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May 2, 2006
racial equality and unspeakable violence
I have tremendous admiration for those who have fought long and hard for racial equality (in this and in other countries). Many lost their lives and endured horrific beatings. Some must "see" or "read" movies and books on this topic are, the Eyes on the Prize video series, the Malcom X movie, the book A Different Mirror by Ronald Takaki and the Rabbit Proof Fence .
As in the Civil Rights and other movements, time will reveal that this fight is about much more than policy. I've been following a story of unspeakable violence directed at a Texan teen. While shorter in length, this article paints an even more disturbing picture of the attack.
The parents of one of the attackers have released this statement:
We as the parents of Keith Turner are deeply saddened and sickened by the recent course of events. Our thoughts and prayers are with the victim and his family. We sincerely hope that a full recovery is made. We in no way condone or encourage the type of behavior that has taken place. In recent years Keith has had problems with drugs and violence. I assure you that we have not sat passively by and allowed this to happen without attempting to correct his choices. There have been attempts with counseling, medication and rehap. The unfortunate outcome is that he continued to make bad choices. We also did not feel that forcing him onto society to be dealt with was an option either. Our attemps were to keep that type of burden from happening. At this time we wanted to make everyone aware that this situation deeply concerns us. We are unable to make any public appearance due to the recent threats agatinst us, our family and our home. We wanted to make this statement in an attempt to convey our concern for all parties involved. We do still love our son, but do not accept this behavior.
Thank you,
The parents of Keith Turner source
Posted by almamia at May 2, 2006 4:41 PM