Did anyone catch this story in Gilbert? Two Mormon boys were walking home when two other boys with swastikas on their wrists asked if they were Mormon. When the teens said yes, they were attacked with pellet guns and beat up. One landed in the hospital. See story below.
This is scary to me. Is religion back to being something people are persecuted for in America? Why Mormons? What makes our country so great is freedom of choice for everyone. Why do some teens these days seem so hateful and intolerant?
What do you think of the story?
Mormon teens attacked at park
by Emily Gersema - May. 5, 2008 07:01 PM
The Arizona Republic
Two Gilbert teens found with swastika marks on their wrists are accused of firing pellets at two boys and beating them up because they are Mormon, according to a police report released Monday.
Police said Tuesday they are considering the attack a hate crime.. According to police reports, the attack Saturday evening at a neighborhood park northeast of Islands Elementary School left one victim, a 15-year-old boy, with facial injuries. He was taken to a local hospital.
Police said the teens accused in the attack near Elliot and McQueen roads went up to the boy and a 17-year-old and asked if he and the 15-year-old were Mormon. When the two answered "yes," the teens began shooting a pellet gun at them. Police say the fight escalated from there, with the teens making anti-Mormon statements during the assault.
The teens who are accused of firing the guns, ages 15 and 16, were arrested outside one of the boy's homes that night. They were booked into the Maricopa County Juvenile Detention Facility on suspicion of aggravated assault, disorderly conduct and underage drinking. The 16-year-old also is accused of DUI.
Gilbert Police spokesman Sgt. Mark Marino said Tuesday officers recommended to prosecutors that the two teens face further charges.
"We do consider this a hate crime," Marino said.
Officers are finishing up a final report detailing interviews with witnesses and the recommended chargest to forward to county prosecutors.
The Gilbert Public Schools is awaiting word from police to determine if it needs to take further action with the Mesquite High students who are suspects, said Associate Superintendent Dave Allison Tuesday morning.
At this point, no one connected to the case has been expelled or suspended, Allison said, adding that the case looks to be an isolated incident. However, Mesquite High officials have been in discussions with parents to protect the students.
"We're certainly going to be making sure that the students are kept away from each other," Allison said. "All parents have been supportive of what we are doing."
The Arizona Republic typically doesn't release the names of minors in such cases.
Gilbert was once home to a White-supremacist gang of teenagers. In 1999, the Devil Dogs garnered national media attention for beating up people, as well as being tied to a drug ring and former mobster Salvatore "Sammy the Bull" Gravano. The group was disbanded after numerous arrests.
Brooke Romney is an unbalanced mom of three young boys who constantly has too much to do, and too little time. She writes the Mom Beat column for The Gilbert Republic.
Yes, I saw this and thought
Yes, I saw this and thought how sad. I think this sort of thing is always out there and our media can either focus on it or let it go. It seems this one was sort of let go because I did not see much on it.
How can someone so young have such views that it makes them act this way? I understand that drugs and underage drinking were involved. This does not excuse the behavior. Again, I can only think this whole thing is very sad.
KarilouMomof2 is a discussion leader for arizonamoms.com living in Tempe. Her daughters are 9 and 6.
if they were wearing
if they were wearing swastikas they are Neo-nazis and they pretty much hate everyone and everything that doesn't fall in with their ideology..............but this is nothing new, these groups have been around for a long time and they are a breeding ground for losers who don't want to take any responsibility for their station in life, but would prefer to blame it on Mexicans, Jews, African Americans, Mormons, Asians, etc..........and "race traitors" like me. It still boggles my mind that there are actually groups of people out there who hate me for the simple fact I am a white woman married to a Hispanic man.....and they hate my sweet little boy, too.
Not a great dinner table
Not a great dinner table topic but I was proud when my 14 year old son brought it up and shook his head in disbelief stating that he can't understand how someone can hurt another person just because they are different.
Sounds to me like those boys gotta hate someone, they have some emptiness inside that needs filling.....
That is really a shame. It's
That is really a shame. It's sad that in this day and age we still have these sort of totally unnecessary hatred.
Personally I believe that the best thing we can do is teach our children to love themselves for who they are. The rest will follow.
I didn't see this until I
I didn't see this until I read it right now. This frightens me a little, I would hate to think that when my kids are 15 and 17 that they can't say what thier religion is at all because of what people might do. To think that these teenagers that attcked them were taught these sort of things makes me want to keep my kids away from the world. It is sad to say that no one is safe in America. People come here to be safe to only realize this place is getting worse and worse.
What a shame.
Cruz Family Day Care
~Samantha Cruz
These Neo-Nazis need to be
These Neo-Nazis need to be confronted, denounced and ridiculed at EVERY opportunity. The teens often go into it thinking it's cool or to deal with emotional issues not being addressed elsewhere, then they really start BELIEVING the propaganda. And it's not a big leap from that to violence.
No one is born with hate.
No one is born with hate. It is taught. How sad. Nothing makes me more angry than this type of thing. I am so proud to say my four children have friends of different colors, different religions, different financial status. And what a blessing they all are!! They bring so much to my childrens lives. Teach so much. What a dreadful world this would be if we were all the same!
Paz
This article was written was
This article was written was completely false. The story is completely different than what was release in articles as well as on the news. A little boy and his friends were playing with airsoft guns. The mormons told them to leave and were yelling at them (these were juniors picking on a 7th grader). The 7th grader's older brother and one of his friends came to protect their little brother because his little brother was upset. Unfortunately, they HAD been drinking a little alcohol and instead of talking it out, they used violence instead. But it was the mormon boys who provoked this fight. One of the boys has mormon in his families, and both have plenty of mormon friends. Just thought all the moms should know the truth.
For the record.. The Mornons
For the record.. The Mornons did NOT start the fight. The 7th graders were using profanity and the LDS boys asked them to stop. The younger boys proceded to shoot at them and called big brothers(Nazi thugs ) to help. Brothers showed up and jumped the Mornons. Though the Mormons did get beat up the 17 year old did send 2 of he boys to the hospital one with a broken arm.
How do you know what really
How do you know what really happend then? If the article is written false, where did you get your info?
Cruz Family Day Care
~Samantha Cruz
this sounds like a lot of
this sounds like a lot of BS....you must be one of the thugs family members.....way to make excuses for abhorrent behavior ....and I notice you glossed over the Nazi aspect of it. Typical.