A video has emerged from last St. Patrick’s Day that shows a brutal attack on a tourist in Baltimore who is beaten, robbed, and stripped naked as a crowd stands around and laughs. No one reportedly called police and someone stood filming the scene of utter inhuman and depraved conduct by the crowd. [Update: A second video of the brutal attack has emerged]
On the video, the tourist is largely passive when he walks a few feet toward a man, who proceeds to hit him in the face and causing the victim to hit the ground with considerable force. The man appears dazed as people proceed to beat him and steal his clothes and belongings. The tourist is stripped of his car keys, watch, money and iPhone.
Until the video was released, the man never knew what happened. He woke up at his hotel with cuts and bruises and no memory of the horrific attack.
Obviously, the place to start is the person who thought this was a funny scene and posted the video on YouTube. Then there are the people who brag and laugh about the attack on the video.
While the victim appears white and his attackers black, there has been no suggestion that the attack was a hate crime or racially motivated. There has also been relatively little outrage nationally about this attack.
I count at least a dozen separate crimes on the film from repeated assaults to robbery by at least seven different people. Some, upon seeing the man in a helpless state, immediately walk over to strip him of any valuables rather than offer assistance or call the police. It is the lack of humanity shown in the film that makes these people so dangerous to society — they show no feelings or sympathy for the victim who is merely an object to be taunted and abused.
Source: CBS
Julie 1, April 9, 2012 at 8:48 am
Frankly, I am simply promoting equality in the mainstream media.
This video should be shown non-stop on all of the network newscasts, right? Civil rights leaders should be interviewed and asked to comment about the events in the video, right? Perhaps a prominent politician will claim that if he or she had a son, the tourist victim would look like him, right?
I mean, it’s all about equality, isn’t it?
A march with protest signs and speakers, right?
It’s all about equality.
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Most of “it” is not about equality, otherwise we would not have the 1% – 99% reality staring us in our face.
However, I agree with your implied direction, that “it” should be.
But a single incident like this, in terms of statistics, and in the face of a century of massive inequality, will not suffice.
It will take shaking the sleep and slumber from within our nation (which the rest of the world can easily see, even if we can’t) and it will take making equality for all as important as entertainment.
Frankly, I am simply promoting equality in the mainstream media.
This video should be shown non-stop on all of the network newscasts, right? Civil rights leaders should be interviewed and asked to comment about the events in the video, right? Perhaps a prominent politician will claim that if he or she had a son, the tourist victim would look like him, right?
I mean, it’s all about equality, isn’t it?
A march with protest signs and speakers, right?
It’s all about equality.
Dredd,
You wrote:
“The macrocosm to this video is the imperial wars that U.S.eh? foreign policy is waging, and the complacency the public has about doing anything radical about it.”
IMHO:
The public wants to get out of Afghanistan, but is only too lazy to make sufficient public protest. They also wish that this be done so that they will not experience any consequences or discomfort.
Is this one more example of : we have it as we deserve it?
Julie – nice try! Nobody was excusing the actions of the thugs & criminals on video. But thanks for playing your part.
Bron,
At a certain stage of intoxication, you are a set-up, and don’t even know it
A knowledgeable former boxer (or street hood) will know that a blow to the point of the chin will render you flat on your back, briefly unconscious. and disoriented.
Saw it happen between 6 foot american and a 5 foot mexican bouncer in Tijuana, Mexico.
“It is the lack of humanity shown in the film that makes these people so dangerous to society — they show no feelings or sympathy for the victim who is merely an object to be taunted and abused.”
This reminds me of Mike Spindell’s piece about “authoritarians”, and is a nice microcosm for looking at the authoritarian dynamic once again.
This video, which the professor shares today, captures both sides of “authoritarianism”, which Mike sought to inform us of (one side obvious, the other not).
There are the overt aggressors on the one side, and there are the passive aggressors, on the other side.
The macrocosm to this video is the imperial wars that U.S.eh? foreign policy is waging, and the complacency the public has about doing anything radical about it.
Disgusting these people are scum ………
Frankly,
There is no need to attempt to excuse the video we see. A group of criminals robs a man while it’s all being filmed. There is no perspective to see on this.
It’s kind of you to bring up a racial aspect. Is that why the man was robbed? Because of his skin color? Is that what you’re saying? I saw a bunch of out of control criminals robbing a man.
Perhaps a protest with signs and speakers is called for.
Bdaman:
pretty bad eh? That white guy had a glass jaw or that black guy was a boxer. He went down quick, I have only seen that happen a couple of times in bar fights/street brawls although the white guy walked into a sucker punch. Black guy was lucky that guy wasnt a fighter as he was out classed in weight by more than a few pounds. But then the white guy looks like an easy mark so the black guy wasnt risking much.
Julie & BDass
Yes, because there is a several hundred year history of black people abusing whites & getting away with it. Millions of incidences up to and including the public murder of innocent whites by angry blacks while law enforcement turns a blind eye – so yes this is EXACTLY the same as the Martin case.
That does not excuse this horrific event or remove the need for justice but lets try for some prospective on this part of the issue, OK.
Meanwhile the police & public need to get on this, there are a bunch of people there that need to do some jail time.
Bdaman:
Thugs come in all colors. We can’t know the motivation from this video but likely it’s from the worst of human intentions — greed and the thrill of violence.
Disgusting situation. These punks deserve a place in hell, or better yet, a place in prison for a long time.
My theory? These people are so suppressed and deprived that they have to “make” somenone they can suppress, exploit and deprive in turn—–all in emotional compensation. They need someone they can look down on and whose misery and position is worse than theirs. His clothing and demeanor show he came to the wrong neighborhood, as does the fact he is a tourist.
“Slumming”, if he was, was a bad choice.
This brings up the difference between perception, which they have of themselves, and the fact of their real relative wealth. The weakness of “trickledown”.
Last days? Well, on the way, at least.
.
This is sad…. Regardless of race….
Julie 1, April 9, 2012 at 7:36 am
Nice catch I did see that the first time I watched it too. How anybody missed the slight of hand trick is beyond me. Clearly visible and a natural reaction. Thats probably when the iphone was attempted to be stolen.
“No one reportedly called police and someone stood filming the scene of utter inhuman and depraved conduct by the crowd.”
It’s because he was white.
Justice for Treyvon
Art A. Layman,
you conviently left out the part about the young man reaching into the tourist’s pocket, walking away with something and the tourist then walking toward the young man to see what he had stolen. Since there is a video of this attack, shouldn’t this be leading every single national newscast? I am sure that you’ll be leading the march Justice for the Tourist, right?
These events are more common than we would like to think,this was caught on camera so many others aren’t.
While I don’t disagree the video depicts heinous and shameful actions and then lack of actions by the crowd, it does appear to me the young man was not walking passively away but rather seeking to confront another young man, who throws the first punch.
That was disgusting. I hope the good people of Baltimore step up, compensate the tourist, and track down and prosecute these thugs and criminals.