-
Not Just the Media: First Amendment Under Attack
May 22, 2013 | 3 comments
-
Curl is Right: Don’t Dismiss Benghazi
May 22, 2013 | 2 comments
-
Artur Davis Says Scandals Are Real
May 19, 2013 | 3 comments
-
Good New Book: ‘Precipice’
May 19, 2013 | 1 comment
-
A Long Record of Obamite Thuggery
May 16, 2013 | 4 comments
The Spectacle Blog
That’s what two (black) witnesses to the Mobile mob beating of Matthew Owens said a lot of people on the scene were yelling when they came up, just in time to see Owens’ pursuers run into the yard behind him. The yard is bordered by high bushes, so it is difficult to see, especially at dark, what is going on behind the bushes if you are not already there or looking in via the driveway.
But the witnesses said, first, that about 20, maybe 25 people poured into the yard. And with that many people in a yard with very little egress opportunity, it is clear that the mere presence of all those people, unless they were there to stop the attackers, would have the effect of cornering Owens. They said, second, that there was so much yelling that it was difficult to tell what the predominant message of the yellers was, but that some bpeople were clearly yelling to call the police and to not go into the yard — remarks presumably aimed at the attackers as well.
In other words, at least some people on the scene were, by this telling, trying to act responsibly.
My witnesses said they don’t know how long the beating went on. They vamoosed back down the block to call the police — but the police came onto the scene very quickly, so somebody else probably already made the call.
Finally, let it be said that there does seem to be a bit of the equivalent of omerta going on here: No matter how many people were around that night, nobody seems to be able to identify a single other person who was on the scene. Everybody to whom I’ve spken who says they were on the scene says they weren’t part of the crowd in the yard, that they didn’t know who any of the pursuers were, that they can’t identify even those who tried to do the right thing, and that it was all a big jumble.
But there were about 20 people in the yard. Some of them apparently were trying to do the right thing. Those same people should do the right thing now by telling the police exactly who else was there and exactly what happened. And police should find ways to make them feel safe in doing so.
View all comments (16) | Leave a comment
More Blog Posts by Quin Hillyer
http://spectator.org/blog/2012/04/30/dont-go-into-that-yard
Follow us:
ADVERTISEMENT
SPONSORED LINKS
FLASHBACK TO: 1995
-
Pope Culture
A man of faith in a godless age is hitting Americans where it hurts.
-
Why the GOP Does Not, Like, Totally Suck
Mr. and Mrs. American Spectator Reader, let P.J. O’Rourke talk sense to your kids.
-
Dames at Sea
-
In the Absence of Guns
In Britain, defending your property can get you life.
-
The Metaphysical Martini
-
Counting the Costs of Clintonism
The debacle of this president’s administration is both a cause and a symptom of the decline of American values. Unless Congress impeaches him, that decline will go on unchecked. An eminent jurist surveys the damage and assesses the chances for the recovery of our culture.
-
Chuck McHagel
It won’t take long for conservatives to scratch this presidential wannabe off their 2008 scorecard.
-
The Legacy of Old John and Mother Fresh-Roasted
-
It’s the Best Time of the Year
The American Christmas, like the songs that celebrate it, makes room for everybody under the rainbow. Is that why so many people seem to be hostile to it?
-
The Bush Crack-Up
Was the President done in by the economy, or by the politics of the economy?
Clip of the Day
H/T to National Review Online
ADVERTISEMENT
Dan| 4.30.12 @ 5:47PM
Don't go worrying Quin.
That's what they've got Joint and Several liability for. Let the guy sue every single one of 'em, and once it's clear they'll ALL be held civilly liable for the beating and pounding of a white man, only then will their mouths start to open.
Then these very same creatures will be all in a rush to finger the racists responsible.
As for criminal liability, I'm sure some are beginning to worry and are dropping the dime behind the scenes.
We'll see.
Occam's Tool| 4.30.12 @ 6:17PM
Well, I just hope things clear up. Alabama is a fine state, with VERY fine Steak. (Ruth's Chris in B'ham is my favorite, and Mobile also has a branch.)
Alabama also does splendid medical research, and the Capstone is a beautiful campus.
John| 4.30.12 @ 6:31PM
I live in FL, and I can assure you that it ain't gonna happen in FL, may be other way around.
John| 4.30.12 @ 7:01PM
Nick is a pathological LIAR. He is a mole.
John| 4.30.12 @ 7:02PM
By the way, you Nicky the liar, No apology!
John| 4.30.12 @ 7:03PM
I exercise my First amendment, and Nicky the liar, is jeaoulus about me.
Trinacria| 4.30.12 @ 8:09PM
Mr. Hillyer,
As a proud Italian-American of the Sicilian variety, let me assure you that these pathetic pukes have neither the courage nor the honor to adhere to the code of omerta. As soon as the first of the accused faces legal jeopardy, they'll begin selling each other out faster than a pimp with a $1000/day crack habit.
Richard Baker| 4.30.12 @ 8:39PM
Sounds like more of the tribal mentality at work here. Dr. King weeps.
Trinacria| 4.30.12 @ 11:58PM
Don't kid yourself...
Bill Hussein O'Stalin| 5.1.12 @ 8:42AM
They were community organizers. It always ends this way.
USSAlabama| 5.1.12 @ 10:46AM
Virginia. Two weeks ago and only just now hearing.
"100 Black Teens Beat Couple in Norfolk"
http://hamptonroads.com/2012/0.....brambleton
Apparently both are employed at a local newspaper.
Oldefarte| 5.1.12 @ 11:03AM
Quin, again I appreciate your reporting on this issue, as NOT SUPRISINGLY the Register and TV stations are apparently unaware that this event even occurred. Shazam! Typical! Speaking of typical, this inability of witnesses in the neighborhood with amnesia are typical of numerous daily occurrances in most large city crimes/murders etc; as a body will be lying in the street in broad daylight and hundreds of onlookers/residents are gauwking and none of them seem to be able to ID the perps or even witnessed anything. I DOESN'T KNOWS NOTIN, OFFICER!!!!! Duh!!!! Right, %%%%%AND THE COW JUMPED OVER THE MOON, WHILE THE DISH RAN AWAY WITH THE SPOON%%%% These people are gutless, gonadless etc and beyond that they are worthless. Of course they know who/what/when/where/how etc but are too spineless to open their mouths. I see this sort of thing each and every day in even mundane situation within life. As Doctor Laura proclaims constantly, JUST DO THE RIGHT [GD] THING! Be a human being being and fulfill your moralistic duty. These people have a moral duty before G-D Almighty to tell what they know and to facilitate justice, and if they don't AT DEATH THAT TRAP DOOR IS GOING TO OPEN UP UNDERNEATH THEIR FEET AND ZAP SOUTH THEY WILL GO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Tom Kyba| 5.1.12 @ 12:41PM
I hope the exposure to these types of actions will help bring justice. Honestly though, considering that 99.99% of liberals who catch a whiff of incidents like this will switch to guilt mode and trot out the legacy of slavery, poverty and every other excuse in the direction manual, I can't see things changing unless we enter a scenario like that in Vince Flynn's first novel. I know we all wish these incidents would never happen, but when it gets to the stage of actual mobs of criminals running around, organized or spontaneous and when you know you're going to get nothing more than "I don't know nuthin' pig" when trying to investigate, you are now dealing with animals and the only way to change the situation is through controlled reciprocal violence as in "extreme prejudice". These little pukes are no better than Islamic terrorists and will not stop unless staring down the barrel of a gun and knowing that said gun and others like it have already killed some of their scummy pals AND knowing that there will be others as long as the violence continues. I realize that this is a somewhat nihilistic attitude but all the hand-wringing and moaning has done nothing to quell this crap after decades of psycho-babble on the subject. This is not a call for a police state anything of that nature. Just a realization that situations like this could be suppressed if the perpetrators new they were risking their own lives by participating. They need to be stomped into dust, not molly-coddled by a justice system that will simply(assuming they face the justice system at all) send them to a different gang behind bars.
FeFe| 5.1.12 @ 2:58PM
So no homeowners association? Rather amazing that no iPhone video has turned up on the internet, no? An indication that most in the yard, for whatever reason, were older adults? or has it just gone underground? Have you interviewed the local highschool kids or parents in the booster stands for a home game, yet?
alyans | 5.1.12 @ 7:06PM
alyans