Scripture of the Day...

Luke 2:11-14 (NKJV)

11 For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. 12 And this will be the sign to you: You will find a Babe wrapped in swaddling cloths, lying in a manger.”
13 And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying:
14 “ Glory to God in the highest,
And on earth peace, goodwill toward men!”[a]
source

***

Thank You, Father

Yeah-Like We Didn't Know The Ending To This Story!!

I remember when I first heard this story. I thought it was tragic the way this young man died. On top of that, it was videotaped. Surely, the guards would be dealt with...right? Wrong. I do not believe (my opinion) it's a racial issue, cuz this has happened to non-black children as well. It's an abuse of authority issue.

"You kill a dog, you go to jail. You kill a black boy and nothing happens."
-Gina Jones, mother of Martin Lee Anderson (AP)

Jury Acquits Eight in Boot Camp Death
credits: AOL News, AP

PANAMA CITY, Fla. (Oct. 13) - Residents in the hometown of a black 14-year-old who died after a videotaped altercation with juvenile boot camp guards, gathered at a local church Friday and shared anger that eight people accussed of killing the boy were acquitted by an all-white jury.

"In this country we are spending millions of dollars to fight wars that we say are to bring human rights and justice to other countries, but we don't have those things right here," said Bob Clark, a Panama City resident who helped organize the church vigil.


Florida State Attorney's Office, AP Video from Jan. 5, 2006, shows Martin Lee Anderson after being hit and kicked by guards at a juvenile boot camp in Florida. Seven ex-guards and a nurse were acquitted on Friday of manslaughter in his death.

On another side of town, many people hadn't heard news of the acquittals hours after the verdict was delivered. Others said they were interested, but not concerned that the seven guards and a nurse from the now-closed Bay County Juvenile Boot Camp were acquitted.

Chris Witts, who ate lunch outside on a sunny afternoon with friend, David Park, said he followed the case on television.

"I feel it's sad the kid died, but they didn't have the proof about what killed him," Witts said.

(SECURITY TAPE IS GRAINY/"PIXELY"...VIEW AT 5:19)

Park, who has lived in Panama City for more than 30 years, said he doubted the verdict, while unpopular with some in the conservative, southern, town, would lead to major demonstrations because two of the guards of the guards are black.

"From what I've heard, it (the boy's death ) was not something that could have been prevented," he said.

Defense attorneys argued that the guards properly handled what they thought was a juvenile offender faking illness to avoid exercising on his first day in the camp . They said Anderson's death was unavoidable because he had undiagnosed sickle cell trait, a usually harmless blood disorder that can hinder blood cells' ability to carry oxygen during physical stress.

Prosecutors said the defendants suffocated Anderson by covering his mouth and forcing him to inhale ammonia during the 30 encounter in which they kneed and hit Anderson and dragged him around the exercise yard.

Gerald Bryant was among those who gathered Friday at the church in Anderson's former neighborhood.

During the trial, defense attorney Waylon Graham told jurors that "agitators" from outside of Bay County had protested the results of an initial autopsy that found Anderson died of sickle cell trait.

"Agitators is the term they used for the civil rights marchers back in the 60s. Calling us agitators, that is a racist term to say that we are agitators," Bryant, who lives in Panama City, said.

And Bryant said he wanted the acquitted defendants to know one thing - "this isn't over."

Those who gathered at the church said they would organize marches, rallies and push for the eight to be indicted on federal civil rights charges.

"This trial never should have been held in Panama City in the first place," said Summer Tunner, who was at the church. "This community is going to come together and push this thing further."

******

I mean, how many times have we heard of stories such as this?

Poor person, abused by authorities.

Abuse documented on tape.

Abuse is undeniable.

Authorities are acquitted.

Although the courts ruled in favor of the accused, I hope that Martin's parents

will be able to forgive and move on.

Better yet, use this as a stepping stone to create an organization, a support group,

or make changes in legislation. Maybe name a bill after Martin.

God is able.

You Better Recognize.

Ivent

UPDATE: DUHHH, TELL US SOMETHING WE DON'T KNOW! "HE WAS ONLY 14 YRS OLD!"

Ohio Student Gunman Had Mental Problems
credit: AOL news, AP


CLEVELAND (AP) - A 14-year-old student who opened fire at his high school, wounding four people before killing himself, had a history of mental problems and was known for cussing at teachers and bickering with students.



Asa H. Coon, who had been suspended for fighting, warned classmates of an attack - but none took him seriously. "When he got suspended, he was like `I got something for you all,"' said student Frances Henderson, who said she often got into arguments with Coon. "I guess this is what he had."



Police believe Coon targeted the two teachers he shot Wednesday. He also shot two students while others hid in closets and bathrooms or ran out of SuccessTech Academy alternative school. Students gathered outside, many in tears, hugging one another and talking on cell phones.



Parents were angry that firearms got into a school equipped with metal detectors that students said were intermittently used.

Coon's troubles seemed to come to a tipping point this week when he was suspended for fighting outside with a classmate. Students said Monday's fight was over God - Coon told his classmates he didn't believe in God and instead worshipped rocker Marilyn Manson .



Armed with two revolvers Wednesday, Coon fired eight shots, Police Chief Michael McGrath said. Police found a duffel bag stocked with ammunition and three knives in a bathroom, but no suicide note, he said.



Math teacher David Kachadourian, who was treated at a hospital for a minor wound to the back of one shoulder, knew of no reason why Coon might target him. Coon was a student in his beginning algebra class. "I never felt personally threatened or personally at risk," Kachadourian said. "I had concerns about him, yes. He seemed like an angry young man. I did not fear for my own safety."



Coon had mental health problems, spent time in two juvenile facilities and threatened to commit suicide while in a mental health facility, according to juvenile court records obtained by The Plain Dealer newspaper. The Department of Children and Family Services was called to Coon's home in 2000 because he had burns on his arms and scratches on his forehead, the newspaper said.



When he was 12, Coon was charged in juvenile court with domestic violence. His mother, Lori, had called police and told them her son slapped her and called her a vulgar name. She had been trying to intervene in a fight between Coon and his twin sister, The Plain Dealer reported. He was also suspended from school last year for attempting to hurt a student, the newspaper said. "He used to cuss all the teachers out," said Henderson, 14.



Coon, who is white, stood out in the predominantly black school for dressing in a goth style, wearing a black trench coat, black boots, a dog collar and chains, she said. Henderson, who is black, she said she didn't believe race played a role in the shootings. "He's crazy. He threatened to blow up our school. He threatened to stab everybody," said Doneisha LeVert, 14. "We didn't think nothing of it."



People at Coon's home late Wednesday declined to comment. All classes in the city school district were canceled Thursday, and school officials said counseling would be available for students at recreation centers throughout Cleveland.



Witnesses said the shooter moved through SuccessTech, a converted downtown office building, working his way up through the first two floors of administrative offices to the third floor of classrooms. He was wearing a Manson shirt, black jeans and black-painted finger nails, police said. Charles Blackwell, president of SuccessTech's student-parent organization, said he did not know how Coon got into the building.



Blackwell said there was a security guard on the first floor, but that the position of another guard on the third floor had been eliminated. The first person shot, 14-year-old Michael Peek, had punched Coon in the face right before the shootings began, student Rasheem Smith said. Coon "came out of the bathroom and bumped Mike and he (Mike) punched him in his face. Mike started walking. He shot Mike in the side," said Smith, 15. Darnell Rodgers, 18, was walking up to another floor when the stairway suddenly became flooded with students. "They were screaming, and they were saying, `Oh my God! Oh my God!' I knew something was wrong, but thought that it was probably just a fight, so I just kept going," Rodgers said. He realized he had been shot when he felt his arm burning. Rodgers was released from a hospital after treatment for a graze wound to his right elbow.

The other student shot was taken to a children's hospital, which would not release the student's condition. Michael Grassie, a 42-year-old history teacher, was hospitalized in fair condition late Wednesday after about two hours of surgery. The hospital would not disclose the nature of the surgery. SuccessTech Academy, with about 240 students, is an alternative high school in the public school district that stresses technology and entrepreneurship.

****

Tragic.

UPDATE::He Was Only 14 Years Old!!!

Teen shoots 4, kills self at Cleveland High School
(Scenes from SuccessTech Academy's shooting aftermath, below at right)

credit: crunk & disorderly

It was only after a crowd of screaming students ran past Darnell Rodgers in a stairway at his Cleveland, Ohio, high school Wednesday afternoon that he realized he had been shot."They were screaming, 'Oh my God! Oh my God,'" said Rodgers, a senior at SuccessTech Academy near downtown Cleveland.At around 1:15 p.m., a 14-year-old gunman, reportedly upset about a school suspension, was walking the halls firing with a gun in each hand. He shot 57-year-old as teacher David Kachadourian in the back in addition to shooting a 42-year-old teacher, officials said.Rodgers suddenly felt his arm "burning," he said, and realized he had been shot in the elbow.
When it was all over, five people had been shot including the gunman who, according to Cleveland mayor Frank Jackson, killed himself.Students at SuccessTech Academy described the gunman as having an "odd" personality. Witnesses told WKYC the shooter had been suspended for fighting earlier this week.Edward Eckart, Commissioner of Cleveland EMS Cleveland said the 42-year-old was shot in the chest and is in critical condition at MetroHealth Medical Center.The 57-year-old, who MetroHealth identified to CNN as Kachadourian, is in stable condition. Rodgers was treated and released from the hospital. The 14-year-old male with a gunshot wound to his side was transported to Rainbow Babies and Children's Hospital where he is in stable condition, Eckart said.A 14-year-old female with a knee injury was also taken to Rainbow Babies and Children's Hospital and is in stable condition.

(edited for content by Ivent)











Gunman dies, 5 injured at Ohio school
credit: AP, Yahoo! News (emphasis by Ivent)

CLEVELAND - A 14-year-old suspended student, dressed in black, opened fire in his downtown high school Wednesday, wounding four people as terrified schoolmates hid in closets and bathrooms and huddled under laboratory desks. He then killed himself.

A fellow student at SuccessTech Academy alternative school said Asa H. Coon, who was suspended for fighting two days earlier, had made threats in front of students and teachers last week.

"He's crazy. He threatened to blow up our school. He threatened to stab everybody," Doneisha LeVert said. "We didn't think nothing of it."
Coon was armed with two .38 caliber revolvers, and police found a duffel bag stocked with ammunition and three knives in a bathroom, officials said. Parents were angry that firearms got into a school equipped with metal detectors that students said were intermittently used.

Officials said two teachers and two students were shot, and that a 14-year-old girl fell and hurt her knee while running out of the school.
Witnesses said the shooter moved through the converted five-story downtown office building, working his way up through the first two floors of administrative offices to the third floor of classrooms. Officials said he was wearing a black Marilyn Manson concert shirt, black jeans and black-painted finger nails.

The first person shot, student Michael Peek, had punched Coon in the face right before the shootings began, said student Rasheem Smith, 15.
Coon "came out of the bathroom and bumped Mike and he (Mike) punched him in his face. Mike started walking. He shot Mike in the side." Peek, 14, didn't know Coon had a gun, Smith said.

Antonio Deberry, 17, said he and his classmates hid under laboratory tables and watched the shooter move down the hallway. "I saw him walking past. He didn't see us, we saw him." The shooter swore and shot several times, Deberry said.

LeVert said she hid in a closet with two other students after she heard a "Code Blue" alert over the loudspeaker. She said she heard about 10 shots.
Darnell Rodgers, 18, was walking up to another floor when the stairway suddenly became flooded with students.
"It took me a couple of minutes to realize that I was actually shot, when I felt my arm burning in the area, that's when I realized that I had got shot," Rodgers said.
"They were screaming, and they were saying, 'Oh my God, oh my God.' I knew something was wrong, but thought that it was probably just a fight, so I just kept going," Rodgers said.
Rodgers was released from a hospital after treatment for a graze wound to his right elbow.

Coon had been suspended since Monday for fighting near the school that day, said Charles Blackwell, president of SuccessTech's student-parent organization. He did not know how Coon got into the building Wednesday.
Blackwell said that there was a security guard on the first floor, but that the position of another guard on the third floor had been eliminated.

Student Frances Henderson, 14, said she often got into arguments with Coon, who once told her, "I got something for you all." He was a "gothic" who usually wore a trench coat, black boots and a dog collar, she said.

Students stood outside the building, many in tears, hugging one another and on cell phones. Others shouted at reporters with TV cameras to leave them alone. Family members also stood outside, waiting for their children to be released.

Math teacher David Kachadourian, 57, was in good condition; Michael Grassie, a 42-year-old teacher, was in surgery, but his condition was unavailable. The other two injured teens were taken to a children's hospital, which would not release their names, ages or conditions.
Deberry's mother, Lakisha Deberry, said she was upset that metal detectors at the school were not always in use.
"You never know what's going on in someone's mind," said Deberry, adding that she was required to go through a metal detector and present an identification card whenever she wanted to drop off something at school for her children.

The shooting occurred across the street from the FBI office in downtown Cleveland, and students were being sent to the FBI site.
Classes at all schools in the Cleveland Metropolitan School District will be canceled Thursday, said Eugene Sanders, chief executive officer of the district. Counseling will be available Thursday for students at recreation centers throughout the city, Sanders said.
SuccessTech Academy is an alternative high school in the public school district that stresses technology and entrepreneurship. It is housed on several floors of the district's downtown Cleveland Lakeside Avenue administration building.
"It's a shining beacon for the Cleveland Metropolitan School system," said John Zitzner, founder and president of E City Cleveland, a nonprofit group aimed at teaching business skills to inner-city teens. "It's orderly, it's disciplined, it's calm, it's focused."

The school has about 240 mainly black students with a small number of white and Hispanic students.

Coon was white and Henderson, the student who said she frequently argued with him, is black, but she said she didn't believe race played a role in the shootings.

The school, opened five years ago, ranks in the middle of the state's ratings for student performance. Its graduation rate is 94 percent, well above the district's rate of 55 percent.

********

I have told associates of mine's, 14yrs of age seems to be a critical year for youth. Whenever children have begun (began??) to lash out (as relayed to me by associates, friends and family) the onset usually manifests itself at 14. My son's friend hung himself at 14. My daughter's anger became pronounced at 14 etc. It is such a critical (do-or-die thinking), that it can have dire consequences with the most serious resulting in death.

For Asa to get to this point can only mean that he was unspeakable pain. Was it the fight that caused him to react in such a way??

Doubtable-I firmly believe the fight--was the straw that broke the camel's back.

Father, I just don't know what it is we can do for these hurting children. But you do. So Lord, I ask that you please...PLEASE...do something, in Jesus' name!

Ivent

God bless all those who are affected by this awful tragedy.