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

[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.

[thies.livejournal.com]

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

[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.

[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.

[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.

[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.

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

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

[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.