We did see the video on channel 2 at least 4 times.

A young man that looked like your son was in that restroom. Your son posted the video he took on a website.

I feel sorry for you, because someone you love made a very bad choice.

Stop making excuses for him.

If he survives prison focus your energy on how you will teach him right from wrong once he gets out of prison. You failed to teach him right from wrong the first time around....this could be your second chance. Instead of blaming everyone else, put your energy into 4yrs from now. What will you do to teach your son right from wrong??

Older teenagers make all kinds of stupid decisions despite all their parents have taught them. You can't blame momma for that, but you can blame her for not staying on top of his MySpace crap.

It has shit on there that said "CRIPS" in plain English. Don't know how you misunderstand that!

Perhaps with all his volunteering and do-gooding we have found a new breed: the preppie gangster? Or the suburbian gangster?

The act was good enough even to fool mamma and the judge

It's "too late" to intervene in a kid's life when he's brought up on criminal charges. By that time, everyone in the kid's life has failed him in ways large and small.

Too bad.

You seem to either gloss over or ignore the fact that he posted this video on his myspace page along with all the other gang crap and the video of the gun, without that I think he would have walked, instead it seems that he got the sentence that a gang member would have gotten.

I yam what I yam....Popeye

He's getting up to 33 years! Looks like Karma has come around for a well-deserved, BIG kick in the pants!! I guess God has awakened from His slumber from earlier this month!

Ok, association, very good. If fair is fair explain to the community why the non black boy received no jail time…..and why the boy that was fighting received no jail time……and the boy that was black and fighting received four years…….and the other that placed it on my space received two years whom was also black……and the boy that went to see the fight who is black received four years for just being there…….OH Yeah! The boy that was actually going around the school wanting to be in a gang and letting people know this received no jail time……But the boy that went to watch the fight received four years who never claimed to be a gang member oh yeah also black…….if this is guilty by association looks very uneven to me……..explain how eight boys did not receive the same options… Oh you can’t because you don’t know the truth, your only going off of what you were brainwashed to believe. If you are not one of the parents, or you don’t have the case or you haven’t research the case, do not label kids from what you have heard. You wouldn’t want someone to call you an idiot… but you are when you comment on things and don’t have a clue to what is really going on hear. And to continue with your statement about guilty by association. Explain please why they all did not receive four years in jail or prison? I can’t wait to hear this. No one has a problem with the police doing there job, not the issue hear. Even the police get board and have to create things to keep their job……you didn’t think of that oh it hasn’t affected someone you know, oh you are allowed to talk and comment on things you don’t know but when the people who know these kids and their parents begins to talk now you can’t handle the truth. The only people who know the truth are the people up close in this case. And if anyone has kids you wouldn’t want someone falsely accusing your children off half the truth so as a personal friend of these families sometimes you can’t always believe what you read. We understand stories need to be told, it keeps the world turning but if you’d get a life and not add to the confusion you would be a lot happier person instead a mess starter and miserable. God bless all and touch the wicked hearts and leave the witch hunting back in the past.

"got degrees", may I respectfully suggest that you try to get your tuition money back?

Drinking morning coffee and reading some of these blogs are not conducive with keeping computer and clothes clean!

edumacation?
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but I bet your degree isn't in English.

I yam what I yam....Popeye

When you tuck in your 4 year old son tonight, be sure to tell him bedtime stories about Big Bad White Man. If you want to be politically correct, quite yelling racism all the time and check out the exit polls from our recent Presidential election.

Channel 2 showed us this tape twice yesterday. It was racist.

The white kid got his head slammed into the tile wall twice and then he was thrown on the floor so that the others could jump on him and kick him. The other kids were all black. Thanks for explaining this racism. The white kid is lucky he didn't suffer a fatal head injury.

The video was very clear.

Go back to class, sweetheart, and learn about commas. The grown-ups are talking here.

I agree that the punishment does not always match the crime. But maybe we should all be thinking outside the system and ideas of appropriate punishment.

How do we as a community empower our youth? What can be done to save them from predatory schools of thought, like the gang culture, and convince them that they hold their destiny in their own hands?

I don't know, how do we?

Predatory school of thought? McIntosh, Fayette County, Sandy Creek, where?

Forgive me, I assumed that you would understand.

Predatory school of thought: That would be those who print 'gang bibles', distribute them, those that glamorize the gang culture, and those who seek to enlist new recruits by preying on troubled youth.

Clear enough?

I do hope that, by listing those schools, you weren't implying that our community is in any way immune. I believe the case at hand indicates clearly that we are not.

You must've missed this stuff:

The OTHER video on his website featured him and his gang buddies pointing a gun at each other and passing it around. (That's two crimes right there: reckless conduct and simple assault).

And don't forget the GANG BIBLES. That is proof of a Criminal ORGANIZATION that poses a threat to Fayette society, whether they were wannabes or not.

Then there's the other kids he initiated into the gang by hitting him (I think for 13 consecutive seconds, yeah big whoop!). Again more proof of an CRIMINAL ORGANIZATION.

They were small time thugs but thugs nonetheless. I agree with Skyspy. He was fortunate to get 4 years. And I pray to God that 1. the Judge was right and 2. this kid survives prison.

BTW Bet you my house he's paroled in a year or less. Judging by the story he has a pretty strong family support system which is more than some of the other thugsters have.

Respectfully, I didn't miss anything. I'm as tough on crime as it gets. I believe in tough sentencing. But if you look at the inequal sentencing that takes place from our judges and DA's office, anyone with a lick of common sense shoud be concerned. This stupid punk got 4 years. Perhaps he deserves it. But why do so many others get off with slaps on the wrists for equally as dangerous and offensive crimes?

Read Me Here

Now if I understand Sniffles correctly he believes this kid was overly punished. Personally I want him severly punished. I'm not debating the time as much as the inequitable sentencing that appears to take place.

I've said it on this thread and Sniffles is dead on with this. He writes:

Criminal activity at Fayette schools seems to be subject to some very uneven application. The McIntosh color guard performed stoned a few years back and nobody blinked. The McIntosh Beerleaders performed drunk this year and got a 10 day vacation (4 days down at Gulf Shores, Alabama). The Mcintosh bozo who left a machete in the back of his car after carving a Halloween pumpkin in 2006 was expelled after the SRO noticed it. Robin Kittrell brought 4 weapons to school and got two years.... in a diversion center.

Very uneven.

It appears that justice is truly unevenly served in our judicial circuit. Could this be a result of "who you know or who you blow"?

4 years though.... I'd hate to see what the sentence would have been if this stupid kid had been unrepentent. Heck... I know we have child molesters in this county that get off with much, much lighter sentences than that. And even get off Scott Clean in some cases.

Well if that don't bring about some more veiled threats via nasty e-mails I don't know what will. I love getting them when they mention my children's name and reference their activities. What a sick {{{EDITED}}}.

Should you EVER need to defend yourself or your gittlets. A very, very good idea indeed

As a result of the fights I endured in High School, I should have served 20 consecutive years. Yet I think to be fair; 8 of those years could have been ruled time served. Seems I really got the crap kicked out of a couple of times. Gee.. who'da ever thunk that?

And thank you! Much!

As I'm sure all of the people who have met can attest to, I was a saint in high school, that's right, St. hutch, I think they named a wing of the school in honor of me.

I yam what I yam....Popeye

Good Grief Brother! My Mongolian Beef didn't taste near as good as it did the first time I savored it. Heck, you probably made me look like a saint.

I too would have served at least twenty years as a high-schooler; stupid enough to fight a guy with a knife; walking out on paying for lunch because I couldn't (paid later); rounding up a bunch of guys who lived in another neighborhood and running then into a barn and "rocking" the barn for hours (throwing rocks); fighting over a basket ball in gym until passing out due to exhaustion--no coach in sight, on break; gambling on the bus; and others.

And I was one of the "good" guys---just defending myself.

Organized gangs don't happen in school unless they are allowed to do so! We didn't have them.

My goodness, nit, you sound like one of the boys I would've dated back then....and one to whom my father would've have shown his arsenal explaining that I was to be returned to him in the same condition in which I left. If I left the house sober - I was to be returned sober. If I left the house a virgin - I was to be returned still a virgin! I used to wish for a sibling - anyone to take the focus off me!!

We did have gangs in school. I graduated from North Clayton in the late 80's. My senior year we had a young sophmore kid that was shot by a gang calling themselves the BBB (bad black boys). It was really sad, his mother was a history teacher at our school. I heard she retired soon after and moved up to the mountains. His name was Andrew Martin.

I also graduated from North Clayton, only in 75, so tell old Git and Cy about the St. hutch wing at that school. BTW was Mrs. Jo Croom still there when you were there?

I yam what I yam....Popeye

I graduated there in '73. Mrs. Croom was my teacher as well as my homeroom teacher. Ahh, but Ms. Dunaway who taught Algebra 1 & 2? What a knockout. How I ever passed either class still baffles me.....

We most likely know each other then, I'm sure you knew my sister Cathy, as for Ms. Dunaway I had her for geometry and she couldn't teach the class, if you had a question the best she could do was read from the book to you, or me in this case. I agree though, she was easy on the eyes.

I yam what I yam....Popeye

Cathy C. or R.??????

I never realized Ms. Dunaway couldn't teach. I thought it was all my fault.....

Cathy C.

I yam what I yam....Popeye

Most definitely. I sat by her in Senior Engish. I believe Ms. Jenkins taught it. She made us "work" about one day per week. We talked the whole class. How is she??

I really hate to tell you this, but , she died of cancer back in September.

I yam what I yam....Popeye

I am so sorry Hutch. Please accept my deepest sympathy. My older sister died of brain cancer in June. 2008 has been the worst year I can recall. So many people I know have lost loved ones this year and I am sick of the sadness. I would love to hear more about her sometime. Do you ever meet the guys for coffee?

I know how difficult it must be for you during these holidays, it has been for us. I will pray for you and your family. I fear I stirred up your emotions and I am sorry for that, but I had no idea.

I am also sorry to hear about your sister. A few days ago, I was looking at blogs from a few months ago, before I really started blogging here. I came across a thread where everyone was e-mailing each other to send you flowers for your sister. I was really moved by their kindness and by your graciousness.

January 2008, I lost a favorite aunt, my dad's sister, to cancer. He was visiting today and got choked up at the thought of not having her around this year for Christmas. I empathize with you and meanoldconservatives. May you both find some peace this Christmas.

I wish the same for you and your Dad. Give him the extra hug he'll need at Christmas.

Thank you Dawn, and a very pretty plant it was that was delivered to me. My friends on here helped me immensely, Cy never talked to me without asking about my sister, Git also, Tug and Jane both e-mailed me to check on me, Diva called me the day she died and also the day she was diagnosed. I've made some great friends on here, some who I've never met, like MYTIMITE who made a donation to a cancer site in my sisters name. For every jerk you see on this site, there are four or five with hearts of gold, welcome to the club.

I yam what I yam....Popeye

It's OK moc, you haven't stirred up anything, this wound is still raw and no scab has formed yet, I'm still telling people who knew her what happened, when I see them and they ask about her. I think about her all the time especially these holidays and on my birthday, one of my fondest memories was her calling early in the morning once on my birthday and her singing happy birthday to my answering machine. While she was a talented clarinet player, when it came to singing she couldn't carry a tune in a bucket and it was the funniest thing ever. Send me an email if you want to grab a cup sometime, I'll be glad to see you.

I yam what I yam....Popeye

Yes! There was a beautiful wing dedicated to Saint Hutch - I believe I played piano in that wing.

No. I don't remember Croom, but Coach Cleppar (spelling?) was our Vice Principal and Coach Burton took our Eagles to win the state championship in '87 (my senior year).

North Clayton was quit an experience, but I could have done without all the racial tension - it made for a very tough environment all around.

0400 in the morning and blogging???? Are you mildly addicted?
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I can't sleep these days - too much to worry about. My mind just won't relax and my eye won't stop twitching. I did, however, sleep 20 straight hours last Sunday.

A good herbal sleep aid is valerian root tea, which I buy at health food stores, or get the Celestial Seasons Sleepy Time Extra, which has valerian root as an ingredient. It helps with sleeping without leaving you with a drugged feeling.

A technique I developed while I was in the midst of some very tough times following an auto wreck was to lay down and purposely forget my own name, and forgetting everything else seemed to follow.

"I can't wait until tomorrow, because I get more lovable every day."

Thank you. I've been thinking, lately, of drinking a big glass of antifreeze - would do the job really well (you know, lot's and lot's of sleep). But I read the most recent update about Wulfman and, like someone else said, I feel inspired - and ashamed. When there is love in your life, you have an obligation to 'stick around'. Better days will come.

"To love and be loved is to feel the sun from both sides." - Victor Hugo

Remember, always take care of yourself. You're way too important to get sick.

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I think maybe yours was the generation who "allowed" gangs (not you, your parents) anywhere much out of NYC and LA!

In other words, in the 50s,60s.

There weren't any gangs out of NYC and LA in the 20s, 30s, 40s!

Actually the parents didn't cause it directly, the management of the X- generation did---the cops, the school management, and racism!

It could be stopped right now. And sending them to prison on a first offense is not necessary. Just insist that teachers and administrators do their job. Work with the police to correct--not get rid of!

The fining and jailing of ignorant and poor parents of poor heritage, white, yellow, or black, just compounds the problem.

FIX HOW PARENTS ARE RAISED!

Still nothing to say about that generation?

I yam what I yam....Popeye

Don't you want to play anymore? You stepped in it, and I guess you can't get it wiped off now.

I yam what I yam....Popeye

Not me but my parents, well Bonk or Nit or whoever you are today, that would make it your generation, your age group, so make up your mind,earlier in a post to Git you said "Organized gangs don't happen in school unless they are allowed to do so! We didn't have them." So which is it? I'm not an X-generation person, I'm a boomer. The guy got what he deserved and maybe it'll deter some other kid from joining a gang.
I've spent the last two falls working with great high school kids of every color,ethnicity and sex to be found in FCHS, I guess in a way they are in a gang, but surprise surprise, these kids work for a common goal, to better themselves, to create something beautiful and I've got to say I've enjoyed almost every minute of it. So don't lecture me about gangs, don't tell me about my parents, they're your generation, but thank God, they weren't you.

I yam what I yam....Popeye

No reply Bonk?

I yam what I yam....Popeye

There weren't any gangs out of NYC and LA in the 20s, 30s, 40s!

Did you every see The Gangs of New York, the movie - which was based on fact? The Mexican-American gangs were strong in the '40's in LA as well as others who wore Zoot-suits.

Parents have a large role to play in the gang culture - but so does the entire community. Parent education is so important - but employers have to be willing for parents to attend these meetings during the work hours - so that they can be home when the kids get home from school. Not all parents of gang members are ignorant or poor. Many work two jobs to keep the lights on. Many of the immigrant parents in California work on site as housekeepers, etc. - and only come home on Saturday morning and return to work on Sunday night. (Kids are without parental supervision.) Many of these parents are in school themselves taking English as a Second Language.

Organized gangs don't happen in school unless they are allowed to do so! We didn't have them.

In my high school, not only did we have gangs but many of them carried weapons to school. There were multitudes of gangs that we had to protect ourselves from. To name a few there were the Cowboys, the Jocks, the City Boys (in a country town of 1400), the Heads, and the Farm Boys. Most all of these gangs except, for the City Boys carried knives to school and the vast majority of the Farm Boys and Cowboys carried assorted weaponry in their vehicles and those firearms could often be seen hanging in the back windows of our vehicles. Now when a fight broke out you could bet your last dollar that gang members were standing behind their gladiators cheering them on and backing them up if necessary. This usually occured if a sideline gang member decided to jump into the fray.

Yeah..... I grew up around alot of gang fist action and beatdowns. Yet funny thing.... those knives where never drawn nor were those weapons ever thought of being pressed into action. I suppose gang activity originated in Oklahoma with the Outlaws, Indians and the Cowboys. And everyone thinks it got it's start on the Left Coast.

we had to train all those Okies.
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Okay. Listen up pal and learn something.

The original Okies that migrated to California during the Great Depression were of the Librul species. They were not hardy enough to endure the Dust Bowl and thus were forced to flee to California where gumament programs were in abundance. That my friend is how gangs were originally introduced to the West Coast. Got it?

Now...as a result of the Great Librul Purge of the Dust Bowl Era, the former Indian Territory and outlaw badlands then became a conservative state consisting of those tough and mighty survivors they then coined "Conservatives". Now you understand why Oklahoma is primarily a secure Red State.

It had been that way for some time until Will Rogers screwed up and introduced those cloth covered flyng machines into OKC. Sheesh... even you should know that.... This allowed the incursion of many left leaners as exhibited by the frequent appearances of our friend Diva into those former Badlands. Because of this they named that airport after ole Will much like San Fransisco desires to name a sewer plant after President Bush.

Now next time you try to straighten out this edumacated historical scholar I suggest you think twice and realize just whom you are dealing with. Remember... I gradumated from the same college as your old friend Tommie.

Now you understand why Oklahoma is primarily a secure Red State.

I'll let you in on a little secret. But, you have to promise not to tell anyone.

Since 1907 there have been 4 Republican Governors in Oklahoma. In California, for the same period, we had 13 Republican Governors and Arnold.

BTW, just for the record, it was Oklahoma's adopted son Willey Post that gave rise to aviation. Will Rogers was his good freind and a passenger on that faithful flight.

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Yeah...you are correct on those Okie Democrat governors. They have one now. One that sticks in my my mind is William "Alfalfa Bill" Murray whom my granddad claimed they nicknamed the swing blade from. During the 30's one of his gumament assistance programs was to put poor Brush Okies to work swinging that sucker on the sides of roadways. I still use my Bill Murray from time to time although I've found that my Stihl weed eater with a brush blade and my 30 gallon tank full of Round-Up is much easier to use in 90 degree plus weather.

Even former Governor and Senator David Boren has a streak of Conservatism running through his veins.

Wiley Post... I had fully expected for you to put me on the spot and question me regarding that great aviator. Instead you tried to school me on him. But I'm sure you know that the Wiley Post Airport is what Peachtree / Dekalb is to Hartsfield.

Owe... and I think that was a fateful flight. If it were a faithful flight I think those boys put a little to much faith in that old flying contraption. There.. I corrected you before Dawn or Fayette Flyer had a chance to.

I'm off to the gym!!!!!
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Can anyone guess the two words that were crossing this kid's mind as Pappy was shaking his hand while telling him "good luck"?

when you think what gangs really do, and stand for, maybe it isn't.

A co worker who lives in Clayton county told me a month ago, a neighbor's 14 yr old boy was out in the front yard. His dad asked him to come in for supper, but he lingered. 15 mins later he was the victim of a drive by shooting. The bullet went in his spine and if he had lived would have been paralyzed from the neck down for life. The gang members got the parent's phone number and called laughing and taunting them. My co worker says they hear gun shots every weekend.

Yesterday, they took up a collection for the cleaning lady who's son was shot a couple of nights ago, also by a gang, and also in Clayton county.

Well organized gangs move drugs coast to coast, make contract kills, or just kill for sport. Because we don't see it here, we aren't familiar with how horrible they are.

You can do everything right with your kid, and one of these thugs could take their life just for something to do. Or, your kid could be on the edge, get sucked into one of the gangs, and if he lived long enough, would end his days in prison.

These may be kids, but they are also dangerous opportunistic monsters.

Comparing it the the Red Door deal, or whatever, you are right. But the difference is, if I had my way that place would be closed, or the police would be sitting there at closing time every night waiting for the drunks to come out. No more fights cause they would be too worried of sleeping it off in jail.

The public has not designated an adult drunken fight in a bar parking lot to be of high importance. Public demands for gang action and punishment has caused an inequality. Crack violence and spill over caused crack laws to be applied more forcefully than cocaine laws. Yep it looks racially driven at first blush.

Sometimes these things give way to unexpected and sinister patterns. It has been modeled that a neighborhood that has residents who only need 50% of people to be like them (not sinister or racist at all) invariably develop segregated housing patterns over time. The patterns become quite marked, even though each virtual citizen was happy with diversity.

Just a thought

Alright... this kid is a freaking idiot and needs to punished. But 4 years in prison? Now let's ask this same judge and our district attorney how that fight is any more threatening to our community than the Whitewater High School Columbine-In-A-Trunk Kid. Remember that case???? How much time did that terrorist wannabe serve????

Good grief. It appears this kid was making an effort to better himself and they slap 4 years on him? This from the same DA that travels across this great state to the defense of a known and proven child molester? I just don't get it. I'm all for tough sentencing buy why the selective sentencing? Surely it can't be race or political contributions could it?

This is the beauty of state government sometimes, anxious to please the voting public. It is an unequal application of the law because the local citizens wanted to get tough on gangs and keep them from infiltrating the state. This is not the only issue, look at hate crimes. A murder labeled as a "hate crime" is viewed more evil and punished more than a murder without the "hate crime" designate.

When we decide to "get tough", that means greater enforcement and longer sentences. Sometimes timing is everything. A DUI in 1975 was laughed off. Once in 2008 is another matter entirely.

I would go for unequal application of the law until we see how the Albanian gang gets treated.

Are we quick to deny the race card? LOL! I'm more on your side on this than you could ever imagine. However, this ole white boy is playing the race card here. To prove that the law isn't being administered in a proper manner in our community irregardless of one's race. But you have to admit the 'race thang' is a great tool to add drama and effect to this argument. Although... is it a factor here? Seems it was easier to make an example out of the little black boy than it was to make one out of the little white Columbine boy.

You never cease to surprise me! It was inequitable and unjust. It's because the kid was Black and as we all know, Black kids are the true gangstas in our society. Glad you see it for what it is. Now if only the rest of community will demand equal justice for all, no matter where these gang related infractions take place.

"Irregardless" isn't a real word.

The penalty seems disproportioante unless there is a previous history that is not mentioned.

this isn't Kans... err, a, Fayette county anymore.

True. I discovered sometime back that "Irregardless" isn't a word. But, it works really, really good sometimes and if you wouldn't have said anything I would have gotten off Scott Free. Now shame on you... you've exposed my Brush Okie edumacation. Irregardless of that fact I'll stand corrected. LOL!

I do not have the ability to view the window into men's souls, so I will defer to your thoughts on motivation.

There was a very good column several years back wirtten by Jonathon Rauch called "The World on a Screen" which showed how societies could be modeled and predicted using computer programming. One aspect showed that high profile and random enforcement and prosecution of crimes had a marked affect on policing behavior. Sort of "large sweeps" more effective than beat policing. It is an interesting read.
I do believe that the Columbine boy self terminated. What a fine concept for others to consider who do things of that evilness.

Ahhhhhhhhhh........ Thy knowest me well eh?

Clarify this statement for me please: I do believe that the Columbine boy self terminated. I'm really finding this whole conversation very interesting as I stand conflicted on several thoughts.

I looked up the statute, and evidently in 2005, our legislative representatives (Rep. Lakly and Sen. Chance) voted for a bill that basically permits a judge to tack on an additional one to ten YEARS to any crime committed by a "gang member".

Good ole Georgia justice...

It looks like it could have easily been 10.

Even though the punk-thug rappers glorify the gang lifestyle it is not glamorous or a worthly goal to achieve gang member status. For every poor choice you make in life there are consequenses. Some dumb ideas are more costly than others.

Now go tell your gang friends to stay out of Fayette County.

And I have no problem with that law if it is applied properly. I can think of many crimes in which that statute could be applied properly to. What I'm asking here is if good judgement is actually taking place here or are our judicial administrators doling out inconsistent sentencing practices like our politicans legislate. By sticking their slobbery fingers in the air to see which way the wind is blowing that day?

I see your point, Git, and that's what has me so confused here. Judge English doesn't have, in my memory anyway, a reputation for being one of these fire-breathing maximum sentencing judicial neanderthals. For the life of me, though, I can't see how a bathroom fight that no adult witnessed firsthand could result in four years hard time.

I truly wonder if this is nothing more than political posturing by the Fayette judiciary and District Attorney's office, showing the public that they are "doing something" about nascent "Fayette gangs", which seem to have disappeared off the map entirely since David Simmons was defeated for Sherriff.

Perhaps there are some relevant details from the trial that the Citizen left out, but I am convinced at this point that the sentence was grossly disproportionate to the crime.

"Fayette gangs", which seem to have disappeared off the map entirely since David Simmons was defeated for Sherriff.

One of the local papers did an excellent article informing the public of local law enforcement participation in a workshop regarding how to handle 'Gangs' in Fayette County. This happened after the election. I also feel that we don't know all of the details - but I firmly believe that gang activity should receive more than a 'slap on the hand'. The sad reality is that the young man will just come out a 'better thug' after 4 years. I wish we had some rehabilitation activities in our penal institutions.

Not too long ago, almost everyone on this site was saying we should come down hard on gangs--get them before they get too strong etc. Now we have a judge who did just that and people are blasting him. This young man (who may now seem to be turning his life around), established the gang, handed out the "Gang Bibles", had and brandished a gun--had gang initiations, fought in a school bathroom. So, now do all of you want him to get a slap on the wrist so either he, his followers or some other gang-wannabe looks at a light sentence and thinks he can get away with more than fighting--what happens when the gang decides you have to kill a member of another gang as initiation--then what? We got just what we wanted-- a judge that came down hard on a gang member. I am proud that he went down and shook the young man's hand and wished him well. Maybe this young man will end up even more involved in gangs in prison or he may decide he does not want to live that life anymore and get a further education for when he comes out. I feel sure he probably will get time off for good behaviour if he does turn his life around. One thing for sure he won't be involved in gang activity in Fayetteville for a while.

I'm kind of ticked that he only got 4yrs., now that I know he could have gotten ten.

The same people that are sniveling because he got 4yrs, would be marching in the streets if this worthless piece of garbage had hurt their kids. Since their own kids got by unharmed this time, they want to complain about how this poor little kid(eyes rolling) is being picked on.

I'm PO'd that he didn't even get half of the maximum. Our DA and judges need to ask for a pair for Christmas. I'm sick of their liberal, bedwetting crap.

Special note to gang thugs: Get a JOB! Stay out of Fayette County you will never feel welcome here. Every time I watch the news and see the aftermath of your crap in clayton, dekalb, and fulton, it inspires me to give more money to planned parenthood. That whole idea of using abortions to fix mistakes is starting to look like good idea.

I think the problem here is that many teenagers in Fayette have done illegal thjings just about as bad as this guy and DID NOT get four years in Prison and eight years of reporting every week!
Some just went off to a private school or did some flower picking or something!
That's all!
Of course he needed correcting... do you know what four years plus eight does to a teenager?
We will have a career criminal now.

This thug punk was involved in organized criminal activity, similar to the mob. That's much different than a bunch of drunk cheerleaders.

Capiche?

He was already well on his way to being a career criminal, he just got what he deserved.

I yam what I yam....Popeye

He was an A and B student on his way to graduating in four months. And he has the transcripts to prove it. I don't know if you know or not but gang members do not care about their grades and he did. And he was getting those grade from the begining of his school years. If you don't have the case and know the facts please don't comment

That's the beauty of this country tommie, free speech, just like you have the right to come on here and take up for his sorry butt, I have the right to dog him. Tell me this, was all that crap on his internet site his or did the mean old white man plant that too?

I yam what I yam....Popeye

While Git and sniffle's debate the sentence this kid got, let me give you the opinion of a parent with a kid at this school, someone who does have something at stake here. My child's safety is of paramount importance to me, and if giving this kid 4 years in jail deters just one kid from popping off rounds with his gun because someone stepped on his tennis shoes, then I can live with it, that's where all those kids were heading, and when they start a riot or start shooting, the innocent kids will most likely be the first ones hurt. That's what I consider relevant about the whole case, of course your mileage may vary.

I yam what I yam....Popeye

Don't get me wrong, hutch, I'm not saying the dimbulb should not have been punished...he most definitely should have. My point of contention was that 4 years seems disproportionate to the crime. I feel that a one year sentence will act as just as much of a deterrent as a four year sentence.

Criminal activity at Fayette schools seems to be subject to some very uneven application. The McIntosh color guard performed stoned a few years back and nobody blinked. The McIntosh Beerleaders performed drunk this year and got a 10 day vacation (4 days down at Gulf Shores, Alabama). The Mcintosh bozo who left a machete in the back of his car after carving a Halloween pumpkin in 2006 was expelled after the SRO noticed it. Robin Kittrell brought 4 weapons to school and got two years.... in a diversion center.

Very uneven.

I understand where you're coming from, I think instead of lightening some sentences, increase the others. When it comes to gang activities slam them hard, make an example of them, and maybe it will discourage the others.

I yam what I yam....Popeye

Hutch, you know I want the bad guys eliminated and I think you know me well enough to know that I want as much as anything for our kids to be safe in our schools. Sooooo... I say slam them hard. Only my point is that Equal Justice Under The Law must be the norm.

I truly hope that idiot thug wannabe continues his goals of improving his life. But, doesn't everyone dress themselves up real perty and polish their resumes' when they appear before the judge? A whole other issue you might say....