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.

[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.

[chessdev.livejournal.com]

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

[mzflux.livejournal.com]

Is Christopher Stanzel on the right actually fucking smiling for his mugshot?

Again, ASSHOLES.

[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.

[mrbogey.livejournal.com]

Is winking really the flimsiest reason for a fight that you've heard?

[telemann.livejournal.com]

I don't think he's smiling, I just think he has pursed lips due to stress or just being extremely uptight.

[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.

[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.

[mzflux.livejournal.com]

Looks to me like he's fighting back a dumb grin.

Uptight is an understatement.

[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.

[jerseycajun.livejournal.com]

Wouldn't passing laws making sentencing more consistent with the harm caused be preferable to creating new crimes based on less concrete, more nebulous criteria, like the particular motivation for the attack, or what the attacker was thinking?

[chessdev.livejournal.com]

Not the point. The point is they targetted this dude.

And come on now -- is it really a stretch to believe these guys would target a gay man who they thought was winking at them?

We dont have to "get into the minds" of the assailants on this one -- THEY stated the reason, but it's only a problem if you have a problem with gay people.

[chessdev.livejournal.com]

It'll be interesting how the big tough manly marines explain
in a 2:1 fight how they waited until the guy turned his back
to swing at his head.

[telemann.livejournal.com]

Yes, and that also backs up what witnesses have stated: the victim was trying to walk away from the marines, who had become incensed and started screaming when they found out Mr. Daley was gay.

[telemann.livejournal.com]

Don't argue with Perry Mason, he's a law expert you know?

And never mind the fact I've known people who were beaten up for just LOOKING gay. No winking required. I know a friend that was constantly beaten in school (and off school grounds). Once, on his way home from school, he was jumped and his attackers put lighter fluid onto his hair and threw a match on him. And he grew up in large metropolitan area, not in some Hee-Haw like county in Mississippi or Louisiana.

[meus-ovatio.livejournal.com]

Depends upon the circumstance. If you're going to jail for a long time, you get a dishonorable or a bad conduct discharge. If it is just a month or whatever, you get back to base and they charge you with UA/AWOL and punish you however they decide.

[chessdev.livejournal.com]

DAMN man -- that is living *rough* when people will light you up. Literally!

[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.

[fizzyland.livejournal.com]

Though intent is considered for charges with crimes like murder, I find the theme of attempting to assign motivations troubling. The problem those laws seems to be targeting is the one of local cops refusing to press charges or minimizing the whole event.

[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?