5 teens who mocked drowning man not charged

Scrabaholic said:

By "liable", I take that to mean civilly, as in they can sue for monetary damages. If it's a criminal offense, then there will be a statute in the criminal code (or whatever the equivalent is in the USA).

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Some states allow for criminal charges.

nota bene said:

It's not a race thing; it's a character thing.

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That is probably true. But when it comes down to depravity it seems at least in this country that whites may take that lead. From white women drowning their kids to the likes of John Wayne Gacy to Ted Bundy and Jeffrey Dahmer.

Watching and enjoying a man drown is right up there with these other sick SOBs.

Crosscheck said:

That is probably true. But when it comes down to depravity it seems at least in this country that whites may take that lead. From white women drowning their kids to the likes of John Wayne Gacy to Ted Bundy and Jeffrey Dahmer.

Watching and enjoying a man drown is right up there with these other sick SOBs.

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Depravity knows no color.

Crosscheck said:

That is probably true. But when it comes down to depravity it seems at least in this country that whites may take that lead. From white women drowning their kids to the likes of John Wayne Gacy to Ted Bundy and Jeffrey Dahmer.

Watching and enjoying a man drown is right up there with these other sick SOBs.

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Modern liberal/progressive culture promotes death and violence through video games

Ahlevah said:

Yes, I agree, but then character flows from the culture and experience of the individual. A child raised in poverty to a meth or crack addicted mother who doesn't know who his dad is (and substitutes a gang-bangin' drug dealer) will have a different experience than a child raised by the Winslows (Family Matters) or Keatons (Family Ties). Not saying the poor kid is preordained to be antisocial or a criminal, but he definitely has the deck stacked against him.

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Yes. And many other children, ones who by outward appearance have every advantage, also have the deck stacked against them (because of parental alcoholism, mental illness, abandonment...). In the end, I think it comes down to individual choice, individual conscience, individual impulse.

Let's talk about that impulse. I've lived long enough now (and assume you now have too) to know exactly what I would do, depending on the options, if I was on the shore and saw a person drowning. Don't you? I mean, I even know what I would do even if, like these teens, I was standing around smoking a blunt.

So whatever these kids' disconnect was, and I think there was a group effect here, they were detached. Why? Why did a real human being's real death matter so little and yet be worth posting on social media? This social-media sharing doesn't have anything to do with background or stacked decks; these teens were just as "privileged" as anybody else to do so.

I think some people just wanna feel like they won the lottery by not being black. I guarantee you these people never had a real black friend in their life. And they are probably terrified to explain their racist thoughts to any black friends.

So to those condemning these teens, let me get something straight, doing nothing to save a person's life when you can do something is immoral?

Should a moral person tried to have saved the man themselves? Or, if unable to help personally, should they have called the police/fire brigade, so that a govt funded service could save this mans life? Or is it ok to let them die?


Ok now instead of a man drowning in a lake, let's pretend there are a lot more people who might die because lack of access to healthcare.

Should a moral person try to save those people? Or, if unable, should they ask a govt funded service do it? Or is it ok to let them die?

Ahlevah said:

Yes, I agree, but then character flows from the culture and experience of the individual. A child raised in poverty to a meth or crack addicted mother who doesn't know who his dad is (and substitutes a gang-bangin' drug dealer) will have a different experience than a child raised by the Winslows (Family Matters) or Keatons (Family Ties). Not saying the poor kid is preordained to be antisocial or a criminal, but he definitely has the deck stacked against him.

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Hmmmm, Don't know if I'm ready to label the antisocial, or criminal people out there as victims.

This is why I sometimes wish I am wrong in my non-religiousness.



Some people really do seem to deserve hell, even if not for all eternity.....

j-mac said:

Hmmmm, Don't know if I'm ready to label the antisocial, or criminal people out there as victims.

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While it's true that great parents can raise a sociopath, it's also true that kids raised in abusive environments or who aren't properly socialized are more likely to exhibit antisocial behaviors. In that sense they're victims of circumstance.