Gay man attacked by two marines in Georgia / FBI and Justice Dept ponder filing Hate Crime charges

[telemann.livejournal.com]

Cpl. Keil Joseph Cronauer, 22 (left) and Lance Cpl. Christopher Charles Stanzel 23 (right)

Two Marines have been arrested [misdemeanor battery charges] for allegedly beating a gay man in Savannah, Georgia. Keil Cronauer and Christopher Stanzel are accused of attacking Kieran Daly so badly that he suffered bruises on his brain, reports the Savannah Morning News. In addition to the bruises, Daly suffered two seizures immediately after the attack. His friends performed CPR. While Cronauer and Stanzel told police that Daly was harassing them, Daly explained that the two were mad because they thought that he had winked at one of them. The Morning News reports: "The guy thought I was winking at him," Daly said. "I told him, 'I was squinting, man. ... I'm tired.'" Daly said one of the men told him he demanded respect because he served in Iraq. And at least one hurled slurs at him as he tried to walk away."That's the last thing I remember is walking away," Daly said. Because Georgia is one of just five states that does not have legislation requiring stiffer penalties for hate crimes, the marines were released to military police. The station reports that Cronauer and Stanzel are based at the Marine Corps Air Station in Beaufort, South Carolina and are currently restricted to the base.

There are many sad things in the story, but the most perplexing question for me is why aren't these Marines in a brig and just merely confined to their base? This story during Gay Pride month confirms for me precisely the need for hate crimes laws: states and localities refusing to treat these cases in a serious manner. The FBI and Justice Dept are looking into the possibility of filing charges under the recently enacted Matthew Shepard Hate Crimes Prevention Act.

Source.

Here's more information, and check out their commanding officer's reaction to all this. It will make your blood boil!

Comments

[mzflux.livejournal.com]

so badly that he suffered bruises on his brain ... suffered two seizures immediately after the attack. His friends performed CPR. ... "The guy thought I was winking at him," Daly said. "I told him, 'I was squinting, man. ... I'm tired.'" Daly said one of the men told him he demanded respect because he served in Iraq. And at least one hurled slurs at him as he tried to walk away. "That's the last thing I remember is walking away," Daly said.

ASSHOLES

[telemann.livejournal.com]

Even though I didn't post the other photographs, these two guys look like UFC fighters, the damage they'd inflict would be pretty serious. I looked for a photo of the victim, to see if he stood half a chance against them- but no luck. The victim apparently had two friends that weren't able to pull the marines off.

[meus-ovatio.livejournal.com]

There are many sad things in the story, but the most perplexing question for me is why aren't these Marines in a brig and just merely confined to their base?
The local police need to issue a warrant and make an arrest. The military has to give them up, and they'll get double-whammied for missing duty as well. Yep, that's how it works.

[telemann.livejournal.com]

When you're AWOL for any extended period, are you automatically separated from the military, or does that require a formal hearing. I really should know this-- I grew up in a large military area, and my family was in the military as well.

[chessdev.livejournal.com]

Not really -- cuz they beat him up *because* he was gay. Otherwise the winking wouldn't have bothered them.

[fizzyland.livejournal.com]

I get the impression that too often serious crimes aren't treated as serious crimes because of who did what to whom for what, so those laws are to make sure sentencing isn't minimized because of the victim's social status.

[underlankers.livejournal.com]

God-Fearing soldiers punished for beating the gay out of a queer? Don't be ridiculous, Jesus will smite Georgia with a major hurricane if they punish these people. Why, if they don't punish them Jesus might *really* punish them by Zombie William Sherman coming back to finish the job.

[thies.livejournal.com]

curious story, how was it obvious to the assailants that the guy was gay? did further conversation take place?

[mijopo.livejournal.com]

From an earlier post I understand that homosexuals dress in a distinct fashion.

From the links

[verytwistedmind.livejournal.com]

"they were subject to unwanted verbal advances, that they were closely followed, and that a threat was communicated"

[brockulfsen.livejournal.com]

In Australia, separate laws about that sort of serious assault have been enacted on put in train in several states after way to many one-punch fatal assaults.

There is a large One Punch CAN Kill awareness campaign.


Not enough hate crimes laws here yet.

[telemann.livejournal.com]

Yeah, the victim was hit from behind with a single punch to the head, that caused two seizures. Of course that fact doesn't help the story the marines gave to the police about what happened.

[sealwhiskers.livejournal.com]

Fucking neanderthals. And on every parade in America we have to treat them like saints because they served. This is my problem with the army, there are clear difficulties knowing if they're asswipes or heroes, but they are entitled to such huge wads of respect just for wearing the uniform.

[mijopo.livejournal.com]

Yeah, basically what I think when I see these "support the troops" bumper stickers. "Support the troops? Do you know what kind of shit some of the troops are up to?"

[ex-restless.livejournal.com]

No, they are entitled to huge wads of respect because they risk their lives and willing engage in the sort of self-sacrifice that very few of us would ever consider, and they get relatively very little out of it compared with what they do.

[underlankers.livejournal.com]

Easy to say when your country was neutral throughout the Cold War. Whenever I hear European members of NATO griping about US militarism I'm reminded that they sure were happy to have our nuclear shield against Ivan. And if the proto-EU had had to secure *itself* against the Soviets Europe would not have become the semi-pacifistic hypocritical asshat continent it is.

[anfalicious.livejournal.com]

"How dare they have sex with other men outside of the military, they're demeaning the essential military bonding of buggery"

Yes. I'm insinuating that men in the army are all gay.

[rainynights.livejournal.com]

If the man was harassing them then he deserved it.. this is just another reason why the military is not ready for the dont ask dont tell law to go away.. you shouldn't have to serve with gay people if you do not want too.... I fully support these Marines. My husband is military has deployed 5 times and will go again soon.. He also does not want to serve around homosexuals.. You are going to see this stuff happen more and more.. Being gay is a choice. Don't we all have to live with our choices?

Their commanding officer's reaction is not surprising. You do not if you are not military understand the relationship these people have with each other. They will back each other to the death. They fight, bleed, & die together. They are all tight with each other which is why it works. My husband would take a bullet for each of his guys he commands and would not hesitate. He would also back his guys if they got into trouble. It is how it goes.

[usekh.livejournal.com]

I am sorry you support two marines for hitting someone from behind who was walking away? Big damn heroes right there.

Also being gay is a choice? describe to me the moment you chose to be heterosexual?

[underlankers.livejournal.com]

Good Ol' Southern tradition-stand aside and allow an act of violence to occur and then justify/rationalize/excuse it as necessary for one of a number of reasons other than the real one, that the people who should be enforcing these laws are likely believers in a vast overpowering Gay ConspiracyTM led by Zombie Ernst Rohm to convert all the Christians to homosexuality by the awesome power that is buggering them.

[verytwistedmind.livejournal.com]

God...why couldn't this be fake.

"were being harassed by a white homosexual male earlier in the evening and just wanted to get away,"

These two are trained combat warriors and they couldn't get away from one white fairy!

"they were subject to unwanted verbal advances, that they were closely followed, and that a threat was communicated"

Verbal advances?? Oh come on if I were to get upset everytime a gay man or woman hit on me.... If these warriors lose all control because a guy winks at them! How can they defend our Country!

"Although this certainly does not justify the actions of the Marine who punched the individual, it is important for us to consider both sides of the story," Col. David Robinson, the men's local group commanding officer, said in the release.
**this is where my head Exploded**

"Daly suffered two seizures immediately after the attack. "

UNLESS these two he-men were slipped roofies and woke up with semen all over their faces I don't see how this ass whooping could be justified!

[http://users.livejournal.com/aviation_/]

Uhhh... hate crime laws, yes. FEDERAL hate crime laws? No.

Anyway, this story makes me sick.

[verytwistedmind.livejournal.com]

Why should their be hate crime laws but not federal hate crime laws?

[http://users.livejournal.com/aviation_/]

I think our good ol' boy on the left has short man syndrome

[telemann.livejournal.com]

Jesus, I didn't catch that! 5'3''? I looked around and it turns out he played football in high school. Actually I would have thought the marines would have had a height requirement, unless he was aboard a fast attack submarine (and I don't get the sense he was).

[kawaiimamimi.livejournal.com]

I can't wait until some creeper winks at me while I'm out at a bar so I have an excuse to completely beat the shit out of him. Apparently it's a legitimate enough excuse.