From: Spike Jones (spike66@ibm.net)
Date: Fri Sep 29 2000 - 19:43:26 MDT
Consider this article from this morning's San Jose Merc. Gilroy
is about 30 miles down the street:
Gilroy Student Arrested in Attack on Schoolmate
A 15 year old Gilroy High School student has been arrested
and charged with assaulting a schoolmate because he believed
the victim's sexual orientation to be different from his own,
police said.
A police official said Wednesday that the do not know the
sexual orientation of either student and that it is not important.
The suspect told the arresting officer that he threw a small clod
of dirt or asphalt at the victim on Tuesday because he believed
the boy had a different sexual orientation than his own, Lt.
Debbie Moore said. The victim received a slight scratch on the
arm and did not require medical attention, she said.
The student was arrested on suspicion of assault and battery,
and a civil rights violation, what Moore referred to as
discrimination based on sexual orientation.
High school principal Wendy Gudalweicz called it a harassment
incident, adding no form of harassment is tolerated and that
the youth already had been disciplined. She declined to elaborate.
The incident occurred on the high school campus at 11:20 a.m.
Tuesday between classes, Moore said. There was some
"physical contact," between the boys during the incident, but it
was not a fight or a beating, she said, declining to be more specific.
[end of article]
Reason I consider this newsworthy: students throwing rocks
at each other is something that happens every day, but now we
have a kid who has been arrested for assault, and was stupid
enough to admit the reason he did it. This changes everything,
and not just because it is an example of a thought-crime.
Looks to me like any high school student can now stop any
beating or attack simply by saying "Back off, Im gay."
If attacked, would I play the gay card? In a heartbeat, yes.
Of course it would work better if my wife of 16 years were
not present, but yes, if attacked, mugged or accosted in
any way, looks to me like the best defense is to claim
to be gay. When I was in high school, such an admission
would have resulted in a beating, and there was no recourse
in those days. Now, it will not take long for every criminal to
realize that any attack on a gay person means they will
be lucky to get off with just life without parole. spike
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