Deseret News | Reader comments: Salt Lake police seeking gay man's attacker

Reader comments
Salt Lake police seeking gay man's attacker

What? | 10:46 a.m. Sept. 4, 2008

What? hate crimes donï¿½t happen in Utah! These two cases cannot be true. Or just maybe people should pull their heads out of the sand.

re: What? | 11:26 a.m. Sept. 4, 2008

I personally don't know anyone that doesn't think hate crimes happen in Utah. You must hang around a really naive crowd.

GregV | 11:43 a.m. Sept. 4, 2008

Why in the world is this alert going out one month later. The pic of the attacker should have been on the six o`clock news the same night. Violent criminals should not be allowed to roam the streets.

Comments continue below

Anonymous | 11:43 a.m. Sept. 4, 2008

what's his name?

trend in place | 12:13 p.m. Sept. 4, 2008

Am I seeing a homophobic trend amongst the islanders? You know what the means right?
I would guess there were plenty of witnesses to the assault. Why not ask one of them?

re:trend in place | 12:36 p.m. Sept. 4, 2008

No one will ever come forward. They are afraid of retaliation from the family of this boy

Robbie | 12:40 p.m. Sept. 4, 2008

The assault happened the night after it made all news outlets that the Salt Lake County DA wouldn't be pressing charges against the Polynesian family who attacked partners Dan Fair and David Bell, according to QSaltLake.

Wonder if there's any connection there.

Utah Resident | 12:45 p.m. Sept. 4, 2008

Wasn't there an ever more gruesome beating on two gay men by islanders a while back? Is this becoming a trend among Utah Polynesians? I hope not.

Phere | 1:04 p.m. Sept. 4, 2008

the DA has made it ok for gays to be beaten when they didnt press charges against the poly family that attacked David Bell and Dan Fair. so thanks DA for sending a clear message that it's ok to beat someone bc they are gay. service and protection for all yeah right!. glad to see my tax dollars at work.

awesomeron | 1:13 p.m. Sept. 4, 2008

Maybe the News has not gotten out sooner because the Victim, is Brown and Gay. Maybe he did something to promote getting his eye socket busted. Not saying that attacking his right it is not. The person that attacked him should be caught and punished. Also where they when they came into contact. A good look into the attacker might give us vital information. It just seems that the Victim could find a better place to be Gay at then Utah. Hawaii, San Fran, almost anywhere else. How about East Lansing Michican.

I don't care | 1:23 p.m. Sept. 4, 2008

what your sexual orientation is, people have no right to indiscriminately go around beating people up! People who do so should be arrested.

Brendon.olsen | 1:31 p.m. Sept. 4, 2008

SO what good did it do to pass a hate crime bill in this great state.....if our own law enforcers wont enforce it to the extent that it should?

To awesomeron: | 2:05 p.m. Sept. 4, 2008

"It just seems that the Victim could find a better place to be Gay at then Utah."

So the victim deserved it because he is gay? It would be better to leave Utah?

Re: awesomeron | 2:37 p.m. Sept. 4, 2008

Um... awesomeron ... the picture on this story is the attacker, not the victim. Just so you know.

Jake | 2:46 p.m. Sept. 4, 2008

Beyond furious with this story. As a state we pride ourselves on being caring and industrious people. And yet, as our people are being within inches of their lives we lazily sit by and tell them it is LEGALLY ok to behave this way? Completely innappropriate. The district attorney need not worry much longer because re-election is not an option. We WILL make sure as a people who do not tolerate violence, that this kind of hate crime and ignoring of hate crimes will be happen again.

Arthur | 3:12 p.m. Sept. 4, 2008

re: Phere If by "it's ok to beat someone bc they are gay" you mean as soon as he's caught he's going to jail and will face larger consequences for his actions. Then the DA has also implied its ok to steal, cheat, and murder.

Armchair Lawyer | 3:18 p.m. Sept. 4, 2008

I still see where everyone is getting the idea that the DA/Utah is saying Hate Crimes are ok. Are they asking everyone to find this assailant so they can give him a prize? Are they calling the charges off? No. Police are looking for him and when they catch him he is going to pay.

The previous case was a different and very complex story. It was hard enough to figure out when they put it in as a full article, so I doubt all the self professed armchair lawyers posting here really have any idea of what should and should have been done just by reading a paragraph summary from DSN.

Reality | 3:20 p.m. Sept. 4, 2008

Maybe it would be easier to take the DA's interest in the case seriously had the Bell/Fair hate crime been prosecuted.

re: Reality | 3:38 p.m. Sept. 4, 2008

Remind me to yell hate crime if my neighbor of 5 years and fellow buddy beats be after I bring his kids into my house at 4 in the morning. I may not win the case but looks like I'll have the support of DSN posters.

Because we all know all of us who are different and covered by hate crime legislation would never claim such a thing if it weren't 100% true. Not even in a moment of weakness or anger would we besmurch the truth.

Idaho... | 4:12 p.m. Sept. 4, 2008

I dated a girl who thought it would be funny to take me, a total jock, to a gay bar! I didn't realize it until I witnessed a couple of gay dudes dancing on the floor together.....after a couple more drinks all of a sudden they were pummeling each other....Damn I LMAO! Those Gays are nuts!

Thanks for sharing... | 1:04 a.m. Sept. 5, 2008

...your gay bar experience Mr. Total Jock. Is that your stage name? :)

I don't think I've ever heard someone call himself a "total jock." Kind of weird.

Why would your one experience in a gay bar be a valid reason to think gays are nuts? If two guys in a not-gay bar started beating each other (it probably happens), would you say all straight men are nuts?

Maybe the girl you dated knew you better than you know yourself? You seem to have some issues with being gay. Damn! You total jocks are nuts! LMAO!

Anonymous | 1:18 a.m. Sept. 5, 2008

The Bush/Cheney regime refuses to acknowledge anti gay violence as hate crimes. It is the Republican/Mormon agenda which fosters and promotes violence against gays. Shame on you!!!

xscribe | 1:25 a.m. Sept. 5, 2008

@ Awesomeron: Maybe all Mormons should find better places to be Mormon, and all live in Utah, nowhere else. Does that even make sense? You are what you are; the place you're living has no relevance. Wake up and educate yourself a little bit!

P.P. | 1:32 a.m. Sept. 5, 2008

If he had not been a homosexual, this would not even be news! It shows preferential treatment of gays. Having said that, I don't condone what was done to him. Just making a point about why this is newsworth?

utwingnut | 3:38 a.m. Sept. 5, 2008

I've asked these questions in the past and I have yet to get a good intelligent answer. So I'll ask again. What exactly is the defintion of a hate crime? Is it a hate crime when a minority of any kind is unjustly persicuted based on thier race, gender, sexual preference, or religiouse beliefs by someone of the local majoity? What happens if the minority is doing the persicuting of the individual of the local majority? Is it no longer a hate crime? In this situation is the persicuted minority more of a citizen then the average citizen because the minoritys now have special protective laws? Why can't we prosecute the laws evenly across the board? Hate crime legislation has done harm to our society and legal system. I dare somebody to intelligently answer these questions.

John C. | 4:27 a.m. Sept. 5, 2008

New it would come up: to Anonymous. If you believe the Mormon agenda fosters and promotes violence against gays then shame on you. Just because we will stand up and say there is something wrong with that life stile dosn't make us hatters. Especially when everything we teach is the opposit. If that was our true attitude we be for beating up people who belonged to other churches. So don't be rediculos. It just shows your hatetred for us.

Texan | 5:55 a.m. Sept. 5, 2008

RE: Anonymous

Yeah, it's all the Mormons fault. That's all that is taught at church and General Conference is to hate gays!!

Really, Anonymous it is SHAME on you for being such a bigot and trying to smear a religion with no basis. My 37 years in the church and I've never heard at church, or from a church member, that it is ok to attack anyone. Just because my church doesn't condone a lifestyle, doesn't mean it promotes violence against it.

Get a life!!!!

georgiaonmymind | 6:54 a.m. Sept. 5, 2008

Amen to Texan!!

@utwingnut | 7:03 a.m. Sept. 5, 2008

Some how I doubt no one has answered your question ï¿½intelligently,ï¿½ I suspect you just did not like the answer. Hate crime laws are very simple and protect all people regardless of their status as part of the ï¿½majorityï¿½ or ï¿½minority.ï¿½ If it can be shown that a crime was committed because the attacker perceived the victim to be part of a particular group of people then it is classified as a hate crime, these classifications ably equally regardless of the race, class, religion or sexual orientation of the victim, For example, If our friend ï¿½Mr. Total Jockï¿½ a straight man was attacked by a group of gay men based on their perception that he was straight and they hate straight people and they behaved in ways or made statements that showed they attacked the man because he was perceived by them to be straight it would be a hate crime. The point is the law applies equally despite your claims of inequalities, I realize this will likely not satisfy you but I do not now how to make it more simple then that and stay under 200 words.

Justification for hate? | 8:07 a.m. Sept. 5, 2008

If there is any question why it seems to be open season on gays in Utah you only have to read through this thread to see why people think it is alright, you have created a culture of hate. there is so much hate on this thread for people you do not even know.

RE: @utwingnut | 8:18 a.m. Sept. 5, 2008

@utwingnut | 7:03 a.m. Sept. 5, 2008

Believe it or not, that was the first intelligent answer to my questions.

Jon | 8:29 a.m. Sept. 5, 2008

Stupid arguments by people claiming the DA is ignoring his duty to charge people for hate crimes. In the first instance, one of the men is awaiting trial for kidnapping. So, he wasn't beaten for kidnapping a child, but because he was gay? I'm not sure that's the case, and I'm pretty sure each of us, even the hate crime claimers, would be beating up someone who kidnapped our child.

In the second instance (this story), they said he'd probably face hate crime charges.

So, what's the problem. How is the DA avoiding his duties, how is the state of Utah and all of us Mormons advancing an agenda?

Oh and John C., I agree with you 100 percent, but dude, your spelling is pretty bad :)

@utwingnut | 8:44 a.m. Sept. 5, 2008

Good I am glad I could help. sorry for the snid remarks.

SLC gal | 9:34 a.m. Sept. 5, 2008

Of course they're not connected. Just the injuries are identical...

Augh!!!! What kind of MORONS do we have in the justice system?????????????????

Looking for love | 9:43 a.m. Sept. 5, 2008

Given her office's handling of the Bell attack, Lohra Miller's probably trying to find Lopez's assailant so she can give him an award.

Anonymous | 9:45 a.m. Sept. 5, 2008

To P.P.--
Any hate crime that is committed is newsworthy and should be of the public's concern, whether it's against someone because of their race, religion, sexual orientation, or the color of their T-shirt.

Frank | 9:51 a.m. Sept. 5, 2008

re: Justification for hate?

Are you saying that you hate me due to my affiliation with a particular group, namely Utahns?

GayManLA | 10:02 a.m. Sept. 5, 2008

Just to add to the excellent definition of a hate crime. A hate crime is also perpetrated to place fear into a certain community. While it is against a specific person, the minority aspect of that person (their race, religion, sexual orientation, etc.) is the true reason for the crime and the crime is meant to strike fear in the entire minority community. That's why there should be more punisment for a hate crime, it is commited as a way of intimidating an entire community.

Zero tolerance for hate crimes | 10:26 a.m. Sept. 5, 2008

P.P. said: "If he had not been a homosexual, this would not even be news! It shows preferential treatment of gays."

Using that same logic, if an overseas tourist gets injured or killed, it is not newsworthy. But if a mormon missionary is injured or killed overseas, it makes the Utah headlines.

Does this mean that there is preferential treatment of missionaries? Of course not!

A hate crime should be prosecuted regardless of who it involves. Period!

Thank You | 10:41 a.m. Sept. 5, 2008

You are right GayManLA, thank you for filling in the missing spaces.

A Concerned Citizen | 11:24 a.m. Sept. 5, 2008

If anyone is able, can you PLEASE add a photo of the person of interest that committed this crime - to this comment section? It will be difficult and possibly impossible to find this young man unless his photo is more available to the general public. Thank You....

Not Gay But Curious | 2:09 p.m. Sept. 5, 2008

A Concerned Citizen: They don't have a photo of the person who committed the crime. That's the whole point. They're trying to find people who DO have one, or who have any info about who he might be.

Frank | 3:29 p.m. Sept. 5, 2008

They do have a photo of the criminal on this article. Click on the photo of the hooded boy who got beat up and select the 2nd photo which is of the guy who assaulted him.

Jusification for hate? | 7:43 p.m. Sept. 5, 2008

nice try frank, but lets not get silly. You do not get to be the victim here. You are welcome to your opinions but dont run and hide when they lead to real violance, stand up and take responsability for you comments.

Lea Taylor | 3:08 p.m. Sept. 6, 2008

Well, since the DA and South Salt Lake cops think it was OK for the Tongans/Polynesians/Hispanic/ whatever-they-were to beat David Bell and Dan Fair half to death and not file any charges, I guess it's OK for the Polynesian to beat Carlos Lopez. (Interesting that his orbital bone was broken just as Dan Fair's was.) Thanks, DA and South Salt Lake cops for making it OK to break the law. After all, those gay guys deserve it, right?, and just as the SSL policeman and police chief said concerning David Bell, "In this case it was justified."

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