Thursday, January 26, 2006

More Twin Cities racial violence

(H/T Nws377)

Last year brought us news of "reverse" racially motivated bus stop beatings, both involving black on white crime, "St. Paul bus stop beating - racially motivated?".

The latest news is no less troubling: "One injured, three arrested in St. Paul high school attack".

An incident at Harding High school appeared to be racially motivated and premeditated, principal said.
This appears to be yet another "reverse" hate crime (yes, it can work both ways). The authorities, of course, would like to play down the race angle.

A ninth-grade student at St. Paul Harding High School was hospitalized Wednesday night after he was beaten by three other male students as they returned to class from lunch. The attack, school officials say, may have been racially motivated. But a police spokesman said there is no evidence that race played a role in the beating.

The three students, who were taken into custody within minutes of the beating, are Asian. The victim is white.
Kudos again to the Red Star for reporting the possible racial angle. Could this be the start of a break from business as usual in the liberal-biased newspaper? Perhaps they got the message that readers want the truth, and not some sanitized and politically-corrected version of the news.

Or maybe the facts in this case were too overwhelming, especially when the school principal goes on the record with the racial angle.

"To the best of my information at this time, it may have been racially motivated," said Harding Principal Todd Hochman, based on statements from other students.
Hopefully this is an isolated incident. Whites are actually in the minority at Harding High School, so it departs from the typical dynamics. The violence is no more acceptable in the reverse racial combination. Our children should have at least a minimal expectation of safety in school, of all places.

No weapons were involved, "just feet and fists," Hochman said. And school staff members standing nearby responded almost immediately.

"One of our staff members was within six or seven feet when he saw punches thrown," Hochman said. "When the victim went to the ground, our staff member put his body over the victim, especially over the head of the victim, and took a few kicks trying to protect this kid from further harm."

The teacher, Thomas Song, has taught physical education and health at Harding for at least a decade. On Thursday, school and district leaders were praising his "courage."
[Ed. - Why the quote marks for the word "courage"?]
It's particularly encouraging to see a teacher actually get involved physically in the defense of the victim. Lawsuit fear isn't always the impediment we anticipate.

Now let's hope for some meaningful punishment for the thugs, starting with expulsion.