Goths and Violent Crime: Please Read

[Abyssal Rain]

I just wanted to share this article with all of you, that I found on: "Gothic Angst Webzine". It hurt me to read this, but I am joining in effort with several groups in my area to help stop this kind of thing from happening again.
And please everyone, be careful. Believe it or not I care about all of you, even though I am new to the guild.
~Rain~


Goths and Violent Crime
Posted by chrisIn News, Columns
8Sep 07

As many people in the Southern California region are aware, there has been a problem with violent crime against the Gothic community. None of us are certain precisely why this is, but we can guess; bad press, bad public image and misinformation undoubtedly top the list. The most notable California violence was the attack on 4 San Diego Goths. Outside of the United States, two young Goths were attacked in the United Kingdom and one lost her life while the other, at the time of this writing, is still comatose. Alongside these two attacks there have been many other attacks large and small across the globe. The first thing that should be stated is that this is clearly hate motivated. There is no rationale that can be used to defend these mindless acts. In San Diego, California, though, justice has been served and a blow has been struck against the would-be attackers and dangers to the Gothic community.

After a year-long wait, the four Goths from San Diego finally found justice in the courts. They were attacked by a Navy man and his brother, which resulted in the hospitalization of Jim Howard, the current Goth Help Us - San Diego Chapter President. As of the end of August, the Navy man that attacked Jim, his wife and two friends was found guilty by a jury of his peers on 4 related counts, 2 of which were felonious. The brother is set for a trial potentially for 2 felony counts. Furthermore, the San Diego District Attorney should most definitely get a mention as they fought for the rights of the attacked and the San Diego Gothic community. * [Updated]

As for the two in the UK, there has been no update regarding their attackers or any actions that will be taken. All that we know here at Gothic Angst Webzine is that they were attacked at Lancashire park. We all hope that their attackers are found and justice is served swiftly.


*This story has been corrected. Thanks to Jim for the information. Please see comment below.



4 Comments
james Howard, September 9, 2007:
Chris,

Small Clarification on the San Diego Incident:

The Assault was by one Navy man, and his brother who is not in the Navy.

One has been found guilty by jury of four counts (two felony), the other is going to be brought to court in a second trial and will most likely face 2 felony counts. The San Diego District Attorney has fought hard for the rights of the survivors of that attack and for the Gothic Community as a whole through that trial.

chris, September 9, 2007:
Thanks for the update Jim. I wanted to make sure that the news was posted. I thought that I had gotten pretty close… Cheers to you and yours!

sarah, September 9, 2007:
Im glad that justice has been served, hopefully he will get reparations from the navy as well, it is bad representing of the navy , They are sticklers about having their people represent the navy with high standards in their personal life as well as on the navy base. What he did is not acceptable and im sure the navy will rip him a new a** or give him dishonerable discharge needless to say it will go on his military record.

Brittany, September 10, 2007:
Man, that’s becomming a problem in Australia. A few weeks ago my mate Shorty got jumped by these guys and could of seriously got hurt.
Also one night down at the local shopping centre went nuts, girls attacking all the girl goths and boys attacking the guy goths. I got out of there but parents did nothing to help the people who got hurt.
Police won’t do anything about this crew called the GBC (Goth Bashing Crew) it’s plain stupid. I was target by the GBC’s girlfriends but it was nothing.

I’m just scared to even go down to a public area to hang out with my friends, it’s just getting to out of hand, something needs to be done everywhere around the globe before it gets out of hand.  

[Bloody Loon]

My god, that is just horrible. That same thing happened to me this halloween, I was jumped by several guys in a car, and pelted with eggs, and hit a couple times... no idea who they were, and I reported it to the police. They didn't do anything. It's disgusting how goths are treated around the world just because they're different. I'm glad those guys are ok, and got justice.

I am ok now, and not seriously hurt, but goddammit, something needs to be done!

Just reading that made me angry, scared, and sick all at the same time... ********.  

[Abyssal Rain]

My sentiments exactly! and I'm so glad you are ok.  

[Bloody Loon]

Oh yeah, I forgot to tell you the BEST part! Everyone who I told (including my family and friends) said, and I DO quote "Well you set yourself up for it by dressing that way, and acting the way you do. You make yourself a target."

No "I'm sorry to hear that"'s No "Oh, are you ok?"'s, NOTHING! Even the f*cking police didn't do s**t about it... It's ridiculous  

[Abyssal Rain]

Damn! So it's our fault huh? What a load of bull man! We just want to be treated like eveyone else...with the same respect.  

[Bloody Loon]

How about this slogan:

"And you said that you wouldn't discriminate against blacks anymore!"  

[Abyssal Rain]

Oh wow! Coooool.  

[Rellik San]

I'm sorry to say, but this won't get far, its a noble thought, but unless you abolish all religions that have a negative view of goth culture, unless you can come up with evidence the average joe can comprehend that these school shootings weren't performed by goths. It'll never happen.

People are reactionary, dumb, violent animals that are always looking for the next scape goat to blame societies ills on, when they should really take a look at their own society first, (Yes I'm talking about the right to bare arms, its a silly outdated law made for a time when the USA was being invaded). But at the end of the day, asking society to look at the real reasons behind such events, is like talking to a brick wall. You won't get very far. So with goth culture as a constant scape goat (much like rap culture in the early 90's and metal in the 80's) you will unfortunately have people that will attack and even kill anyone they believe to be from that culture.  

[Veruniel]

In Britain, it seems to me that anti-goth violence is mostly perpetrated by chavs.  

[Rellik San]

Veruniel

In Britain, it seems to me that anti-goth violence is mostly perpetrated by chavs.

Not always true, there was an incident where a couple of skaters lay the smack down on a goth.  

[Wanderer Ganglari]

Its like the burning times all over again. The world just saddens me.

Rellik is exactly right, you can't stop the negative outputs people give because there ignorant and stupid, and most of them you can't even argue with. Trust me, I've tried, both on goth and wiccan grounds.  

[Gothic Muffin of Doom]

I'm lucky Goths aren't that known in my country. Crimes aren't strictly against them.  

[Sinister Kung Fu]

Shinigami Fenrir

Its like the burning times all over again. The world just saddens me.

lol @ "the burning times"  

[Beatngufan]

and here I thought that violence against goths were over, I was gravely mistaken  

[DreamerSpirit]

Kaishi Kyouki

Oh yeah, I forgot to tell you the BEST part! Everyone who I told (including my family and friends) said, and I DO quote "Well you set yourself up for it by dressing that way, and acting the way you do. You make yourself a target."

It's horrible that people think like that! I can understand them telling you that you are setting yourself up to be laughed at and questioned, but to be 'setting yourself up' to be jumped? I think not. There is never any valid reason for violence (excluding in cases of self defense), nor for hatered. It is unfortunate that more people cannot see that...