Student, Possibly Gay, Brain Dead After Classmate Shooting

[WillParkinson]

(Oxnard, Calif.) A brain dead 15-year-old boy was on a ventilator Thursday for possible organ donation, and a classmate suspected of shooting him in the head was under arrest on investigation of attempted murder, authorities said.

Eighth-grader Lawrence King was shot Tuesday during a class at E.O. Green Junior High, police said.

He was pronounced brain dead Wednesday at St. John's Regional Medical Center after examination by two neurosurgeons, Ventura County Senior Deputy Medical Examiner Craig Stevens said.

King was on a ventilator while his family decided on organ donation, Stevens said.

Oxnard Police Department spokesman David Keith announced earlier that King was dead. "I'm sticking with my earlier statement. I was informed by the hospital that he has passed away," Keith said.

http://365gay.com/Newscon08/02/021408student.htm

[acmavm]

1. People have always taught their kids that gays were expendable.

They weren't of the same value to the human race as breeders. And their difference was something that required eliminating. Especially if it was obvious.

What's that self-hating gay that Obama flaunts again? He swallowed the message. Radical breeders expect gays to either straighten up and fly right or consequences be damned.

[Tyo]

5. Word

This story is tearing me up. As far as I'm concerned this is just more blood on the hands of people like Donnie McClurken and all those other stinking smirking self-righteous monsters who are out there every fucking day putting money in their pockets by pushing the idea that we are spiritually deformed, less than whole, and in need of fixing. One way or another.

That this kid is dead is the totally predictable result of people getting and acting on the message that these sickening pieces of shit are pumping out. The same pieces of shit, it can't be pointed out often enough, that Barack Obama numbers among his friends and supporters.

[Jella]

33. As always

I appreciate your words.

[hulklogan]

2. Let's see how many of the militant straights around her grieve for this boy.

Somehow, I think it will be a "non-issue" for many.

edited spelling

[The Doctor.]

6. ?

"Militant Straights"?

I've yet to see any such people around here that wouldn't acknowledge this tragedy may well have been the result of societal intolerance.

Meanwhile, isn't it possible to just be sad for the boy and his family because he was shot? Whether or not he may have been gay doesn't make him more or less dead, nor does it change the fact that this was a tragedy.

[Tyo]

7. No, being gay is just the reason he's not alive right now

But I suppose we must focus on the bigger picture, mustn't we?

[The Doctor.]

22. No, being shot is the reason. But the point is already understood.

The bigger picture is that society still promotes intolerance.

Meanwhile, I didn't know that the motive has been acertained.0

[hulklogan]

24. It seems that being gay is the reason. Or some other hate-related reason

According to this article:

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/n/a/2008/02/13/state/n173105S00.DTL&type=printable

[The Doctor.]

30. Being gay isn't by itself fatal. He died because he was shot.

I know, 'he was shot because he was gay'... I kind of addressed that.

[Lerkfish]

8. what a thoughtless post

[Tyo]

9. How so? n/t

[Lerkfish]

10. its a stereotypical broad brush comment, when the issue is the horrific result

of broad brush stereotypes.

although I don't think I fall into the term "militant straight", and perhaps I'm ignorant of the true meaning of the term, but this event is a horrible tragedy and I think its thoughtless to presuppose people at DU would either relish or be apathetic to this apparent hate crime.

Its a way or preemptively characterizing people as inhuman or without compassion. Although I understand the grief and anger behind it.

that's all I'm saying, its a statement made without thought.

[hulklogan]

11. I don't see any of the people on my ignore list sharing their remorse

on this thread or the thread in GD. For some people around here, it definitely is a "non-issue".

That said, I know you aren't a militant straight :hug:

[Lerkfish]

12. Thanks, perhaps I didn't clearly understand the term

at any rate, If there are people, any people, that would applaud this horrific event, they have no place here, or anywhere, IMHO.
I just didn't think it was a given there were people here like that, but hey, I've been wrong before and repeatedly.

[Tyo]

14. I don't think there is anyone here who would applaud it

(And what follows is certainly not directed at you) But there are a lot of people here at DU who in view of their past comments about our rights and our place in society would do well to keep their “sympathy” to themselves. Not that sympathy would do any good anyway. The kid is dead. Those eyes will never see again, that heart never feel. For him it’s a little late for our sympathy.

What a number of DUers should be doing is asking themselves where they were during the 15 years and X number of days that he was alive and could have used their help. That period of time right up until he got shot in the head by a pitiful twisted little product of a society which accepts and even justifies mocking us and fearing us and tormenting the weaker among us and wanting to either fix us or make us go away.

What are they doing to change that society? What did they do to make the path safer for other Lawrence Kings and their lesbian sisters who are also now beyond help. What will they do for those still alive and fighting? I say to them don’t insult us with sympathy for a once brave and struggling young man who is now a piece of meat. Not when you ignored him when he needed you.

[Lerkfish]

18. understood. But I wonder as I read your post

if the same thing could have been and probably was said about the Columbine victims-- not equating tragedies, just struck by how futile it felt to me when I read this:

"What are they doing to change that society? What did they do to make the path safer for other Lawrence Kings and their lesbian sisters who are also now beyond help. What will they do for those still alive and fighting?. "

I think its unfortunately true that often, in ALL circumstances, we as a society fail our individuals in order to keep them safe.
But I don't know how, in some cases, you COULD keep everyone safe, it seems (speaking as a parent of a young child) a very scary thought that the world around us does NOT have my child's safety in mind nor guaranteed. At any moment, a gunman or a distraught student could blow my kid away and there's not a lot I could do to either know about it ahead of time or know how to forestall.

Its just sad, sad, that people kill innocent people, its also more sad in one way if the killing is a hate crime, and its more sad in another way if its random.


Sorry, this is just a tangent. I understand your point. I also don't have a clue how to make someone who is intolerant and whom I don't know, tolerant.
do you have any suggestions?

[NMMNG]

15. "Militant Straights"

It's a jab at the jerks who call LGBTs who are sick and tired of straight people holding hostage the Human and Civil rights that are rightfully ours "Militant Gays" (the RRRW likes "Militant Homosexuals"). What's worse is that they piss and moan when we keep asking for them because they refuse to give them to us, telling us repeatedly that the timing just isn't right, just be a little more patient, we need to wait until after X election, the religious won't go for it and so on.

We're taxpaying American citizens and we deserve our Civil Rights just like anybody else.

[Lerkfish]

19. ok, then I'm certainly not in that definition (not that I thought anyone was saying I was)

[NMMNG]

21. I didn't think you were

But there are those, even here, who fit the bill. I'm sad to say it but there definitely are. Having been here for the past three years has opened my eyes to the fact that the Democratic party isn't the Big Tent party it claims to be.

[Jella]

34. Thank you

for your post. It does wear on some of us that we always have to be the level headed ones, and not show an out right hostile emotional outburst. Yes, of course had we waited a few days we may not have used a term such as militant straight, but then again maybe we'd just shake our heads in disgust and go on about our day. I have given up my voice, or have taken the back seat for too many years allowing 'them' to have their say first.

I just get so tired of letting them call me on something that I rarely get to spout all in the name of taking some dam high road that seemingly never gets traveled by the majority.

[ThomCat]

25. Somehow, i think you're right.

There's a lot of people who would gloss right over this as somehow not worth their attention. :(

[cbayer]

36. It's bringing me to my knees.

I am not sure what you mean by militant straight. I am straight and i am militant, but i am not militantly straight.

But you may be right. I posted this on the GD forum and got only one response.

[xchrom]

3. recommend

[Tyo]

4. Sorry, but he probably asked for it....

Hey I'll bet the kid acted femmy or told the other kid that he liked him or something. What's a straight guy supposed to do when confronted with behavior like that? You've gotta right to protect yourself. :sarcasm:

[mitchtv]

13. I heard them on TV last night discussing the case

He was apparently bullied because of his "appearance". Then some Hick adminstrator admitted to having a "teasing" problem. It's "bullying" I screamed at the infernal tube "Bullying you fucking idiot! the kid is now dead, I hope the parents leagally rape your school district", screamed I.

[closeupready]

16. Yet another sad example of how society perverts nature,

and what is natural for some of its members. Not everybody wants or needs to conform to stereotypical gender roles and behavior. Those who don't are punished, sometimes severely. Gays and lesbians know this too well. That's about all I can say about this right now, or else I'm gonna lose it.

[NMMNG]

17. Freaking bigot

"The teenager sometimes wore feminine clothing and makeup, and proclaimed he was gay," according to fellow students. "He would come to school in high-heeled boots, makeup, jewelry and painted nails -- the whole thing," said Michael Sweeney, 13, an eighth-grader. "That was freaking the guys out."

If the shooter decided he could kill the kid because he was "freaked out" I hope his ass goes to jail for a good long time. You don't get to kill someone because the way he dresses and identifies "freaks you out". :grr:

[Tyo]

20. This was not another random act of violence

I think we need to be clear about this. There was nothing random about what happened here. The killer came to school intending to use that gun against a specific person for a specific reason.

[Tektonik]

23. Cases like this make me re-think my stance on charging minors for adult crimes

:mad:

[cbayer]

37. He's being charged as an adult. nt.

[LeftHander]

26. I saw or local tV news saying...

He dressed in feminine attire and this made "him unpopular with the other boys"...

The TV just said it was OK for the other boys to hate him...just not shoot him in the head...how fucking insensitive.

This is so sad. Another instance of a probable transgender teen being killed.

I think there will be more behind this in the coming weeks. As recently there have been high exposure cases of transgender M2F teens being harrassed and told they could not wear feminine attire.

[Tyo]

27. Hey, come on

We have an election to win. We need to wrap this up and move on. All it is doing is diverting our attention from the important stuff.

:sarcasm:

[LeftHander]

28. sorry....what is the delegate again and what percentage of WHite Males are voting female??

[Tyo]

29. That's better. n/t

[closeupready]

31. You know what's interesting though, is on a related note, this demonstrates the misogyny in our soci

society - think about it - a guy who identifies with feminine ways is penalized by his peers for that reason alone. Obvious misogyny at work there. Don't you think?

[Creideiki]

32. Not sure on that

More like a general hatred toward anyone that doesn't fit gender roles either way.

[cbayer]

35. From the SF Chronicle

"The felony complaint did not contain the reasons prosecutors were seeking a hate crime enhancement, and Fox said she could not reveal them. Oxnard police spokesman David Keith said Friday the investigation was continuing and there was no information about a motive.

Several classmates have said King would wear feminine attire, making him a social outcast with other boys at the school. King sometimes came to school wearing makeup and high heels, eighth-grader Nicholas Cortez told The Associated Press."

They are interviewing kids from this school on the radio right now and it is heartbreaking.

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/n/a/2008/02/13/state/n173105S00.DTL