Blog #2:

“Boy, 10, guilty of beating homeless Army veteran” (cnn.com, May 10, 2007)
In Daytona, Florida a ten year old boy beat a homeless man up so badly that he will need reconstructive surgery. The homeless man’s name is John D'Amico and he is 58 years old. On March 27 D’Amico and a friend were walking through a neighborhood in Daytona Beach when two ten year old boys and a seventeen year old crossed paths with them. Then the three kids beat up D’Amico and attacked him with a concrete block. The boys claimed that D’Amico provoked them, which caused them to do their misdeed. But the Circuit Judge John Watson found the one ten year old guilty and gave him a sentence that will be in effect on May 24. The boy’s future doesn’t look very bright. He could be in the juvenile center until he turns 21. Other options for the boy are probation or counseling. But the judge wasn’t going to cut him any slack. He was showing obvious concern about what could happen if he were to do something like this again. The little boys mother is very upset. The seventeen year old could face up to 15 years in prison. The homeless man was an army veteran.

I have so much sympathy for this poor old man. First of all, a 58 year old man would never be able to defend himself very well against anybody youthful. I don’t understand how A TEN YEAR OLD could be so violent and evil. A ten year old doesn’t know anything, they are still young and naive and supposedly innocent. But apparently not. I don’t understand how cruel a person would have to be to attack an old homeless man. I’m pretty sure that that man has been through enough in his life. If there was ever a gleam of hope in this homeless mans eyes, I would be willing to bet that it is gone. Hearing about this incident even takes away some of my hope in the world. I am ashamed, and frustrated that a human could do something so terrible. What did this man ever do to him? There is no excuse. Even if he had threatened, the kids could have called for help or ran away. But instead (if he were to have threatened them) they only sunk down to his level. They did the easy thing; they did not do the honorable thing. There is never any excuse for damaging the life of anyone, especially an old man, especially an HOMELESS old man. Then theres the fact that he was an army veteran and we have learned about this in school and the aftereffects of physically going to war and seeing all of the evils in the world. I have heard stories about people being amazing, involved, successful people before the draft and then after they go to war, the posttraumatic stress ruins their life. Obviously this man has not had an easy life. Just that alone is enough for me to tear up about. I wish that I could help him and people like him somehow. Even without the attack story, I would be able to type an entire blog about people like him. Homeless people are one of the biggest things that break my heart. There is a song that is recently released and it is called ‘Moments’ and, when reading this article, I was reminded of it and I think it relates so here are the lyrics:
I was coming to the end of a long long walk When a man crawled out of a cardboard box Under the E Street Bridge followed me on to it I went out halfway across with that homeless shadow tagging along So I dug for some change - wouldn't need it anyway He took it looking just a bit ashamed He said you know I haven't always been this way I've had my moments Days in the sun, moments I was second to none, moments When I knew I did what I thought I couldn't do Like that plane ride, coming home from the war That summer, my son was born Memories, like a coat so warm the cold wind cant get through Looking at me now you might not know it But I've had my moments Well I stood there trying to find my nerve Wondering if a single soul on earth would care at all Miss me when I'm gone That old man just kept hanging around Looking at me, looking down I think he recognized That look in my eyes Standing with him there I felt ashamed I said you know I haven't always been this way I've had my moments Days in the sun, moments I was second to none, moments When I knew I did what I thought I couldn't do Like the day I, walked away from the wineFor a woman, who became my wife And a love that, when it was right could always see me through Looking at me know you might not know it I've had my moments I know somewhere around a trash can fire tonight That old man tells his story One more time He says, I've had my moments Days in the sun, moments I was second to none, moments When I knew I did what I thought I couldn't do Like that cool night, on the E Street Bridge When a young man, almost ended it I was right there, wasn't scared a bit And I helped to pull him through Looking at me now you might not know it Oh - looking at me now you might not know it I've had my moments
This song has a very cool message. A sad, scary message. One lesson that I get out of it is that you should never judge a person by what they seem to be because everybody has a past and the other is that you should never take things for granted because someday they might be gone and you may be left with nothing but the memories of the ‘moments’. HOLEY LONG BLOG!!! Hope you enjoy, Mr. Meyer!!! Ahah
Article from:
http://www.cnn.com/2007/LAW/05/10/homeless.beating.ap/index.html
Picture from: http://images.google.com/images?hl=en&q=homeless+man&btnG=Search+Images&gbv=2