Home > Gwinnett > Rick Badie / My Opinion > Archives > 2008 > April > 13 > Entry
DEL.ICIO.USVictim’s mercy toward youths unusual
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Their son was shaken up the most.
He heard his mom’s screams coming from the driveway. Rebecca Baltich had been shot in the stomach with a BB gun.
The incident ended with the arrest of an All-America basketball player and two of his teammates. Norcross High hoops star Al-Farouq Aminu, Prince Kent and Quintin Square have been charged with felony aggravated assault and misdemeanor trespass. They allegedly shot Baltich March 14 in front of her Norcross home. They spent a night in jail and may be indicted.
Something stood out when I read the initial story about the incident. It wasn’t the fact that Aminu, a Wake Forest signee and a Parade Magazine and McDonald’s All-American, may have been involved. After all, no one’s perfect, and if you think you’re remotely close you’re either fooling yourself or have a selective memory.
What resonated with me was the attitude of the Baltichs, Rebecca and Branden. Go easy on the boys, the couple has said. They have their whole lives ahead of them.
“We think this is the right thing to do,” Branden told me during a three-way telephone call with his wife and me. “Life is precious, too short to be caught up being angry.”
So often we see spiteful, vindictive responses and reactions to most any and every thing. The eye-for-an-eye and tooth-for-a-tooth adages get taken to the extreme. Unless, of course, you’re a celebrity.
Without question, some crimes deserve swift prosecution. Think Gary Michael Hilton, the drifter who has admitted killing and decapitating Meredith Emerson, a 24-year-old Bufordite. Or Brian Nichols, the multiple-murder defendant whose death-penalty trial has been bogged down over defense funding.
Sometimes, though, we’re too hard-core, too quick to throw down the gauntlet. We view issues in black and white, and conveniently ignore slivers of gray that distort our cozy picture of justice and order, right and wrong.
Forget compassion and forgiveness. Vindictiveness rules, though it’s not altogether effective. Same for retribution. Getting even. By any means necessary. The new American way.
The Baltichs stepped back and thought things through, despite being victims in what had to be a highly emotional situation. They aren’t being suckers. They are simply showing compassion that they don’t have to exhibit. They could have talked this ordeal up in the press and made it out to be worse than it really was. And it would have been more egregious if one of the couple’s three children had been the victim or Rebecca had lost an eye.
“It’s basically just a welt,” said Rebecca Baltich, who prefers that her husband, a corporate attorney, speak to reporters.
Branden Baltich told me he’d like the criminal case resolved quickly and out of the press. He said he’d never been taken to jail, and couldn’t imagine what it must have been like for the boys to be locked up.
“That had to be scary,” he said.
Just as scary as shots raining down on your driveway.
Permalink | Comments (55) | Post your comment | Categories: Rick Badie
Comments
By shane
April 13, 2008 8:55 AM | Link to this
I like to think of myself not so much as perfect, but as haveing never shot any lady in the gut with a projectile device. With malis or without malis, that is the question. Lots of teenagers mean to do something until they get in trouble and oh, maybe not such a good idea. Let the process take care of the truth, and wakeforest determine his future.
By Slim
April 13, 2008 9:24 AM | Link to this
I don’t know about where you came from but, where I come from 18 years old is old enough to know the difference between right and wrong. Obviously they had no intent on killing the lady or anyone else but they knew someone could get hurt. The intent to commit the crime is there so should the intent to prosecute be.
By The Love Hack
April 13, 2008 9:30 AM | Link to this
This is similar to a case about fifteen years ago when a retired naval officer left his house with a hand-cannon, walked a half a block down the street, and fired into a car filled with teenage pranksters who had just hit his window with a slingshot. He was acquitted of murder…. a boy’s head was blowed clean off.
You be the jury. You be the judge. You be the executioner. Watch civilization dissolve before your eyes. This is the ultimate reality show called, “The right to bear arms vs the right of habitual corpses.”
Appeal, or No Appeal?
By Michael H. Smith
April 13, 2008 9:34 AM | Link to this
The attitude of these young men is the question that needs answering before determining what may seal their fate. A felony record will certainly cause them far more pain than a welt and will not go away as easily.
If no attitude adjustment is apparent in these young men, all the compassion in the world, no matter how noble, will be wasted and they will likely repeat another act of reckless conduct that produces worse injury to some other person or persons in the future.
Get your head together young men, straighten-up and act responsibly as well behaved non-violent members of society.
By The Love Hack
April 13, 2008 10:01 AM | Link to this
Yes, Michael Smith, but is it grounds for a good appeal? SO I have to ask you, Appeal or no Appeal? And I want your answer……RIGHT AFTER THIS MESSAGE….
Camera to Michael Smith, going , “Aww!”
Commercial: A financial advisor in tuff economic times advises people that the only retirement plan available to them is to make their own beef jerky with the Ronco Beef Jerky Machine for three easy payment of 39.99 plus a years supply of castor oil to help expell the tough stringy foodstuff from their bodies…
Welcome back to Appeal, or no Appeal. Okay, we’re waiting on Michael Smith’s answer, so I ask you again, sir, Appeal, or no Appeal…..
“You know, Love Hack, I’ve had a good time blogging, and I think that the chances of convicting someone over a errant bb gun shot when most folks only get four years for using a .357 magnum and blowing other folk’s head clean off, well, I gotta go with APPEAL! ding.
“okay, that’s alot of jurisprudent thinking, but was it good justice?”
Lets open your case, and “Aw, look, the judge has denied your bail and found you in contempt for being a moron, and your cellmate is a latent homosexual with chlamydia.”
See U next time on “Appeal, or no Appeal?”
By OpinionsMatter
April 13, 2008 10:03 AM | Link to this
It sounds like they are practicing the true meaning of Christian forgiveness. How many of us can say the same?
By Spelling For Dummies
April 13, 2008 10:15 AM | Link to this
Hey Shane…what is malis? Oh, did you mean MALICE? It took me a while to figure out what you were trying to say. If you google a word, you will get the correct spelling, or a “did you mean…?” message. Use it.
By The Love Hack
April 13, 2008 10:27 AM | Link to this
Point of Order: Spelling is not on the table or criteria used for criticizing a comment. In the ninties, spelling was the first place everyone went in any discussion or argument and whole chatrooms turned into a funk and wagnal orgy of thesaurus links and synonym/antonym ambushes and everything.
SO what if he mispelled a word, is that your contribution, that you’d make a great speller? Congratualtions. Here’s a cookie.
By HeySoose
April 13, 2008 11:04 AM | Link to this
Those of you that never did anything stupid in your youth, please raise your hand…….That’s what I thought….so stop judging these kids and shut the hell up.
By LT5000
April 13, 2008 12:11 PM | Link to this
Aminu has been charged with aggravated assault and misdemeanor trespass, I suspect he will have some community service and some probation.
Lets hope this athlete learns his lesson with the help of the Justice System.
However, I suspect the Yugoslavians mercy is borne out of fear that someday Aminu’s friends will return with real guns.
Love Hack: Equating this case to the case 15 years ago is absolutely idiotic. It’s a BB gun vs. a real gun. If you want to see civilization dissolving just hit the local ghetto.
LT5000
By What?
April 13, 2008 12:17 PM | Link to this
Whatever stupid things you or I have done in the past is not up for review. What is on the table is the young man’s actions. Is there a law against what he did? If so, then apply appropriate punishment. If he didn’t know the concept of consequences for actions, he certainly will now - hopefully.
By ELLE
April 13, 2008 12:19 PM | Link to this
I am a bit curious as to what these young men were thinking or “NOT” thinking.
I don’t know if I could be a forgiving as quickly as the Baltich family.
I do however admire them! This is IMO the right thing to do.
I pray that Mrs. Baltich will be okay. I am sure that it will take some time to heal emotionally.
Most of us feel secure when standing on our own driveways.
I pray that these young men “apologize”, and recognize how their lives could forever change due to this “dumb” act.
Dumb teenage stuff.
* shaking my head *
By reader
April 13, 2008 12:56 PM | Link to this
If you’ve done dumb things in your youth, and experienced the mercy of others or the court, and changed your ways, then you have learned from your mistakes. You were lucky and most likely capable of empathy, especially in the case of teenagers and acts of stupidity. So, What?, it does matter what you’ve experienced in the past. Too many sit in judgment. Most of us have done incredibly idiotic things for which we were not caught, or were lucky enough to be treated with mercy.
A felony record would most definitely hinder these kids for life. Have you filled out a job application lately or applied to college? Teenagers need to be aware there are consequences for their actions, but they do not have to have the “book” thrown at them for first time offenses. Thankfully, the court of public opinion does not rule. You know, what goes around comes around, and it’s always different when the shoe is on the other foot…and the rules apply to you or your teenager.
By Bush Twins
April 13, 2008 1:25 PM | Link to this
We survived the Bush Whitehouse and all we got were these lousy wet t-shirts.
love, the bush twins.
By JR
April 13, 2008 1:53 PM | Link to this
These kids will learn from this experience,
They will learn they can get away with anything!
By Charles
April 13, 2008 1:56 PM | Link to this
It’s not difficult for us to understand why we’re too hard-core, too quick to throw down the gauntlet; and why we view issues in black and white, and conveniently ignore slivers of gray that distort our cozy picture of justice and order, right and wrong. We have a colossal imbalance of institutional power.
White institutional power is the link to life for all black Americans, regardless of class, education, shades of color, and sexual orientation etc. If white Americans failed to service the basic needs of black Americans, food, clothing, shelter, employment, education, etc., our lives would be catastrophically altered; black Americans would likely perish from the face of the earth.
The adverse impact of the psyche of a black person living without institutional power is untold. Groups that have adequate institutions and those that do not automatically see the world, and especially justice, order, right and wrong differently.
In a nutshell, balance from each group’s perspective will occur when and only when black people build institutions capable of servicing the needs of their lowly masses. Both groups would have the necessary standing to recognize the slivers of gray that distort our cozy picture of justice, order, right and wrong.
Now Rick Badie, to equate, relate, or parallel the swift prosecution of Gary Michael Hilton, the drifter who has admitted killing and decapitating Meredith Emerson, a 24-year-old Bufordite to Brian Nichols, the multiple-murder defendant whose death-penalty trial has been bogged down over defense funding is clearly out of bounds.
Gary Hilton is a serial killer. He is an admitted psychopath. His only rational concern is whether he will be handed over to federal authorities and sent to ADX Florence, Florence ADMAX, Supermax, or The Alcatraz of the Rockies. Gary Hilton deserves swift prosecution/ punishment for his crimes.
The Brian Nichols case is a bird of a different feather. Fulton County Georgia jurors deadlocked 10-2 in favor of acquittal of accused rapist Brian Gene Nichols. We can deduce that it is highly probable Brian Gene Nichols didn’t rape anyone. It’s likely that Brian Gene Nichols didn’t break and enter anyone’s home to hold a complainant hostage for days. That was the initial judgment of ten of twelve jurors serving on the Brian Gene Nichols rape case.
It appears that a feisty, scrappy, prosecutor attempted to rail-road another powerless black man by hastily rescheduling another rape trial, thereby, denying the defendant his rights to transcripts according to law. What was Brian Nichols suppose to do? Was he to wait until he was wrongly convicted and write from prison to Amnesty International or the Innocence Project for assistance in a possible redress?
From the surface, the Brian Nichols case wreaks with the stench of prosecutorial/institutional misconduct which culminated on March 11, 2005. There is a world of difference between the two cases.
By Scotty
April 13, 2008 2:45 PM | Link to this
I’m sure if this had been a white kid shooting at a black woman, Badie would not feel this way. No one’s perfect, huh? I guess only black’s make mistakes. If you are white it is a hate crime.
By Robin
April 13, 2008 3:08 PM | Link to this
Charles: THIS ARTICLE IS NOT ISSUE OF THE “OPPRESSED BLACK MAN”. WHY IS IT ALWAYS A RACE ISSUE? IT HAPPENS TO BE ABOUT YOUNG MEN (REGARDLESS OF COLOR)NOT USING THEIR HEAD TO THINK WITH AND “WHAT THE HELL WERE YOU THINKING?” WHEN YOU AIMED ANY KIND OF PROJECTILE DEVICE AT ANYONE! IF THEY HAVE ENOUGH SENSE TO GET INTO COLLEGE WOULDN’T YOU THINK THEY WOULD KNOW RIGHT FROM WRONG? THANK GOD FOR THE COMPASSION OF MR. AND MRS. BALTICH AS THEIR PREFERENCES WILL HOLD WEIGHT WITH THE COURTS. DON’T FORGET, MR. BALTICH IS A CORPORATE ATTORNEY - HE STILL HAD TO PASS ALL REQUIREMENTS OF LAW SCHOOL IN ORDER TO PASS THE STATE BAR! AS FOR HILTON AND NICHOLS - THE OUT COME IS STILL THE SAME - ALL THOSE PEOPLE ARE STILL DEAD. THEY UNFORTUNATLY WILL SIT ON DEATH ROW FOR A NUMBER OF YEARS AT THE TAX PAYERS EXPENSE. BY THE WAY, HOW MUCH MORE ARE WHITE AMERICANS SUPPOSED TO DO FOR THE BLACK AMERICANS OF THIS COUNRTY? HOW ABOUT GETTING OFF OF STATE WELFARE SYSTEM AND GET A JOB AND SUPPORT YOUR FAMILY?
By Stone
April 13, 2008 3:15 PM | Link to this
Charles your interpretation of the jury’s deadlock in the Brian Nichols rape case is flawed. Ten of twelve jurors didn’t make an initial judgement that he didn’t do it. They made a judgement that the State hadn’t proven it’s case. Big difference. You ask “what was he supposed to do?” Murdering innocent people is not the answer. To excuse his behavior and other blacks who commit crimes by crying about institutional power will only lead to more such criminal activity. I truly pity the person waiting around for “black people to build institutions capable of servicing the needs of their lowly masses.” Excusing criminal behavior, neglecting responsibility for one’s offspring and waiting around for whitey to treat you right is one sure fire way of getting nowhere.
By Lynne
April 13, 2008 3:17 PM | Link to this
Scotty, Well according to quite a few folks, a bunch of white kids in North Fulton County where just making mistakes when they spent 3 days breaking in 150 cars to steal electronics. It was a “mistake” that prompted the “Barbie Bandits” to go on a shopping spree after walking out of a federal bank with $11k. Heck, it was just a mistake when Dany Heatley just killed his Thrashers teammate. Did you complain about those “mistakes”? Naw, you didn’t even let it cross your mind.
By Tink
April 13, 2008 3:31 PM | Link to this
While Charles is wrong for making this a race issue, Robin did nothing to help. Instead she tried to use the old tired sterotype that black people are on welfare and need to stop looking to white america for help. Typical racist attitude. It would be nice if people like Robin would stop thinking all black people are some mindless group who all think alike and act alike. Stop looking at MTV and perhaps open your eyes and see that we are Mothers, Fathers,Doctors, Lawyers, Teachers just like YOU.
By Bush Twins
April 13, 2008 3:41 PM | Link to this
A bb gun can easily kill a man if the pellet happens to penetrate the skin and then go clean…..through…..thegizzard. The mayo clinic puts out a yearly data-mined statistics almanac that categorizes fatal bb gun incidents. In 99.999999 percent of the cases, the victim was shot clean….through…..thegizzard.
Now, there is a bill before our congress that would force clothing manufactures to make all t-shirt using kevlar bullet proofing material to prevent any more bb gun trajedies.
Osama Bin Laden himself got his start using bb guns against baby seals, the dirty rat. Something has to be done. Something. Why wont somebody do something? Why?
By Charles
April 13, 2008 4:14 PM | Link to this
Tink,
I didn’t insert race into the conversation my friends; I inserted the institutional power issue or the lack thereof.
African Americans are somewhat monolithic. Most do think alike. The difference in so-called black thinking occurs in the variety of ways the vast majority seeks to be accepted by white institutional power.
The so-called different thinking among black people has the identical objective; just creative ways of getting there.
By Stone
April 13, 2008 4:39 PM | Link to this
Charles- Your bitterness and hatred aren’t shared by the many wonderful black folks I have the pleasure of knowing. Speak for yourself, but don’t try to sell us that most other African-Americans share in your beliefs.
By woodie
April 13, 2008 6:34 PM | Link to this
I say let the kids suffer the consequences. They will make a good example for other young people not to follow in their footsteps. At least one good thing will come out of this.
By Charles
April 13, 2008 6:55 PM | Link to this
Stone,
I hope you’re not looking into a mirror. I’m not at all bitter or filled with hatred. But we can’t say that about many younger African Americans. In most cases, they just don’t know what they are angry about.
The wonderful black folks that you know should be responsible and build institutional power. It would improve the mental and physical health of young black people.
I agree with you on one point. The wonderful African Americans that you know don’t share my views. But I’m proud to report that many thinking and responsible black, white, and other people do.
Well Stone, I’ve just put in overtime on the job so that a major project is up to date and ready for presentation tomorrow. It’s well past time for me to go home.
I will talk to everybody tomorrow; God willing.
By Stone
April 13, 2008 7:49 PM | Link to this
Charles, you sure spend a lot of time at work on matters that don’t concern work, glad you aren’t working for my company. You also seem to have a peculiar need to convince me that you have a major project that you’re finishing during overtime, like that has anything remotely to do with the subject at hand. What is it you are attempting to prove? We all have jobs, Charlie, though some of us actually work at ours instead of wasting our employer’s money and trust blogging. You are bitter, sir, and I pray that one day you get realize it. Only then can you do something about it, other than cry about the white institutional power structure on a blog about BB guns and forgiveness. Peace.
By Tink
April 13, 2008 7:59 PM | Link to this
Charles… I don’t share your views and I am a black woman. In fact I really don’t know what you are talking about. This blog was about a victim asking for mercy for the very people that victimized them. I don’t know what Brian Nicholson has to do with this. He is a cop killer and deserves to be put to death. Nobody made him do what he did but himself. No rational black person would try to justify his horrific actions.
By Tink
April 13, 2008 8:47 PM | Link to this
Stone, stop posting to yourself.
By Bruce Wilcox
April 13, 2008 10:38 PM | Link to this
woodie, what world do you live in…”I say let the kids suffer the consequences. They will make a good example for other young people not to follow in their footsteps. At least one good thing will come out of this.”?
Many teens today, yes even in Gwinnett, are not carrying BB guns but the real thing. They’re lucky to be alive, someone pulls a pistol, even a teen now a days, many of us wouldn’t wait to see if it was a BB gun or a real one.
The victims in this do not want it blown out of proportion. I think the injured parties should be abllowed to influence the out come, not public opinion.
They’re the ones that should be made examples of.
By Stone
April 14, 2008 5:23 AM | Link to this
Tink, what? Your first two posts made a whole lot of sense, the last was confusing.
By Atico
April 14, 2008 8:37 AM | Link to this
Note to Charles:
You have a major poblem with liking yourself. You need help to overcome you victim mentality. Are you related to Michelle Obabma?
By Katie
April 14, 2008 9:02 AM | Link to this
What starts off with a BB gun may end up being a more high powered weapon in the future.
Gun control only effects law abiding citizens. Crimminals get their guns illegally and will continue to do so. Controling access to firearms only helps the crimminals.
These boys should have the book thrown at them. They knew right from wrong. If you’re 18 and don’t know the difference, then you’ve got MAJOR problems.
By One Man's View
April 14, 2008 9:32 AM | Link to this
Forgiveness by a victim of a shooting may be admirable, but is not the only consideration. In the first place, the crime is a crime against all of society – of society’s standards of decency and of its laws.
We all have an interest in why the act was done and in a resolution that attempts to ensure that such behavior will not recur and to impose some sort of punishment. Luckily, in this case, the victim suffered minor injury, which probably accounts for her willingness to forgive. But each of us does not have our own set of laws to obey and/or enforce. It is up to society through the judicial system to be more or less lenient with these teenagers.
Actually, for most of us the idea of teenagers, or anyone for that matter, to literally shoot someone on their driveway is most reprehensible. This goes way beyond a prank. This is not throwing eggs at someone’s house, or the like. Can someone get to be eighteen and really be that stupid or to have so little respect for your fellow man? The idea of just forgetting about all of this seems way too simplistic and naïve. We all, through our judicial system, need to have a say in this matter. Or would we all prefer to have the opportunity to forgive someone when he or she parks by our driveway and shoots a family member. I think not.
By Tony
April 14, 2008 9:34 AM | Link to this
Poor Scotty, it’s hard out there for a young white male huh? Some of you people are truly unbeleivable.
By MJK
April 14, 2008 3:29 PM | Link to this
As an 18-year old I didn’t have a firm grasp of right vs. wrong. While I didn’t drive around with my friends with any type of gun in the car, I did drive around with my friends after consuming alcohol. (Can I see a show of hands of anyone else out there…?) I was lucky in that we never injured anyone else. I suspect there were times when we probably came close.
Eighteen-year-olds ought to know right from wrong, but they don’t always and it doesn’t mean they have major problems. It means they’re immature/narcissists/knuckleheads/unsupervised. I think much credit goes to the Baltichs for their forgiving nature. I hope I could react similarly if I were in their situation.
By Cindy
April 14, 2008 3:48 PM | Link to this
Slowly but surely raises hand…put me on the list for “drove around drunk and stoned”…then move to the list for “just stoned”. Like many others, I’m really fortunate to not be in prison for it. I guess it’s true what they say, “God watches out for babies and fools”…and I wasn’t the baby… (insert embarrassed face emoticon here).
By One Man's View
April 14, 2008 4:09 PM | Link to this
Doesn’t shooting an unsuspecting person go way beyond driving around stoned and drunk. The thing about the immaturity argument is that there is no reason to stop at age eighteen.
Much crime committed by those in their twenties is due to immaturity. I don’t think that maturity is part of our criminal code. Should it be? Are we going to adopt the position that since you are immature, your serious criminal acts are going to be overlooked. Deliberately shooting someone is a serious criminal act. Where and how is the line going to be drawn?
By reader
April 14, 2008 4:48 PM | Link to this
OMV: No one is saying to overlook the crimes of immaturity or that such offenders should not face punishment. Mercy, forgiveness, compassion can give youthful first time offenders a second chance without having a felony record follow them around for life. Have you never met someone whose entire life would have been different had someone been judgmental and vindictive rather than merciful & compassionate, regarding action of stupidity committed during youth?
Why are so many judging this as if it was premeditated? How does anyone know what the intent was? There are a lot of assumptions taking place. Or, did I miss when it was disclosed that this shooting was deliberate?
By One Man's View
April 14, 2008 7:19 PM | Link to this
I would ask when was it disclosed that the shooting was accidental? In fact, it’s fairly evident that the shooting was deliberate, which is slightly different than premeditated, although maybe it was that also. Why was that particular person shot? We don’t know that. But noone suggests that it was accidental.
I would be careful about stating that law enforcement is vindictive or judgmental. First of all the law must followed. Yes there is usually room for discretion. Hopefully that flexibility is used well and results in a fair proceeding taking into account all parties. Shooting someone is very serious; it is stupid and more. I think that it rises to the level where it should not be expunged from the perpetrators record. Is that a vindictive sentiment. I don’t think so. I think society needs to have a record that this person or persons was or were willing to shoot someone, for apparently no reason.
By reader
April 14, 2008 7:44 PM | Link to this
No one said the law was vindictive or judgmental. Some who sit in judgment are. The article was about compassion held by the victim for those in question.
Of course, the law should be followed. No argument there. It is in the bargaining process where the compassion & mercy come into play, i.e., charges and sentencing. No one said the shooting was accidental or intentional. Who of us here knows at this point? That is why we have a legal process, etc. No one is defending the actions of these kids. Get the facts before condemnation. Be merciful to first time offenders if it is found there was no ill intent.
By Stone
April 14, 2008 9:03 PM | Link to this
I for one would let this pass. No one was killed or seriously hurt and the victim has turned the other cheek. It’s a BB gun folks. A stupid prank that shouldn’t cost these young men their futures.
By mjk
April 14, 2008 11:00 PM | Link to this
Does shooting someone with a BB gun go way beyond driving drunk or stoned?
MADD reports that about 13000 people are killed by drunk drivers each year.
BB gun deaths?
By One Man's View
April 15, 2008 4:24 AM | Link to this
Get stoned or drunk is something that one does to themselves. Obviously, that can have wider repercussions. However, shooting someone is an assault on another. While a BB gun is not likely to kill, it definitely has the possibility of inflicting serious and permanent injuries.
This is a case what stats mean nothing. Few people have the temerity to shoot another. Millions have the temerity to get drunk. Yes, I would reiterate that shooting another, even with a BB gun, is a far more egregious act than getting drunk. Harming others is not the intention of getting drunk, though obviously it happens.
By Katie
April 15, 2008 7:55 AM | Link to this
Just because they are basketball players doesn’t mean they are not worthy of punishment. They shot a lady with a BB gun, what’s next? They should be punished harshly and any scholorships they are in line for, revolked. They are both punks!!
By Cindy
April 15, 2008 8:12 AM | Link to this
BB guns are gateway guns. They’re like reefer…you start out small…then the high just isn’t getting you there anymore…you add a little crack to the mix and before you know it you’re a meth head scratching at imaginary itches. It starts out being a big bb gun joke, before you know it you’ve got an assault rifle running around town shooting people just because they were nice enough to flash their headlights to let you know you should turn yours on.
Just kiddin’ ya’ll…carry on…
By mjk
April 15, 2008 9:34 AM | Link to this
So we can look inside the hearts of these young men and know with certainty that they specifically sought to shoot individuals, not stuff, with “gateway” guns.
Also, I hope we all feel better about ourselves knowing that when we drink and drive our intent isn’t to hurt anyone else. If we do, well at least our intentions were pure.
By reader
April 15, 2008 10:10 AM | Link to this
What does being a basketball player have to do with any of this? The discussion is about teenagers, their stupidity, and the compassion of a victim. The kids just happen to be basketball players.
What’s next? It seems that you are assuming that they will not learn from their mistakes. How does anyone know that the woman was their intended target or if they even had a target? Yes, they behaved irresponsibly. Perhaps they have learned their lesson and will move on to do great things. One thing is certain, if they wind up with felony records, their future opporunities will have been greatly diminished.
You say these kids are punks. Do you know them personally or is that simply a judgment call based upon what you’ve heard? Should you judged as less than intelligent due to your poor spelling?
By MOM OF MANY
April 15, 2008 9:23 PM | Link to this
My comment is this. I was in the company of the entire team on the Saturday morning just after their release and I didn’t know that anything was wrong. I think that these gentlemen will learn a very valuable lesson without hte law. My brother shot(accidently of course) shot ny cousin in the stomach with a BB gun 20 years ago and he is still apologizing for how stupid his decision was to target practice or play where people were. I think that intent plays a HUGE part into all of this. Do I feel that this was intentional?…NO Do I think that it was STUPID…..YES!!!!! If they have attempted to make a mend and that victims family is willing to accept, I say let the kids go on with their lives and not make more of this than need be.
By MOM OF MANY
April 15, 2008 9:46 PM | Link to this
My comment is this. I was in the company of the entire team on the Saturday morning just after their release and I didn’t know that anything was wrong. I think that these gentlemen will learn a very valuable lesson without hte law. My brother shot(accidently of course) shot ny cousin in the stomach with a BB gun 20 years ago and he is still apologizing for how stupid his decision was to target practice or play where people were. I think that intent plays a HUGE part into all of this. Do I feel that this was intentional?…NO Do I think that it was STUPID…..YES!!!!! If they have attempted to make a mend and that victims family is willing to accept, I say let the kids go on with their lives and not make more of this than need be.
By MOM OF MANY
April 15, 2008 9:46 PM | Link to this
My comment is this. I was in the company of the entire team on the Saturday morning just after their release and I didn’t know that anything was wrong. I think that these gentlemen will learn a very valuable lesson without hte law. My brother shot(accidently of course) shot ny cousin in the stomach with a BB gun 20 years ago and he is still apologizing for how stupid his decision was to target practice or play where people were. I think that intent plays a HUGE part into all of this. Do I feel that this was intentional?…NO Do I think that it was STUPID…..YES!!!!! If they have attempted to make a mend and that victims family is willing to accept, I say let the kids go on with their lives and not make more of this than need be.
By Pen
April 18, 2008 9:22 AM | Link to this
First of all, thanks to Rick for removing the “Yugoslavian couple” comment from your original article.
I am a close personal friend of the Baltichs and we all got quite a laugh about that comment. They are Floridian transplants, as American as apple pie.
Rebecca is a genuine, sweet person. She doesn’t like the media attention this has brought to her family. She and Branden are both kindhearted and forgiving, not just in this instance.
Personally, I think this event might save the lives of those young men involved and those of whom they might have killed in the future. I am grateful that my friend was not seriously injured. The physical injury was quite minor, but the force of the BB gun was enough to break out the back window of their pick-up truck, which doesn’t seem to be mentioned.
I disagree that it was not intentional. According to Rebecca, they were stopped in their vehicle aiming at her. It was not a drive-by-shooting-out-the-window-and accidentally-hitting-her type of event.
I live in the same neighborhood, which is very quiet and family oriented. You do not expect this type of behavior around here.
By Anita
April 20, 2008 1:14 PM | Link to this
The whole premise behind ‘jail’ is for not just prosecution, but reformation. We have increased TV violence, but have decreased our tolerance once the impressionable youth decide to act on what they are exposed to daily. From TV to Video games, our youth have developed mentalities that violence is not necessarily final or truly violent.
Taking the higher road to give these youth a second chance on life is by far the better option. However, I would be very interested to see what follow-up is arranged to insure that they don’t feel as though they ‘just got away with something’. What monthly evaluations are going to be performed? How are their parents going to answer for purchasing BB-Guns and giving them to minors? Exactly what were they supposed to shoot at with these unlocked weapons? Dogs, Cats, squirrels from the neighborhood?
Jail is not a solution for EVERY offense. It has been proven time and time again that jail often hardens first time offenders into more dangerous criminals.
We remove physical discipline from homes and school, and create laws that make everything a felony and then wonder what happened to society. God has to be sick of us all.
It would be wonderful if we had less ‘faith-based’ businesses and schools and had more faith-based alternatives to jails for juvenile first time offenders. We don’t need another mega-church in this country; but it would be nice to see all these faith based, non-profit, charity organizations that are tax-exempt find a way to actually solve some of the problems they received their tax exempt status for assisting the communities in which they are located: MEMBER or Non-MEMBER.
By Roksandic
June 2, 2008 11:35 PM | Link to this
I agree on all levels with Pen. It would be good to research things before making comments or not making them at all as often things are a*-umed.
By forfbl
January 7, 2009 12:54 AM | Link to this
I got a question. It took me 30 some years to be awakened several nights from a flash of a man(My moms boyfriend) when I was 5 years old putting me on a washer after waken me up to use me as target practice in the mid hours of the night. I asked my mom if this really happened, she said no, I just like to make stuff up(which isn’t true) My mom loves to keep secrets(Like my sister and brother being molested etc) by her babysitter when I was younger for starters(this she can’t deny because my sis and bro both remember this at age 7 and 9. Although, she has tried. Later after being called a so-called liar and feeling guilty about even mentioning this to my mom…she slips to say how she remembers holes all in her wall in the exact same place that I had remembered at a young age. I remember the big plastic clear bag of laundry soap he put beside me and can still see the powder pour out from the bag when he shot at it an inch away from me. She hides all the bad and terrible things that happened to us kids instead of protecting us…and I love her to death and she would give her last nickle for her kids, but mom…you should have grown a backbone. Especially when I was screaming for you to help me with tears gushing down my face at 2am and at age 5! Wow, feels good to blow off some steam! Recently, on facebook I have been in contact with this gun happy man’s children…and I keep agreeing with them and my mom of what a nice man their father was. Guess I am like my Mom…WEAK!!! It was just a bb gun, but at age 5 can your child distinguish the difference?
Signed weak weak weak, and pathetically weak!