Are we seeing the proof of a devaluation of life when a pair of 16 year old punks beat and kill a WWII veteran?

CSM Michael J. Uhlig — Sat, 21 Mar 2015 20:39:25 -0400

Disgusting, we lost a World War II Veteran to what is evidently a random robbery - just senseless. Quite possibly three lives ended in this senseless act.

Should the teens be charged as adults?

Would this justify as a hate crime?

http://www.nydailynews.com/news/national/teen-beating-death-world-war-ii-vet-arrested-article-1.1437109

Second teen in beating death of World War II vet arrested

Kenan Adams-Kinard was arrested early Monday morning in a Spokane apartment basement after managing to elude capture for five days, according to police. Both Adams-Kinard and Demetrius Glenn, who turned himself in to police on Friday, are charged with first-degree murder and robbery in the shocking death of 88-year-old Delbert Belton in an Eagles Lodge parking lot Wednesday night.

Response by SSgt Private RallyPoint Member made Mar 21 at 2015 9:34 PM

SSgt Private RallyPoint Member — Sat, 21 Mar 2015 21:34:37 -0400

Yes it is a hate crime.

Response by SSgt Private RallyPoint Member made Mar 21 at 2015 9:35 PM

SSgt Private RallyPoint Member — Sat, 21 Mar 2015 21:35:49 -0400

Oh and a life sentence w/o parole.

Response by SSG (ret) William Martin made Mar 21 at 2015 9:38 PM

SSG (ret) William Martin — Sat, 21 Mar 2015 21:38:13 -0400

Charging those two young men as adults is a start towards justice.

Response by SSG Private RallyPoint Member made Mar 21 at 2015 10:06 PM

SSG Private RallyPoint Member — Sat, 21 Mar 2015 22:06:40 -0400

CSM Michael J. Uhlig, without knowing any further details than what are shared in the article I think no, this is not a hate crime. This is just another senseless crime on the streets of America. Further information may come to light that changes my opinion on that.

I understand why the family would mention it, because he was family and what he did in his life is important to them that the world know; so I understand including the sister's comments in the article, but that being said, there is really no reason for the article headline to tell us that he was a veteran, other than to spark inappropriate levels of controversy.

I do not know if it's in your thread title in the same vein, but what follows are my thoughts on that.

Unless further evidence shows that somehow his veteran status was involved in this crime, this is fundamentally no different than the other 154 people killed in Washington state in 2013. (number from http://www.statista.com/statistics/195331/number-of-murders-in-the-us-by-state/)

I could not find any data about 2014....I assume it's not tallied and/or published yet, but that would be where we can determine if the phrase "proof of a devaluation of life" has any applicability.

To address that facet, we as veterans, are not officially afforded nor do we deserve any special treatment from the general public. I believe that anyone serving who thinks otherwise is probably serving for the wrong reasons. We are shown special treatment in some circles and by some people, but that is not our right. In this light his murder a) was no different than any other murder in the US, and b) should not highlight his veteran status...especially since these articles were released prior to the suspects' trial, and likely poisoned the jury pool. I am sure that there will be plenty of people who think that's a good thing, and those people have no business ever being jurors (meaning the good, community and world improving parts, not the annoying, time sucking parts...they deserve those) and do not understand how the system is supposed to work.

U.S. homicide: number of murders by state 2013 | Statistic

This graph displays the number of murders in the United States by state. In 2012, the number of murders in Alaska amounted to 29 victims.