Poll: Is this caused by race, politics or bystander syndrome?

[emilynghiem]

RE: violent torture rape and murder of Tennessee couple in 2007

Murders of Channon Christian and Christopher Newsom
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Murders_of_Channon_Christian_and_Christopher_Newsom


An October 16, 2009 article in The Daily Mail stated, "Ironically, the case has now generated more publicity surrounding the furore over whether or not political correctness was behind the US media’s decision to largely ignore the story than it did for the murders themselves." The same article quoted commentator Michelle Malkin as saying, "This case – an attractive white couple murdered by five black thugs – doesn’t fit any political agenda. It’s not a useful crime. Reverse the races and just imagine how the national media would cover the story of a young black couple murdered by five white assailants."[39]

Commentary: Where is the outrage when humans are abused? - CNN

Do you believe the lack of media coverage on this murder case was due to
* racial bias?
* political agenda?
* bystander syndrome (where people do not respond or react
until they see how other people respond first; so if nobody responds, nothing happens)
* other reason?

 

[Tank]

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CqS6OFuUXe8&feature=relmfu]Documentary: The murders of Channon Christian and Chris Newsom - YouTube[/ame]

 

[lilbug]

Trial Under Way in Racially Charged Carjacking, Rape and Murder of Knoxville Couple - Local News | News Articles | National News | US News - FOXNews.com

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — Trial is under way in Knoxville for the first of four people charged in the kidnapping, rape and killing of a young couple more than two years ago.

As court convened Monday, the judge read each of the 38 counts against 26-year-old Letalvis Cobbins. His attorney, Scott Green, responded by entering pleas.

Green said his client pleaded guilty to five counts of facilitating robbery or theft in the carjacking that set the crimes into motion in 2007. He also pleaded guilty to one count of rape. To the remaining counts, Green responded "not guilty."

Cobbins — of Lebanon, Ky. — is also charged with murder and kidnapping in the killings of 23-year-old Christopher Newsom and his 21-year-old girlfriend Channon Christian.

When Christopher Newsom's bound, shot and burned body was identified the day after he was killed in 2007, authorities warned his mother the sight would be too gruesome for her to see.

"Well, I insisted I had to go there," Mary Newsom recalled last week, her voice cracking.

"I put my arm around the body bag and told him, 'Chris, I will not say goodbye to you because I know someday I will see you again.' That's what I believe. And that's what gets me through."

The mother concedes, though, "It's been a long 2 1/2 years."

 

[Stashman]

I voted racial biased in this poll. I am NOT a racist, but I voted this way because if the victims had been black and the suspects white it would of been labeled a hate crime.

 

[emilynghiem]

I voted racial biased in this poll. I am NOT a racist, but I voted this way because if the victims had been black and the suspects white it would of been labeled a hate crime.

Thank you for your reply. You make me think of a lot of different points on this and media in general.

a. I voted for bystander syndrome, same as why people didn't organize a concerted public outcry about the rape of the journalist in Egypt by a mob of protestors. There was silence there also, as if no one felt they could speak on behalf of such an unspeakable horror. People felt the impact in private, and many sent or posted personal msgs to the journalist. In this case in Knoxville, it seems the community pulled together to heal themselves, and maybe this is some way for them to have their space and privacy. Most of the publicity online was bashing back and forth over websites exploiting this case to make racial statements. I think it would be better to keep the community and family out of that, and let them grieve and resolve this on their own. The other nonsense had nothing to do with them, and I'm sorry if it did hurt them to see that going on.

b. However, I do note that hate crimes against whites are not designated, and the issue has been protested without being heard for the same reason, the same media blackout. Instead, there is the "white girl syndrome" where people protest why do young white women who disappear get so much publicity in the media and lasting attention, while black men or women who go missing remain like faceless random statistics.
I wonder if there are sociological studies done on why this pattern occurs in the media?

c. One reason I read online that was given for why the men in this case were not judged as committing a hate crime, was that these men "associated with" and had friends who were white.

d. What I really can't believe is the added injuries to the family from people spreading rumors or arguing that the two crime victims were buying drugs and soliciting sex! I had not heard such an argument since Gary Graham claimed a rape victim (a 57 year old woman who survived but was traumatized) was a prostitute.

e. Whatever legal culture we live in that encourages or rewards such behavior and statements, that is one regret I have that we have so much freedom without check on the use of it to stay within the bounds of due process, not abusing it or obstructing justice.

The Casey Anthony case is another blatant abuse of the process to deny justice by playing the system in ways that I don't believe should be allowed under law, especially if defendants are going to have their defense costs paid for in any way by the state.

I hope to write up and propose legislation to stop such abuses by holding citizens to
take or sign oaths to uphold the same laws as officers and officials of government.
We need to take laws seriously, especially if we want to invoke the same for ourselves!

The double standard of expecting govt/other people to uphold laws and protect "our rights" while not respecting the same of others makes no sense and is bankrupting our states. We cannot afford this kind of nonsense, but we have been paying billions of dollars for people to take advantage and completely backlog the govt and justice systems with it.

I believe citizens should be required to take financial and social responsibility instead of any more free rides. If you commit a crime that costs other people money, you should have to pay those costs or else not be a citizen in America. Membership in civil society isn't free. Especially if you've committed a crime, there should be requirement for restitution as part of the consequences. How else is there justice if there are no requirements for resolving the conflict or the damages done?