Teen victim of mob beating: ‘I don’t know about forgiveness’

[The Northerner]

Jogging home from a friend’s house shortly after midnight on June 20, 18-year-old Carter Strange called his mother to let her know that he was right down the street and would be home in a few minutes.

He never made it.

The next thing he remembers, he woke up in a hospital bed with a disfigured face, a fractured skull that required 15 staples to repair and a sense of shock at a night gone horribly wrong in an instant.

The victim of a brutal and seemingly random attack that allegedly occurred at the hands of eight teenagers ranging in age from 13 to 19 years old, the Columbia, S.C., high school graduate had a face so disfigured that his own mother did not recognize him at first sight. Now he is left to make sense of the senseless.

“I don’t know about forgiveness,’’ Carter told TODAY’s Matt Lauer in an exclusive interview alongside his parents on Tuesday. “I don’t really think about it that much. I try not to let be on my mind too much because I don’t know why I would. There’s really no reason for me to think about them that much.’’

Read more: http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/43561261

[Shagbark Hickory]

1. He shouldn't either. I can't stand when victims forgive their attackers.

[JI7]

3. especially when they aren't sorry

this happened less than 10 days ago ? only thing they would be sorry for is being caught and what might happen to them.

but i really don't think they feel bad about what they did to the person they attacked.

i also hate the crap about how people need to forgive in order to move on and all the other bs you hear sometimes.

[RandomThoughts]

2. I know I am due beer and travel money.

And tracking back who tries to stop the just compensation of that due, is important.

Why, becuase it is just and compassionate for it to arrive.


While also appreciating much light shared in hard times.
:loveya:

Jessica Alba - Sin City Bar Scene
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lfpKjRitYdE


Brothers in Arms - Dire Straits
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k5JkHBC5lDs

Bonnie Raitt - I Can't Make You Love Me
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nW9Cu6GYqxo

Bonnie Raitt - Nick Of Time
http://www.123video.nl/playvideos.asp?MovieID=407128

Dire Straits - Walk of Life
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vZxVC0GB838


Constantine - Bring me to life (Evanescence)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dx8d3K_hngw

[Dawson Leery]

4. Enough of this implied social requirement that victims must "forgive" aggressors.

Such forgiveness only makes it easier for future aggressors to attack.

[LisaL]

8. Exactly.

Why would someone be expected to forgive those who beat the crap out of him for no reason is beyond my understanding.

[NutmegYankee]

14. It's not for the attacker - it's for the victim.

The reasons faith teaches to forgive is so that the hatred doesn't eat the victim alive. Anger is a natural emotion but if you don't let it go after awhile it can hurt you instead.

[provis99]

23. and if the victim doesn't do it, society calls them an asshole.

[Union Scribe]

31. No, not really.

[Maru Kitteh]

24. There is no One-Size-Fits-All. It is inaccurate and trite to say that one "must" forgive

to go on to be happy and healthy. Everyone is different and it's not for you, or self-help gurus or even Oprah herself to decide that someone can't be happy and healthy unless they forgive scumbags who tried to kill them.

[mod mom]

32. "so that the hatred doesn't eat the victim alive"-excellent point.

the victim needs time. Hopefully he can heal both internally as well as externally.

[WatsonT]

40. Anger is a useful emotion in these cases

if we didn't feel anger towards people who did this sort of thing there wouldn't be nearly the motivation to root out and punish them.

If you immediately forgive everyone who harms you and do nothing to punish them people will continue to harm you.

[WatsonT]

39. For me forgiveness is contingent on several factors

1) is the person who did the harm legitimately sorry?
2) did they do everything in their power to make it right?
3) did they pay for their crimes?

Meet all 3 and maybe.

[Name removed]

5. Deleted message

Sub-thread removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[pacalo]

6. I googled Carter Strange's name & the pictures of what they did to his face are horrific.

I really feel for him & his parents.

[Liberal_in_LA]

9. omg. I can't look. Glad he's getting better

[pacalo]

10. I didn't think it was a good idea to post them.

[WinkyDink]

7. These roving gangs are becoming more prevalent. See: Philly.

[ChrisBorg]

11. I predict they will encounter a CCW person by July 5th. I doubt it will turn out well

for the fools in the gang.

[KurtNYC]

15. it's a RW theme and you will see it pushed hard until the elections

teens attacking in packs is nothing new but it plays to racism and fear that law and order is breaking down and therefore helps to sell the idea that a change of leadership is needed.

[RZM]

17. What's the 'rw theme' here?

I don't get your point. Actually reporting and talking about this stuff is rw? Would you prefer it get shoved down the memory hole?

[KurtNYC]

19. FNC/GOP loves the Philly flash mob vids and all this wild gang stuff

the theme is "urban youth are out of control" and their answer is a government by 2 white parents: Romney and Bachmann.

[RZM]

21. So what?

Obviously right wingers aren't the only people interested in these stories. There are active threads on it here on DU, including this one. Obviously right wingers will put their own spin on it, but you could say that about any news story.

[KurtNYC]

28. So where is the coverage of white collar crime? When will Lauer ask the victims

of the bank bailouts, pension fund rip-offs and social security rip-offs about their forgiveness?

My first comment was on the idea that flash mobs and random violence is increasing. Statistically it isn't increasing. White collar crime is in the billions now and IS increasing. I think the coverage of a story like this beating and FNC pushing the "flash mob" thing is a clue to how the GOP wants to frame the 2012 elections: law and order versus youth gone wild.

[RZM]

33. Fox News isn't the only outlet reporting this stuff

I don't know whether it's been increasing or not, but just off the top of my head I can name half a dozen or so incidents already this season. Truth is people are interested in it, including people here on DU.

Like I said, it's not much of a assertion to say that right wingers will use these stories for their own purposes. People of all political stripes always try to spin stories to their own advantage. It's the nature of the game.

[Aerows]

34. No offense

but how can anyone possibly look at flash mobs beating the hell out of people for no reason as anything other than "youth gone wild"?

I don't think the victims of these attacks care what you call it - I think they would just prefer that no one else have to suffer from such attacks. It DOES seem like these attacks are increasing, and there is a lot of evidence that social media is helping to spread it. Kids these days can communicate with each other much better than before and can organize for these sorts of things.

Right wing, left wing or middle, these attacks need to stop.

[Quantess]

36. It's pretty irritating when a DUer tries to tell other DUers what we shouldn't be discussing.

It's unbecoming. It's like someone sitting on their high horse, wagging their finger at you.

[KurtNYC]

43. I just made an observation and I am one of the people discussing

this so I have no idea where you get the idea that I am saying this should not be discussed. Just trying to add to the discussion here with a unique point.

(my horse is only average height and I am wearing mittens, btw)

[Quantess]

45. But, you were sitting tall in the saddle on your little pony, anyway.

LOL! :D

[-..__...]

26. It's the fucking Amish acting up again...

isn't it?

Do those fucker even vote?

[Rebubula]

29. THAT IS AWESOME

So...mobs of teens are attacking people in the streets of Philly and Chicago and all you can do is to say it is some RW FEAR machine that is playing this up?????



Wow....I have seen a lot of willful ignorance and general idiocy - but this is beyond the pale.

OK...you live in NYC (if I read your handle right) so maybe this kind of shit is commonplace to you. To the majority of us - this shit is scary and is bullshit that people should have to be scared to go downtown.


Reality is reality and this shit is getting out of control in some cities - but if you want to blame it all on some RW smear campaign based on racism - I hope that works out for you.

Ignoring a problem or trying to blame someone else (I am looking at you former Rep. Wiener) is a loser's game.

[WatsonT]

41. Um, these things really are happening

this guy didn't get his skull caved in by rightwing themes regarding racism.

[backscatter712]

12. Fuck forgiveness. Carter Strange deserves to get revenge on those thugs. n/t

[TwilightGardener]

13. Did Lauer actually ask him about forgiveness? Less than two weeks after the crime?

If so, that is insanely crass and insensitive. This boy and his parents are still dealing with the trauma. Awful.

[aikoaiko]

16. He did -- I can't believe Lauer stooped that low.

[kelly1mm]

18. This is why I support CCW laws. nt

[-..__...]

25. Amen to that...

and max incarceration time for the survivors.

[Rebubula]

30. Survivors??

Improve your aim.



:toast:

[Aerows]

37. No kidding!

:toast:

[WatsonT]

42. Hmmm . . . creative justice, force the survivors to pay for ammo/range time for the victim

Sends a good message.

[Bluenorthwest]

20. Well Lauer is scum to ask such a thing.

Carter owes those bastards nothing, and they should throw the book at them.

[Maru Kitteh]

22. Dad was between jobs, the family has no health insurance.

So they could be looking at losing everything when the bills start rolling in, too.

Un-freakin-real.

[fujiyama]

27. And why should he?

He'll be scarred by this for life (likely mentally and physically). He was almost killed. From all accounts, his face has been horribly disfigured (I don't even want to see the photos). And it's yet to be seen what sort of brain damage may have occurred (which may show up later). And now I hear that his family has no health insurance? God, how horrific. This may end up bankrupting the family.

And I have no idea how reporting horrific crimes like this plays into a "RW meme". If there are roving gangs out there in Columbia, Philly, or wherever else, that means there's a problem and it needs to be addressed. With cities and states facing budget difficulties, there are fewer cops patrolling the streets. How is that a RW meme?

I'm inclined to agree that crimes like this make me more likely to support CCW laws and agree that especially in certain areas of some cities, I'd want to have some protection...

[slackmaster]

35. Community members react to new Castle Doctrine Law

Posted: Jun 28, 2011 6:37 PM PDT Updated: Jun 30, 2011 3:45 AM PDT
By Jeannie Flitner - email
Harrisburg, Pa. -

On Tuesday, Governor Tom Corbett signed a bill that expands a person's legal right to use deadly force in self defense.

Before, for a killing out of self defense to be legally justified, an individual had a duty to retreat, meaning they had to attempt to get away from the situation before using lethal force....

http://www.abc27.com/story/14993914/community-members-react-to-new-castle-doctrine-law

[yella_dawg]

38. Forgiving the transgressor is a Christian value that has been accepted by the greater society.

The more proper, and emotionally satisfying response, revenge, would be hard on the clergy.

[guardian]

44. Time for a little 'personal' justice IMHO

Screw waiting for the courts.