To borrow a quote ...

... from Michael Jackson in the December 2007 issue of Ebony, "People are crazy." He's never been so right.
I was all prepared to talk about another politician caught being sneaky and freaky but then I checked my e-mail and watched Headline News this morning and something else just took over my attention. In case you all haven't heard, a television news reporter by the name of Charmayne Brown was attacked in Union, S.C., while simply doing her job.
Brown went to a neighborhood to report on a possible homicide of an elderly man who was believed to be killed by his grandson. While standing on public property, she was attacked by members of the victim and suspect's family.
Take a look at the attack here:

This is so wrong on so many levels. Since you hear all of the bleeps, obviously they are cursing or using "werty derds" as my mom would say. Something else you can't hear is them calling her all kinds of "niggers" and "black bitches."
If I am not mistaken, their usage of those words and the fact that they passed an all white camera crew to get to her may constitute a hate crime. I'm not up on South Carolina's statutes or how they treat hate crimes, but I say they charge them with whatever gets them the most time just like they did for those monsters in West Virginia.
First of all, how is she supposed to feel safe now when she goes out to do her job? Secondly, what's to stop some other fools who don't want the "TV people" in their neighborhoods?
Speaking as a reporter who has had to cover several violent incidents, it is nerve-racking enough to have to go to these scenes where the suspects may or may not have already been apprehended. On top of that, you have to watch your back for a few psychos who don't want you there? That's some bull.
To add injury to insult, reporters are sent into the field by disconnected editors who don't give a damn about their safety. That is the most messed up part of it all. Everyday, we put ourselves in harm's way by going to these people's homes and some of the most obscure meeting places all so that we will have something to show on TV or run in the newspaper and the editors don't give a damn about what you go through to get the story just so long as you get it.
I'm not complaining about my job, in fact, I love my job. What I don't love is my counterparts and I being put into constant danger and nobody, especially the editors, caring about it. Luckily at this juncture of my career, I have an editor who wouldn't force me into a situation where I didn't feel comfortable. But before I did not have that privilege.
Early in my career, I saw too much stuff that I wish I wouldn't have. I haven't seen anyone be outright murdered, but I have rolled up to a scene where there is a body laying there, I've seen lifeless bodies pulled from wrecked cars and I had to go out in a situation where an entire neighborhood was locked down because a suspected killer was on the loose. So trust me, I've had my share of dangerous situations.
The bottom line is nobody should have to be put in harm's way like this unless they are highly trained and skilled in defending themselves and they armed with some sort of a weapon. My dad and my ex-boyfriend practically begged me to get a gun when I was living in Tennessee, but given this incident, I'm thinking about it really hard now.

No hate crime charges ...

... for the six white "people" charged in the kidnapping and sexual assault of a 20-year-old black woman in West Virginia.
I saw on CNN yesterday that the FBI opted to forgo federal hate crime charges because the hate crime conviction in West Virginia carry stiffer penalties.
The only information I found about hate crime conviction is that the penalty carries up to 10 years in West Virginia. I tried to find out what those penalties were for federal charges but I found nothing online that details what the penalties are if they are convicted.
I say "if" because they are still innocent until proven guilty. This is America people. But it is awfully hard to not look at these folks in disgust without saying that they are guilty.
Even with that, some information that was made public yesterday could possibly hurt the state's case to prove this was a hate crime. The county prosecutor released information yesterday that stated the victim and Bobby Brewster had "social relationship." In fact, in July, there was a domestic battery and assault incident involving the two.
According to the police report, the victim was called a "nigger" and was told this was happening to her because she is black. If this had happened under any other circumstances, this would no doubt be considered a hate crime.
Even though I could not find a lot of information on hate crime penalties, I did manage to find a few tidbits on hate crimes in general which is still good information because now we can all identify them when they happen.
As defined on the Civil Rights Program page of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Web site, a hate crime is a traditional offense like murder, arson, or vandalism with an added element of bias against a race, religion, disability, ethnic origin or sexual orientation.
Hate itself is no crime and as Americans, we are protected by the First Amendment so we can say whatever we want. The problem comes in when racists, sacrilegious bigots commit crimes because of their hatred.
Hate crimes are investigated by the FBI and information is then forwarded to the U.S. Attorney's office who determines whether or not to prosecute suspects federally or turn over evidence to the states. Most states have their own hate crime legislation and prosecute and punish accordingly. This is what will likely happen in West Virginia.
What I am wondering is if Bobby Brewster's defense attorney will try to have his charges busted back to some sort of domestic dispute since he and the victim have a history. Given the new information, it is quite possible.
Another thing I hope the prosecutor and judge take into consideration is the extensive criminal history of the entire group. CNN reported yesterday that there have been 108 criminal charges, many of them violent, filed against the six since 1991.
First off, why are these people even allowed to walk around free? Bobby Brewster's mother, Frankie, has the most serious charges of them all with a charge of Murder One. She pleaded it down to manslaughter and only served five years. The victim - her son's 84-year-old grandmother.
Secondly, I am not sure if I am all that upset about them opting to not charge them with a hate crime because if they are convicted of all their current charges, maybe they'll get more time.
I swear, it seems like as of late, we are going backwards as a country rather than forward. I was under the impression that we were far removed from these kinds of crimes but sadly, I was almost dead wrong. What do you guys think? Will we ever stop hating and hurting each other based on our racial backgrounds?

***I have decided not to identify the victim by name because I think it is wrong to put her out there like that. She and her mother decided to release her name and some media outlets even have pictures of this woman in her hospital bed, I refuse to do it. If you want to see swollen pictures and learn the identity of this woman, click the link: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/20737211/.

I'm still disgusted ...

... my grandma used to say be careful what you ask for because you just might get it. Well I asked for some real news didn't I? That's exactly what I got.

I just read the nastiest and most heinous police report I have ever seen. The individuals pictured to the left have been arrested for the nastiest and the most vile hate crime I have ever heard of.

Those six - people - have been arrested for kidnapping, beating and raping a 23-year-old black woman in Big Creek, WV.

The FBI has been called in to investigate this as a hate crime, but after reading the police reports on file, I think it is quite obvious that this is a hate crime.

For those of you all who won't have time to read the police report, the officer was called to one of the suspects homes for a welfare check because he received a tip that a woman was being held at the residence against her will.

The first woman pictured, Frankie Brewster, is the homeowner and was sitting on her porch when the officer approached. She told him that no one was there with her. It was then that the woman limped toward him, bruised and battered, with her arms stretched out and said, "Help me."

http://www.thesmokinggun.com/archive/years/2007/0911071logansix1.html

According to the police report, on the aforementioned Web site, the woman was stabbed in the leg four times, had two black eyes, was forced to perform oral sex on Brewster and Danny Combs, the young "man" pictured in the upper right, she was raped by Combs and Brewster's son Bobby. If that's not enough, the woman was choked with a cable cord, had her hair pulled, scalded with hot water, cut multiple times on her legs and ankle, stabbed four times in her left leg and forced to drink from the toilet and eat dog and rat feces.

I don't know the woman, her name will not be released because she is a rape victim but my heart goes out to her and her family. I can not imagine what must have been going through her head while all of this was going on. I can't even begin to imagine what's going on in her head now.

I want all of us who do pray to be deep in prayer for her and her family. I'm talking about that deeply bowed, laying prostrate kind of prayer.

I hope she gets all the help available to her and then some. I am not ashamed to say I cried while reading this story. The fact that this was allowed to happen is beyond ridiculous. The thing that scares me is it could have happened anywhere and it is probably happening everywhere. When will we ever get past hating each other for our skin?

The one thing that gives me a glimmer of hope is that something good has to happen for the victim. I have no idea why God allowed this to happen nor do I have any idea what He has in store for her but He has spared her life for a reason and this woman has to be destined for things far greater than herself and her circumstances.