You may not like it, but there are crimes that deserve punishment that matches or exceeds the crimes committed, but you will not find that standard prevalent in the Hawai‘i justice system.
As this premise is widely accepted, many of us are left to our own devices to envision what appropriate justice would appear to be if our laws reflected these sentiments.
There is a story developing on the North Shore where a 15-year-old boy was brutally and senselessly beaten by a group of boys and men within an inch of his life. A 23-year-old lifeguard came to his aid, and he was ganged up and beaten by these cretins. You can also view the story at Stolen Stuff Hawai‘i on Facebook and Instagram.
First of all, there is so much aloha for the families of these victims. For a brief moment try to put yourself in the slippahs of the mother, father, sister, brother, aunties, uncles, tutus and friends of these victims. The intensity and the unabashed pure violence are sickening and infuriating. It was devastating to the victims, and there is no way they deserved such animalistic violence.
I digress.
Calling the conduct by these perpetrators is an offense to animals.
Oh, it gets worse, though.
There was a crowd.
Yep, a crowd of onlookers who witnessed this barbaric assault. They were witness to the second victim receiving a beating. And who came to the rescue? Who called authorities? Who cried out for the beatings to stop?
None of them, that we know of. But we do know this to be a fact: They were taking videos.
Yes, filming the brutal beatings, some laughing as it took place and more posting the images (as bloody and horrific as they truly were) on, yes, social media. Their priority was grabbing clicks, likes and shares to accumulate as many eyes as possible. In the meantime two young men were getting that absolute crap beaten out of them to the delight of so, so many.
Which is more disgusting. The actual beatings or the actions and inactions of those reveling in the carnage?
I'll go with both.
As of this writing the 23-year-old Good Samaritan suffered substantial injuries including concussion, damage to his eye socket and the need for immediate facial reconstructive surgery, along with broken bones. These injuries couldn't be much worse for a man whose career is dedicated to protecting and saving lives. What a screwed up irony this has proven to be.
As for the 15-year-old victim I do not know his current condition. I refer you to the news reports on Hawai‘i News Now and postings on Stolen Stuff Hawai‘i. However, the beating rendered his face "unrecognizable" according to a source interviewed on my radio program.
There is the obvious physical damage inflicted but there is the emotional and psychological trauma that fails to heal as fast as broken bones or cuts and bruises. The pain will dissipate and heal. The beatings and subsequent mental scarring will last indefinitely. Yes, therapy is helpful but it certainly is not a cure. This ordeal will last until the last day. In essence, these victims were issued a life sentence.
So, what of the perps? What of those who stood by and laughed, took videos and did absolutely nothing to come to the aid of the defenseless victims?
The Golden Rule.
Eye for an Eye.
Tooth for a Tooth.
Done.
What did the victims suffer? What would fair justice look like in return?
- Pain. Yes, unbridled pain. The perps and enablers deserve to feel the same.
- Fear. Yes, a fear of losing their lives. The pure fear that you will die at the hands of others. The perps and enablers deserve to feel the same.
- Pain and fear that spread to the victims' loved ones. The loved ones of the perps and enablers deserve to feel the same.
- Loss of freedom. The victims were corralled into this blood sport while their freedom to leave was denied. The perps and enablers deserve to feel the same.
- Crushing embarrassment. The filming and sharing of such personal violations will last as long as the platforms and individuals who preserve them. Equal compromise of the perps and enablers personal lives is necessary and they definitely deserve it.
I know some of you are already clutching your woke pillows and decrying my sentiments as vengeful and counter to justice. You will think that I'm not taking the perps' and enablers' side of the story and presenting it in a calm and professionally narrative way. You may also believe I'm ignorant by not considering extenuating circumstances due to drug abuse addiction, the undue influence of social media or the power of peer pressure and more.
I understand.
But I don't care.
As a matter of fact I would submit that you of the aforementioned opinions are a major part of the problem in finding ourselves where we are today.
And, aside from your misguided and nanny-to-all positions, answer this for me.
Who and where are the parents of these hooligans of similar age as the victims?
Wait a moment.
Did I use the word "parent?"
Oh, I am badly mistaken.
You are not parents to these criminals. Anybody can mate and create.
Only those who are thoughtful, loving, caring, focused and sacrificial for their family are parents.
A parent is involved, knowledgeable, participatory, available, supportive, visible, and most importantly, you are not your child's friend. You are not their buddy, and your goal is not for them to like you. When you say no, you mean it. You exercise loving authority over your child because it's your responsibility to raise a good, decent, law-abiding and productive member of this community.
And when you do, they will love you for it.
If you allow your children to roam and perpetrate senseless violent crimes, then it leads to one conclusion.
You are not a true parent.
You are a perpetrator and an enabler.
Rick Hamada can be reached at rickhamada@aol.com.
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