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Are Attacks Against The Homeless An Act of Hate?
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by Can Tran | October 24, 2008 at 03:20 pm
1134 views | 31 Recommendations | 26 comments
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The assailants poured gasoline on McGraham and torched him. He burned to death at the scene. McGraham died a very inhumane death on the sidewalk of a boarded up office. There were residents and others that came to McGraham’s aid. However, they were too late.
So far, the perpetrators have yet to be caught. If and when caught, they will be charged with first-degree murder.
McGraham’s family and hundreds of other people honored his memory at the Immanuel Presbyterian Church. His sister, Susanne McGraham-Paisley said that people who commit such acts are the worst kind of people.
McGraham-Paisley said: “I hope they give them the full scope of the law because that person went to a gas station, filled up the gas can, drove to the site, poured gasoline on him and then set him on fire. That person had so many opportunities to change [his] mind and … didn’t.”
So far, it is revealed that California ranks second in highest number of attacks against the homeless. Florida ranks the first in such attacks. However, the ranking is not concrete. This is due to the high number of deaths that have not been reported.
According to Maria Foscarinis, the director of the National Law on Homelessness & Poverty, the deaths and attacks not reported are usually never reported.
According to Tony Taylor of the National Coalition for the Homeless, people living on the streets are the most vulnerable. He adds that they are extremely vulnerable to the most vicious attacks.
So far, attacks against the homeless are not considered to be a hate crime. However, there are bills that have been introduced to include attacks against the homeless as a category for a crime of hate.
Foscarinis says that while the proposed bills should deter against attacking the homeless, she adds that other solutions need to be found.
“At the same time we are lobbying for real solutions, which are housing and social services for homeless people, we have to make sure their lives and dignity are respected,” she explains. She adds: “The point of hate-crime legislation to act as a deterrent. It becomes a more serious crime when it’s considered a hate crime, and there is a harsher sentence that’s imposed. We want to send a message that homeless people’s lives are just as valuable as anyone else’s life.”
So far, McGraham’s death has affected many people. In short, many people are getting riled up. While the bills to include crimes against the homeless as hate crimes, it is unknown if and/or when they will be signed into law.
Overall, while McGraham was homeless, he is a man that will be missed. There are many people wanting McGraham’s death to be avenged.
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Most RecentMost Recommended Comments (26)
at 16:25 on October 24th, 2008
Can Tran, I like this story. It's good stuff. I blame it on the attacker's gene pool and his lack of common sense based on his upbringing. In other words, his parents shouldn't have been.
at 16:36 on October 24th, 2008
Can Tran, I like this story. It's good stuff.
at 16:40 on October 24th, 2008
I think a crime should be a crime.
at 16:58 on October 24th, 2008
Detroit & Dale; Livermore, California
Vinnie T has contributed a photo to this story.
at 17:19 on October 24th, 2008
Terrible... What is wrong with humans?
at 17:50 on October 24th, 2008
Can Tran, I like this story. It's good stuff.
Mental illness is at the root of the nation's homeless problem. Most adults who are in their right minds provide a home for themselves. Even during tough economic times, people who face homelessness usually move in with relatives or friends until they recoup, and they manage to recoup before spending years living on the streets. But people who are chronically homeless usually suffer from mental illness, like Mr. McGraham, who was a psychiatric patient who discontinued his treatment. Chronically homeless persons who are alcoholics and drug addicts may have turned to liquor and drugs in an attempt self-medicate and escape chronic depression or other mental dysfunctions.
Chronic mental patients are targets of hate crimes. They are abused not only by street hoodlums, but hundreds of thousands of psychiatric patients are imprisoned in America for reason of their mental disabilities. In fact, my congressman reported that 1.25 million prisoners are mental patients. Moreover, each year numerous mental patients are killed by police during arrest attempts, and more die while incarcerated. They are Tasered, gassed, and placed in often deadly Restraint Chairs with regularity.
See my NowPublic article about the hate crime against Mr. McGraham, mental patients abused at a Louisiana psychiatric facility, and others at this link:
http://my.nowpublic.com/health/more-hate-crimes-cruelty-mentally-disabled-persons
In summary, it was not merely his homelessness that caused Mr. McGraham's murder, but the underlying cause of his homelessness - mental illness.
Mary Neal
http://wrongfuldeathoflarryneal.com
at 19:52 on October 24th, 2008
Can Tran, I like this story. It's good stuff.
at 21:07 on October 24th, 2008
I took this picture to emphasize that while homeless people are everywhere, most of us just walk past them without ever really noticing them. Who are they? What's their story?
Emon has contributed a photo to this story.
at 22:11 on October 24th, 2008
i'm a student at St. Thomas University in Fredericton, New Brunswick. walking down town always gives a true sense of the culture and the city itself. until this evening while walking around I had yet to notice how many people were living on the streets. this was taken of a girl near a bus station. the thoughts running through her head as the evening grew colder really bothered me. instead of saying something. i took a picture. a memento that i am one very lucky person. i have food/clothing/shelter music.
luke.perrin has contributed a photo to this story.
at 02:07 on October 25th, 2008
Homeless people are everywhere on this planet no matter what country or city you visit. Its a sad fact that we many times reject they exists.
wircolac has contributed a photo to this story.
at 02:58 on October 25th, 2008
I was just your average tourist in NYC taking in the sights when I walked past this homeless person. I expected to see the odd homeless here and there, but I was quite took back when I saw this man casually napping at one of New York's most famous attractions, the Brooklyn Bridge.
I stood there for a minute or so as countless other tourists, locals, joggers and cyclists went past without even seeming to notice. Maybe he felt safe here, infront of the eyes of hundreds walking past. All the while he just layed there and rest.
This man and the city were oblivious to one another. I thought it was pretty sad.
Dan-TOTBL has contributed a photo to this story.
at 06:45 on October 25th, 2008
Can Tran, I like this story. It's good stuff.
at 18:23 on October 25th, 2008
I think that hate crimes, as such, should have lesser penalties, rather than greater. In this case, the homeless must accept some of the blame for their lazyness that makes people hate them. And the homosexuals try to force there deviant lifestyle down our throats which makes normal people hate them. So in these two examples, when people react with violence, it can in some way be considered justified.
at 19:13 on October 25th, 2008
Deviant lifestyle?
What part of the homosexual lifestyle do you deem as deviant? I somewhat think you're implying that fighting for gay marriage is forcing it upon "our" throats.
Makes "normal" people hate them? What is "normal"? Because there is really no exact definition of normal. And violence against the gay and homeless is justified in some way? I'd like for you to enlighten me on that?
Reading your words, you're contradicting yourself. Violence? Because reacting with violence is pretty much forcing ones views and lifestyle down the throats of everybody else.
Reacting with violence being justified? Now that's just a very immature response.
at 08:16 on October 26th, 2008
Can Tran, I like this story. It's good stuff.
at 05:09 on October 27th, 2008
Subway station in Harlem, New York City
Thomas Marthinsen has contributed a photo to this story.
at 23:38 on October 27th, 2008
Homeless man at Batthiány Square, Budapest, Hungary. It is one of the busiest spots of the ciy, with the famos Chain Bridge in the background.
Anita Komuves has contributed a photo to this story.
at 05:37 on October 28th, 2008
Can Tran, I like this story. It's good stuff.
at 09:06 on October 28th, 2008
Homeless people in Portland, Oregon were protesting the lack of housing and the “no sitting “ordinance at the Portland City Hall in May, 2008.
There is clearly not enough being done to help homeless people.
scottwwwwwww has contributed a photo to this story.
at 19:06 on October 28th, 2008
Can Tran, I like this story. It's good stuff.
at 19:51 on October 30th, 2008
Can Tran, I like this story. It's good stuff. Trying to identify the so called motive is such a pointless idea, and leads to stupid conjectures!
at 11:51 on November 8th, 2008
JUST WALK ON BY
SKYSHAPER PHOTOS has contributed a photo to this story.
at 10:20 on November 11th, 2008
I am afraid that mental illness is one of the increasing problems due to increasing stresses from factors that we could not control such as job losses, death, divorces, illnesses, accidents, or anything else that are beyond our own hands. How about the military personals that become mentally ill and homeless? How about the folks that had contributed for years in the society and they lost everything because of economic woes or bankruptcy? Life are not predictable, either are people's emotions.
at 11:34 on November 11th, 2008
All homeless people are not "mentally ill" but they are financially ill.
Imagine yourself after some bad breaks or a devastating loss that was not your doing. Imagine being turned down for job after job without any clear reason until you just give up all together.
Unless you've been homeless, you can only _imagine_ what they go through. Some facilities treat them like children or inmates, making any semblance of independence and freedom on the street preferable.
How many more people will become homeless during this so-called "financial crisis". I don't think losing their home will automatically make them "mentally ill".
at 12:05 on November 11th, 2008
All good points in the above comments...
While many view them as vagrants and "deviants," I can't help but to think of their backstories. Living in cities has given me a chance to truly get to know some of the homeless.
I never hesitate buying a warm meal for a man or woman curled up on a stoop, and talking to them. Like the rest of us, they want to have a friend too.
at 21:57 on December 7th, 2008
I live in John's neighborhood. I used to see him around here all the time. He had kind eyes and was not harming anyone. It is sickening to see what these people did to him. I hope they are caught soon... I wonder if they even have a conscience and if they are able to sleep at night. I hope they can't and I hope that their conscience makes them speak up soon for what they did.