Teen Sport Killings of the Homeless

[Tullaryx]

Teen "sport killings" of homeless on the rise

As much as the homeless, the vagrants and the panhandlers that come up to me every day sometimes annoy me I usually just ignore them and get on with my day or hand over some change if I have any on hand. I always look at them as a stage of life that I should always aspire to avoid. Some of these people are victims of circumstance (laid off from work and never got back on their feet, addicted to drugs and alcohol, mental illness, etc..) and some are of their own doing.

One thing I've never fantasized, imagined and even thought of was to take a blunt object and start beating on them. Why is it that kids noawadays seem more willing to act out violence towards the helpless and downtrodden than in years past. And let's not even say that it's not just teens and young adults. I never saw such activities when I grew up during the 80's and early 90's. Even the gangbangers I knew from all different nationalities treated these homeless with indifference, but not people to satisfy one's violent fantasies.

From what the article has made mention of the suspects found to be involved in such attacks they seem to be of middle-class level and those who don't have juvie records. Are suburban, middle-class kids so bored with their own luxuries that they resort to beating on the helpless. Should teenagers found guilty of sport killing a homeless be given the harshest penalties given to adults? I am of the mind that yes they should be treated like adults if they commit such a crime. Only when caught and punished by being sent to prison do they feel remorse. Some have bragged days after to anyone who can hear of what they've done as if it was some sort of accomplishment.

I really hope that this is just a grim and disturbing trend that won't become part of the norm of teenage life. If not then who should be to blame for their lack of compassion, common sense and just basic humanity?
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[Scarlet Assassin]

Everyone has violent fantasies and to a point I can see where this might make sense. The way that young people are being taught these days isn't that they shouldn't do something out of respect for another person, it's that they shouldn't do something because they might get caught and punished. These youths are taking it to the next step, who cares and who's going to make a stink about a dead hobo? No one cares about these people and thus no one will care that he's dead. Get the hammer jimmy, bring the baseball bat Kevin, it's Hobo beating time.

Lock the little bastards away and swallow the key.
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Chief of Beat-em-up Honeys Division, Devoted Protector of Lady Tifa Lockhart

[Arenegeth]

Is disgusting… I hate to be pointing fingers here but this is mostly a US thing… Due to social services in other countries and government funding they have a lot less homeless to begin with…

I always blame the parents for usually letting cable raise their kids…

What can be done? Well I’m not sure anymore… People remind me a lot of animals lately and not humans
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"I am ye who walks his own path and thus I walk alone"

[Yvl]

[Ujitsuna]

Damn, that's sick, and the reference to video games is just what the industry needs.

[sybillious]

i've said this many times; we're a society in decline (us, not speaking for anywhere else). we believe that we should be free do do anything we want, regardless of the impact it has on others.

we want what we want when we want it and NOW. it doesn't matter who pays the price, just as long as we get our way. people have children, refuse to instill any kind of morality in them then wonder why junior is a heartless, inconsiderate nasty little piece of work, or better yet, simply turn a blind eye to the whole thing, stating that junior is a wonderful child.

even the eldely, those who are supposed bastions of knowledge, wisdom and good behavior follow this pattern. the behavior has spanned all generations in this country, spreading like a terminal illness.

in the minds of these people, it's perfectly fine to lie, cheat and steal, even if someone else loses their job/livelihood over it-as long as they get what they want, who cares? we suffer from a rash of me, me, me and no one else.

it's not cable or any one particular thing; people have lost touch with reality on a frightening level, and that change for the better is nowhere in sight.

we're not animals; animals behave FAR better than this.
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prinny...DOOD!

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to paraphrase my fellow mod, parallax:
I hate my job with the passionately burning intensity of a thousand fiery suns.

[Tullaryx]

Yes, such kids and their callous acts will be seen as part of the violent culture perpetuated by video games. Though I don't subscribe to video games as the sole cause for what these kids did it still needs to be part of the discussion. What differentiates the confession by the teen that the act of killing the bum felt like a video game from past accusations and confessions about the role of games is the fact the kid didn't mention any specific game. From what I've read and researched about these teen sport killings most do see what they did as being part of a video game.

If I was the gaming industry I would come straight out and distance the industry from these maladjusted kids who can't seem to see the difference between games and reality.
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[Username]

Wow... People are as dumb as ever.

Any teen that would pick on the downtrotton are spineless and should recive captial punishment. I can see you having a reason to kill like revenge and greed but killing a street dweller is nothing but the greatest sin I can comprhend. You respect those that are on the greatest fringe of socity no matter what!
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The pursuit of symmetry... Death The Kid, Patty and Liz.

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[Arenegeth]

[Failure_Urn]

What people need to learn is whats real and whats not. Video games are not real and for some reason that is getting past people. What thoes kids did was very real, and they will be paying for it for 15 years, i wish they would be paying longer. That is such a horrible story, it makes me so mad how stupid the things are that people do these days.
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[Tullaryx]

I do agree with syb in that society has a major disconnect with just common sense, decency and plain old morality (not in a religious sense though I won't discount those). I know many who still seem to sees personal and real-life interaction with friends, family and acquaintances as a big part of their lives. They do just not just to feel so bound to technology and the ease with which one can connect with anything and anyone from anywhere, but in a virtual way, but also as a way to keep themselves grounded in reality.

I think we as a society and in particular the middle-class suburbia have gotten to inured in the luxuries and material things so easily acquired once they've reached a certain financial status. Upon further research into this disturbing phenomena I've noticed that most of the kids involved in these killings and attacks are middle-class teenagers and white. Not to say that there's none of the minority-class who participate in such things but most are from these class and race. Are values and traditions upon minority middle-classes much stronger when it comes to family bonds?
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[Yvl]

See, what did I tell ya? You all focused on the video games and missed the fact they were drunk and stoned at the time. It's not surprising that someone would confuse games with reality when they're in an altered state of conciousness.
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[Chimei Star]

If you think that's bad, what about the reports of kids over here in England shooting -- and kiling other kids just because the former have a gun and like to show off? Violent behavior isn't just a US thing, it's spreading overseas to god knows where else.

I'm leaning towards Yvl's side of thought. It doesn't matter what they accuse of making them do it. They're still doing it. Why continue beating the dead horse that is Video Game = Violence debate, and think that drugs are the reasoning. The fact that kids can access drugs in the first place just shows how bad the world is as a whole.
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[Amyral]

[Chimei Star]