Categories: Current Events

Picture this. You’re homeless, dirty and smelly. And to make matters worse, you’re black. Life is not easy. Then while you’re chillin’ at that patch of concrete you call home, two white teens suddenly appear and begin clobbering you mercilessly with baseball bats. You’re thinking “Is it because I’m black?”, but that thought is quickly pushed aside as you try to fend off the blows. Then they leave as suddenly as they arrived, leaving you battered and bruised.

Well, Norris Gaynor didn’t have to imagine it. He experienced it, when Brian Hooks, William Ammons and Thomas Daugherty brutally attacked him. Ammons shot Gaynor with a paintball gun, and the others beat him. They also attacked Jacques Pierre and Raymond Perez. They were the lucky ones, as Gaynor succumbed to his injuries. What would cause them to do such a thing? They were described as good students, never displaying any signs of being violent (They never do, do they?). Hooks was even an athlete (So? Hitler was a choirboy and look how he turned out). People are desperate for answers as to why this happened. Some blame videogames - I know Jack Thompson does. Some blame the parents, and others blame the decline of morals in society.

I tend to agree with the latter. Values have been pushed aside in pursuit of material gain, producing a generation without restraint. When the teens were caught, authorities say they seemed “disconnected from reality.” When 17 year-old Daugherty showed up at court, he broke down in tears (Reality hurts huh?). I wonder what they were thinking to commit such a crime? Maybe they wanted to rebel, as teens often do, taking out some of their aggressions in the process. Maybe they wanted a thrill, or perhaps live out a GTA fantasy of unbridled lawlessness. And what better target than the homeless. They’re human refuse, no one will care. Plus they’re defenseless. Easy prey.

Well that line of reasoning led them to where they are now, facing jail time. And it was all caught on tape, thanks to their brilliant planning (If you’re going to commit a crime, at least try to cover your tracks). Plus this incident will haunt them for the rest of their lives. All for a cheap thrill.