That's a horrible story. My heart goes out to the people affected.

[Tinbit]

I'll never understand the mentality.

Got a beef with a guy and want to hurt him? Punch him and knock him down, I have no issue with that. Boys being boys and all that.

Knock a guy down, then you and 30 of your closest friends continue to pummel the body until the dude is dead, or permanently handicapped?

That's E'ffed up, it really is. It is absolute savagery, and it should absolutely not be tolerated in what we call a civilized society. Some crimes need to be exempted from the cruel & unusual punishment clause. If you get involved in some mob crime like that, you need to have an appointment with the plug in chair in a swimming pool.

[masraum]

+1, horrible story. Unfortunately, it does sound like it was racially motivated. The article also seemed to have been written to be especially inflammatory which is also a bad way to go about things. There is a lot of hate in the world, not just the US, not just the south and not just between blacks and whites.

There are plenty of places in Texas where blacks may not be particularly safe.

It is very frustrating that the media mostly seizes upon racial issues when they are going a particular direction.

As a parent, it would be very difficult not to head down loaded for bear, looking for retribution, but that's the case regardless of the races, ethnicities or classification of the perpetrators and victims.

It does suck that the kids didn't decide to go somewhere else.

[masraum]

Originally Posted by Tinbit

I'll never understand the mentality.

Knock a guy down, then you and 30 of your closest friends continue to pummel the body until the dude is dead, or permanently handicapped?

That's E'ffed up, it really is. It is absolute savagery, and it should absolutely not be tolerated in what we call a civilized society. Some crimes need to be exempted from the cruel & unusual punishment clause. If you get involved in some mob crime like that, you need to have an appointment with the plug in chair in a swimming pool.

exactly, doesn't matter who is on either end, it's messed up. I'd have no problem with putting anyone down that was involved in the actual pummelling in that sort of case.

[Tobra]

That is pretty horrible, I remember when that happened and could not believe it was not front page of every paper in the country. I guess it would not matter, you still would not have any idea of what happened from reading the papers

[DanielDudley]

I remember walking through NYC with some friends years ago. At a certain point, I looked at the neighborhood and said, ''we have to get out of here now !''. The people around me had grown up in the city, but they were absolutely unaware of how dangerous it was.

We wound up hopping in a wreck of an old cab, the hood open two inches and steam coming out of the radiator.

I'm really sorry for your friends. Really very sorry. But all the money in the world won't change things, and I wonder if you remember what a stir this caused the last time you brought it up. I'd like to think that something good could come out of this. After all MADD was started by a single woman. If you find something positive that you can turn this into, I'd like to hear about it, and maybe we can help.

Until then, this is an inside job, something that you have to transform inside of yourself, and the people around you. Sometimes with death, we can give it meaning, or make it mean something. Often though, we simply need to find peace within ourselves.

Let us know if there is anything we can do.

[widgeon13]

Terrible story.

[onewhippedpuppy]

Hard to read as a parent. Also a good reminder of why I don't give the worthless effing ational media a minute of my viewing time. Their job should be to report ALL of the news in a factual and truthful manner, not push their own corporate agenda. Despicable and disgusting. Racism is a two way street, and I'm afraid that I have zero white guilt.

[M.D. Holloway]

I remember walking through NYC with some friends years ago. At a certain point, I looked at the neighborhood and said, ''we have to get out of here now !''. The people around me had grown up in the city, but they were absolutely unaware of how dangerous it was.



We wound up hopping in a wreck of an old cab, the hood open two inches and steam coming out of the radiator.



I'm really sorry for your friends. Really very sorry. But all the money in the world won't change things, and I wonder if you remember what a stir this caused the last time you brought it up. I'd like to think that something good could come out of this. After all MADD was started by a single woman. If you find something positive that you can turn this into, I'd like to hear about it, and maybe we can help.



Until then, this is an inside job, something that you have to transform inside of yourself, and the people around you. Sometimes with death, we can give it meaning, or make it mean something. Often though, we simply need to find peace within ourselves.



Let us know if there is anything we can do.

You made chills run down my spine. One hand a loaded 30-06 scoped seems appropriate yet on the other is rising above and creating change...

I didn't mean to inflame and get racial. The fact is racism is alive and thriving in this world and in the US it feeds off misinformation and lack of conviction. Yes conviction.

Maybe this should be in PARF yet it's bigger than that. Being in Texas I actually witness less racism then when I go home to Connecticut or any place in the NE. It's all over both ways.

Whites look at blacks as lazy and wanting to get over on the system and blacks look at whites as someone keeping them down. I really don't know how it will change. Seems like the thing feeds itself.

MADD was started by a Mom and the cease fire in Northern Ireland back 30 years ago was as well. Maybe this Mom can but frankly she's a mess - sad too because she is a really awesome lady.

Every day there are a few Denton Wards being killed in Israel and even more being mutilated in Africa. Who knows what's happened in central and South America.

To ask a parent to rise above and make good is an impossible task. I'm not sure it's possible. Of the hundreds of millions of people who have something like this happen to them they can not forgive - they just can't.. It's not in the DNA.

Many look to God or their religion to provide strength or meaning but those pleas always go unheard. The fact is there really is no answer.

Humans have done this sort of thing for ever. We see it in the animal kingdom to a certain extent. Difference is, the dead get eaten.

[VINMAN]

Originally Posted by M.D. Holloway

Whites look at blacks as lazy and wanting to get over on the system and blacks look at whites as someone keeping them down. I really don't know how it will change. Seems like the thing feeds itself.
.

Mike , first of all, that story is horrible and sickening. My heart goes out to that family.

This will never change, as long as the media keeps fueling the racial fires.
Things are only reported one way.

Remember this story all over the national news a few years ago?

Horror of Christian/Newsom killings in focus: What happened on Chipman Street - News Sentinel Story

[scottbombedout]

Originally Posted by M.D. Holloway

Articles: Beaten to Death at McDonald's

Some may remember this. They live just two homes down. We have been close to them for the past 10 years. This has affected them and many.

We met him when we first moved into the neighborhood. To say Denton was a great kid is an understatement. No one should die like that. How would you do if it was your son or daughter that died like this?

I read many posts in various legal forums about how awful they were to sue McDonalds. Its not McDonalds fault right? I mean, these people are just looking to get rich and should be ashamed...until you know the whole story best to reserve judgment.

As in most all cases. The public never really knows what happened by going by what the media says. Sad really.

And please save the snarky comments - instead send me a PM if you want. I would love to come visit with you for a spell and hear about how you feel.

Mike, terrible story and my heart goes out to the parents. I would never rest until every last one of those fers were dead. Thats not bull****, being a parent can do that to you.
As for the lawsuit against McDonalds, they deserved to pay. They had a responsibility to all their customers and they failed. Suing them should make it safer for everyone who visits a McDonalds in the future.

[M.D. Holloway]

Sad thing is it's happening in the world to hundreds of young ones a day.

At some point there has to be a domino that tips and starts a movement that says enough

[Eric 951]

Absolutely sickening. I have friends in Flower Mound--and this is the first I am hearing of this story.

I have not heard of any instance where black on white crime has been deemed a "hate" crime. Had the roles been reversed, you can guarantee this would have been EVERYWHERE and that Rev Al. and Holder would be there.

[VINMAN]

I'm angered and terrified, at the society and world my grandkids are being brought into.

[cashflyer]

It sucks that the kids were brought up to naively believe the lie that this is a "post racial" America. To me, stories like this should be a wake up call to every parent to teach your kids how to recognize a bad situation. I would certainly rather my kid be paranoid and distrustful, than dead.

But in the end, this is not the kids fault. And this is not their parents fault.
This is the fault of the McDonalds managers for not having the loitering crowd dispersed.
It is the fault of the managers for dismissing a person who brandished a firearm.
And ultimately, it is the fault of the thugs who beat these kids to death. Thugs that should at least be imprisoned for second degree murder, and accomplices to that murder.

[stomachmonkey]

Originally Posted by M.D. Holloway

Whites look at blacks as lazy and wanting to get over on the system and blacks look at whites as someone keeping them down. I really don't know how it will change. Seems like the thing feeds itself.

Articles like this is one of the ways it feeds itself.

First of what happened to the kids is tragic, no one denies it.

But it does not help when articles are written in a manner that is meant to illicit an emotional response, that being "blacks are dangerous".

Any time you have large groups of people, black, white, hispanic, asian, whatever, you will have your share of troublemakers.

I spent a good portion of my life living on Long Island, we hung out in NYC (Times Square before they cleared out the strip joints and drug dealers) , Bed Sty, Harlem, The Rockaways, The Hamptons, and you know what? You were far more likely to have trouble with some roided out Guido at The Boardy Barn on a Sunday afternoon than at 1AM in "Harlem"

The authors intent is crystal clear, he wants to perpetuate the idea that blacks are violent, that you should fear them, that the problem is only getting worse.

Tim Wise » Race, Crime and Statistical Malpractice: How the Right Manipulates White Fear With Bogus Data

That he is using the tragic death of these two kids to further his agenda is despicable.

[scottmandue]

Tragic, yes.

Really, really badly written article.

Difficult to understand how these kids didn't see how dangerous the situation was.

As someone said, "nothing good happens out on the street at 2AM."

[M.D. Holloway]

True on all accounts. Thing is the article - while it takes a harsh time and will incite and not provide 'insight' conveys a level of horror that can't be ignored.

I don't know the answers. I saw ethnic stuff growing up in my town with the Irish and Italians.

It never seems to end.

[M.D. Holloway]

I wouldn't know how to write this article with out the race angle because it was racially motivated.