Young, Gay and Murdered

[tik 🪀✨]

I'm quite amazed at the level of sympathy for Brandon in this situation.

Obviously, Larry's behaviour was inappropriate, but it defies me how someone could conclude that Brandon is not absolutely in the wrong. His action was morally reprehensible and completely unjustifiable. To deliberately shoot to kill a person because they have inappropriately expressed a crush they have for you is entirely abhorrent.

To suggest that Larry's actions stand in mitigation of this murder is farcical.

I agree with you 150%. Even if this kid was acting more flaming then Boy George he certainly didn't deserve to die for it.

I'm pretty sure everyone who thinks other people here said that Larry deserved it or that Brandon was justified didn't read through the original article and all of this thread.

[Јas]

I'm pretty sure everyone who thinks other people here said that Larry deserved it or that Brandon was justified didn't read through the original article and all of this thread.

No, I've read the article and every word of the thread. I never stated that anyone said that Brandon's actions were 'justified' or that Larry deserved to die, I stated that the statements and implied sentiments by a number of people here who suggest that the fault for this murder does not lie entirely at Brandon's feet shock and abhor me. For example:

Tik, thanks for sharing the rest of the story, the gay boy may have been murdered, but I see where Tik is coming from, it was his own fault, or the fault of the admin for allowing his behavior.

[tik 🪀✨]

Yes, well I feel pressure to point out that I am far from one of those people. Ad nauseum.

[Small Business Owner of Any Repute]

I really should have known better not to even bother reading this thread, I really should.

I feel so optimistic for the human race that I feel like going to the kitchen to pour myself a tall glass of bleach.

[Ban my account ffs!]

I really should have known better not to even bother reading this thread, I really should.

I feel so optimistic for the human race that I feel like going to the kitchen to pour myself a tall glass of bleach.

That's about how I felt.

[Smash255]

To say Larry's behavior was inappropriate is one thing to say he is some how responsible for the actions of some deranged fool who decided to bring a gun into school and shoot him is beyond insane and utterly reprehensible.

[Flying Dog]

To say Larry's behavior was inappropriate is one thing to say he is some how responsible for the actions of some deranged fool who decided to bring a gun into school and shoot him is beyond insane and utterly reprehensible.

^^^^^

Some posters may have not said that so forwardly but I got the sense that a few were implying it.

[HardRCafé]

I am all kinds of confused anyone here is conflating being gay with cross-dressing and everything else.

[Flying Dog]

I am all kinds of confused anyone here is conflating being gay with cross-dressing and everything else.

No, I don't think anybody is conflating anything. He clearly had an attraction to this Brandon kid, and made is obvious, obviously.

[Ebowed]

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If he doesn't have the right to vote, smoke, enlist in the military, etc., then he shouldn't be tried as an adult.  Simple as that.

[??????????]

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If he doesn't have the right to vote, smoke, enlist in the military, etc., then he shouldn't be tried as an adult.  Simple as that.

Ok, so a sociopath, who will kill again or become a serial killer should, at 17, be only tried as a child. Great system.

[John Dibble]

I'm quite amazed at the level of sympathy for Brandon in this situation.

Obviously, Larry's behaviour was inappropriate, but it defies me how someone could conclude that Brandon is not absolutely in the wrong. His action was morally reprehensible and completely unjustifiable. To deliberately shoot to kill a person because they have inappropriately expressed a crush they have for you is entirely abhorrent.

To suggest that Larry's actions stand in mitigation of this murder is farcical.

Larry's actions towards Brandon are important because they can help us draw conclusions on Brandon's state of mind, so they are not unimportant. Keep in mind that this isn't an adult we're talking about, but a fourteen year old who's mind was still developing and didn't have what you could call an ideal upbringing.

Let me ask you this - have you ever been harassed by someone for any extended period of time? I have, during middle and high school, in a manner somewhat similar to this case. One of my fellow students would harass and bother me repeatedly even though he knew I didn't like it, and some of the harassment was of a homosexual nature. (whether he was actually gay was never certain - it might have been just games to him, as he wasn't flaming nor did he ever openly state it) There were times when I wanted to beat him to a bloody pulp, and sometimes even to kill him. Sure, I never did, but I had a much better upbringing than Brandon did and a patient personality to go with that. So I can empathize with how Brandon felt, who from the article I can tell was being harassed by Larry much worse than I was by the student in my school.

So yeah, people are going to sympathize with the kid who was harassed, had lies about him spread about the school, had a bad upbringing, and whose sexuality and position with his friends was becoming uncertain (at least in his mind) due to the harassment. That doesn't mean they feel he was justified, but a reasonable person could see that this was how it might have ended.

Frankly, given my own experience and after reading the article I can't see how the school could have been so ignorant about the Larry/Brandon situation to begin with. I'm very much inclined to think there's more they could have done to somehow prevent this.

[Dan the Roman]

To add to John Dibble's point, what would have happened in this case if Brandon was female, and he had been subject to a massive degree of sexual harrassment. We would not say that it was fun and games then. Had Brandon snapped in this case of course he would be guilty and of course he would be convicted, but I would argue the school would be liable for a massive lawsuit.

The behavior of the teachers in this case in encouraging and even taking part in the harassment, considered "supportive" given the gender of the students involved is nothing less than atrocious, and at the very least they should never teach again.

[Јas]

Larry's actions towards Brandon are important because they can help us draw conclusions on Brandon's state of mind, so they are not unimportant. Keep in mind that this isn't an adult we're talking about, but a fourteen year old who's mind was still developing and didn't have what you could call an ideal upbringing.

Let me ask you this - have you ever been harassed by someone for any extended period of time? I have, during middle and high school, in a manner somewhat similar to this case. One of my fellow students would harass and bother me repeatedly even though he knew I didn't like it, and some of the harassment was of a homosexual nature. (whether he was actually gay was never certain - it might have been just games to him, as he wasn't flaming nor did he ever openly state it) There were times when I wanted to beat him to a bloody pulp, and sometimes even to kill him. Sure, I never did, but I had a much better upbringing than Brandon did and a patient personality to go with that. So I can empathize with how Brandon felt, who from the article I can tell was being harassed by Larry much worse than I was by the student in my school.

So yeah, people are going to sympathize with the kid who was harassed, had lies about him spread about the school, had a bad upbringing, and whose sexuality and position with his friends was becoming uncertain (at least in his mind) due to the harassment. That doesn't mean they feel he was justified, but a reasonable person could see that this was how it might have ended.

Frankly, given my own experience and after reading the article I can't see how the school could have been so ignorant about the Larry/Brandon situation to begin with. I'm very much inclined to think there's more they could have done to somehow prevent this.

I was a victim of harassment, and I would say bullying, for a time at school. Nothing like in the present case, but certainly I know that it's terrible and hopeless and lonely and I wouldn't wish it on anyone.

I don't disagree that Larry's behaviour was wrong. What I don't accept, however, is that the decision to get hold of a loaded gun, bring it to school, and make the conscious decision to fire it point blank at someone else, is anything other than a hideous, malicious and (I don't use the word lightly) evil act. Brandon clearly made a very conscious decision to inflict the death penalty on Larry for his behaviour, and that is just so far beyond the bounds of acceptability that I simply don't accept that he is entitled to any sympathy.

Young people everywhere are subjected to intolerable behaviour and cruelty, much, much worse than what was described here. Brandon's actions were not those of self-defence, they were cruel, deliberate and malicious and cannot and should not be countenanced in civilised society.

[Ban my account ffs!]

Larry's actions towards Brandon are important because they can help us draw conclusions on Brandon's state of mind, so they are not unimportant. Keep in mind that this isn't an adult we're talking about, but a fourteen year old who's mind was still developing and didn't have what you could call an ideal upbringing.

Let me ask you this - have you ever been harassed by someone for any extended period of time? I have, during middle and high school, in a manner somewhat similar to this case. One of my fellow students would harass and bother me repeatedly even though he knew I didn't like it, and some of the harassment was of a homosexual nature. (whether he was actually gay was never certain - it might have been just games to him, as he wasn't flaming nor did he ever openly state it) There were times when I wanted to beat him to a bloody pulp, and sometimes even to kill him. Sure, I never did, but I had a much better upbringing than Brandon did and a patient personality to go with that. So I can empathize with how Brandon felt, who from the article I can tell was being harassed by Larry much worse than I was by the student in my school.

So yeah, people are going to sympathize with the kid who was harassed, had lies about him spread about the school, had a bad upbringing, and whose sexuality and position with his friends was becoming uncertain (at least in his mind) due to the harassment. That doesn't mean they feel he was justified, but a reasonable person could see that this was how it might have ended.

Frankly, given my own experience and after reading the article I can't see how the school could have been so ignorant about the Larry/Brandon situation to begin with. I'm very much inclined to think there's more they could have done to somehow prevent this.

I was a victim of harassment, and I would say bullying, for a time at school. Nothing like in the present case, but certainly I know that it's terrible and hopeless and lonely and I wouldn't wish it on anyone.

I don't disagree that Larry's behaviour was wrong. What I don't accept, however, is that the decision to get hold of a loaded gun, bring it to school, and make the conscious decision to fire it point blank at someone else, is anything other than a hideous, malicious and (I don't use the word lightly) evil act. Brandon clearly made a very conscious decision to inflict the death penalty on Larry for his behaviour, and that is just so far beyond the bounds of acceptability that I simply don't accept that he is entitled to any sympathy.

Young people everywhere are subjected to intolerable behaviour and cruelty, much, much worse than what was described here. Brandon's actions were not those of self-defence, they were cruel, deliberate and malicious and cannot and should not be countenanced in civilised society.

I agree 100%.  I couldn't have said it better myself.

[John Dibble]

I was a victim of harassment, and I would say bullying, for a time at school. Nothing like in the present case, but certainly I know that it's terrible and hopeless and lonely and I wouldn't wish it on anyone.

I don't disagree that Larry's behaviour was wrong. What I don't accept, however, is that the decision to get hold of a loaded gun, bring it to school, and make the conscious decision to fire it point blank at someone else, is anything other than a hideous, malicious and (I don't use the word lightly) evil act. Brandon clearly made a very conscious decision to inflict the death penalty on Larry for his behaviour, and that is just so far beyond the bounds of acceptability that I simply don't accept that he is entitled to any sympathy.

No sympathy at all? I'd be more careful with your words if I were you. That would mean you couldn't care less if he's tried as an adult, or torn to shreds by an angry mob, or anything of that sort. Sure, the action Brandon decided upon crossed the line of what can be considered acceptable, but given the circumstances under which he lived and came to make that unfortunate decision I don't think a little sympathy is undeserved. Our whole system of justice is based on that concept - we give some people greater or lesser amounts of punishment for the same technical crimes due to the realities under which those crimes took place. If it weren't for the fact that justice takes sympathy into consideration, there wouldn't have even been any debate as to whether Brandon should be tried as an adult or a juvenile. Justice without sympathy makes no such distinction.

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So, what? Is that supposed to make it ok? So if you lost a leg in a car accident, am I to have no sympathy for you because someone else loses both legs and arms?

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No, his actions weren't self-defense. They were retaliation on an unjustified level. Nobody here is denying that. We simply are recognizing the fact that Larry's actions towards Brandon were also cruel, deliberate, and perhaps even malicious - a fact that many people like to gloss over.

[Ban my account ffs!]

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There is a big difference between sympathy and showing mercy.  And besides, that's not the point here.  You can show mercy and sympathy by trying him as a juvenile, because he is a juvenile, and that likely played a factor here, but I show no sympathy for him and what he did.

I believe justice will be served and that we would be showing him proper mercy by trying him as a juvenile.. but I wouldn't be showing him sympathy because I don't feel bad for him.

[John Dibble]

There is a big difference between sympathy and showing mercy.

Is there? I don't see any reason anyone lacking sympathy would be merciful to anyone. Mercy very much depends on sympathy, if you ask me.

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I don't feel sympathy for what he did as it was the wrong thing to do, but I do feel sympathy for what happened to him and because of that I can at least use that to understand why he did what he did even if I disagree with it.

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I also believe justice would best be served by trying him as a juvenile. And I believe that he should receive punishment for his actions. However that doesn't negate the fact that something bad happened to him that he didn't deserve, so I see no reason I can't feel sympathy for that.

[The Man From G.O.P.]

The fact this kid is being charged as an adult and being charged with a "hate crime" is horrible, he's a kid who obviously has a blurred line of right and wrong, juvenile imprisonment and treatment is appropriate, but nothing else.




My point would be, none of this would have happened had the other kid been placed in the appropriate classroom, or had proper dress and behavior rules enforced upon him.

[Queen Mum Inks.LWC]

So, I suppose that the liberals here will say that, like most murderous kids, Brandon shouldn't get the death penalty.  Or will we have a double standard here because he killed a gay kid?

I say, fry the kid - he committed cold blooded premeditated murder.

[ChrisFromNJ]

So, I suppose that the liberals here will say that, like most murderous kids, Brandon shouldn't get the death penalty.  Or will we have a double standard here because he killed a gay kid?

I say, fry the kid - he committed cold blooded premeditated murder.

Who ever said he should receive the death penalty?

Congratulations on creating a straw man so you could knock it down yourself.

[Kaine for Senate '18]

So, I suppose that the liberals here will say that, like most murderous kids, Brandon shouldn't get the death penalty.  Or will we have a double standard here because he killed a gay kid?

I say, fry the kid - he committed cold blooded premeditated murder.

I'm not for executing the kid, because he was only 14, but give him life imprisonment, the day he turns 18; until then, keep him in some sort of juvenile home.

[Flying Dog]

So, I suppose that the liberals here will say that, like most murderous kids, Brandon shouldn't get the death penalty.  Or will we have a double standard here because he killed a gay kid?

I say, fry the kid - he committed cold blooded premeditated murder.

That's very....cold.

[exopolitician]

This entire situation is so upsetting

Lock his ass up for eternity.

[Хahar 🤔]

He murdered somebody, so he's an adult. That makes complete sense.