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Here's a question, what if the races were reversed and it was your mother who was thrown in the pool? Would the punishment have fit the crime then?
If it was reversed my first thought would be "why is she over there messing with those kids?"...my mother wouldn't want to walk into a lose lose situation like that. She knows approaching a bunch of white kids about a pool party would just be a waste...but let's play along...
1st)i wouldn't be talking about the white kids "culture" and making it about "suburb-cred" or being in a gang
2nd)i be mad, but since there was no murder...i wouldn't continue to outrage flop\
3rd)"would the punishment fit the crime"...what the kid here was sentenced to is actually more than people like Zimmerman and Michael Slager...so i'd say anything even a slap on the wrist would fit i guess because i wouldn't expect a thing to be done about it.
essentially, there are a lot more factors and context involved.
From the safety of your home or wherever, viewing from the far, desensitizing distance of your TV or computer screen and after the fact, not horrifying for you.
In that older woman's place, being caught off guard, slammed to the concrete, having someone stronger than you land on top of you and then to be thrown into the pool while injured with a group laughing and egging on the situation, the perspective is different. How hurt was she? Too hurt to swim or protect herself? Did she think they were going to harm her further? Perhaps drown her? What were they going to do to her little dogs whom she couldn't protect? In this day and time and given that she had already been assaulted an apparent three times, why would she think they were finished with her?
You may be a tough old bird. But that senior woman wasn't just petite, she reportedly was recovering from hip surgery and had had three strokes. No small challenges. We don't know what her frailties or her functional level were, but she was obviously no super woman. Had I witnessed such an occurrence, I would have found it shocking and horrifying. Not a form of "expression". If it were my neighbor or a loved one, I would be horrified and furious. If it had been me, I would have been horrified and traumatized. And I'm no pansy. I've seen way worse in my life. Situations that have made seasoned law enforcement and medical staff emotional.
I can't imagine not finding this, yes, horrifying. I don't know the level of harm done. But the callousness of the act and the elements of fear and pain for that woman make it horrifying. It wasn't a fatal car accident, a mass shooting or an explosion, but it was horrifying. In my mind, it doesn't have to do exclusively with the degree of brutality, it has to do with the reasonable perception of potential harm and the vulnerability to it. (If a threatening stranger sneaks up behind you and holds a gun to your head or a knife to your throat, binds your hands and takes you away from a safe area, I bet you would find that horrifying. No? Even, if afterward, the assailant said he wasn't planning to hurt you. His intent has little to do with your perception. On the other hand, if it happened to someone else, I'm sure you might feel it wasn't such a big deal, but they would.) Lack of empathy and denial can be a great form of self-protection for some.
If fortune smiles upon you, you won't have to face anything you rate as "horrifying" in your future. I can assure you, though, the bar gets lowered significantly when things happen to you or yours as opposed to someone else. Especially, at a frail or vulnerable time in your life.
Things are often relative, aren't they?
This pretty much covers it for me.
I'll add that the fact that she was recovering from some health issues doesn't even matter. It should apply to any (even healthy) person.
I've never liked big crowds of (I'm assuming) intoxicated people. Things just get out of control.
I have to add, when I was young we had parties, we drank, did stupid things, but like others have mentioned, no one I knew would EVER have pulled something like this.
If it was reversed my first thought would be "why is she over there messing with those kids?"...my mother wouldn't want to walk into a lose lose situation like that. She knows approaching a bunch of white kids about a pool party would just be a waste...but let's play along...
1st)i wouldn't be talking about the white kids "culture" and making it about "suburb-cred" or being in a gang
2nd)i be mad, but since there was no murder...i wouldn't continue to outrage flop\
3rd)"would the punishment fit the crime"...what the kid here was sentenced to is actually more than people like Zimmerman and Michael Slager...so i'd say anything even a slap on the wrist would fit i guess because i wouldn't expect a thing to be done about it.
essentially, there are a lot more factors and context involved.
Are yall done outrage flopping?
I couldn't care less about the race(s). Nothing to do with my opinion. This was physical assault, over a verbal request, when the kids were causing the disturbance in the first place.
Kids will be kids, parties will be had, but no way do you manhandle another person like this. Anyone who is downplaying this, I can just imagine the changing of their tune if the tables were turned and it happened to them.
If it was reversed my first thought would be "why is she over there messing with those kids?"...my mother wouldn't want to walk into a lose lose situation like that. She knows approaching a bunch of white kids about a pool party would just be a waste...but let's play along...
1st)i wouldn't be talking about the white kids "culture" and making it about "suburb-cred" or being in a gang
2nd)i be mad, but since there was no murder...i wouldn't continue to outrage flop\
3rd)"would the punishment fit the crime"...what the kid here was sentenced to is actually more than people like Zimmerman and Michael Slager...so i'd say anything even a slap on the wrist would fit i guess because i wouldn't expect a thing to be done about it.
essentially, there are a lot more factors and context involved.
Are yall done outrage flopping?
Zimmerman was exonerated in a court of law and Slager pled guilty. The reason I refer to black culture is because there seems to be a discipline problem with the kids. I work at a local Y and see it all the time, we had three black youth in which one threw a basket ball and hit a lady in the head and Laughed about it,they were thrown out. It is their lack of feeling and compassion for other human beings that concerns me, Personally I think they should have been charged with assault. If there isn't a problem with black youth, why is it every high school that is predominantly black have metal detectors? All of the kids I get for community service work with the exception of one were/are black. I am not criticizing, just pointing out there is a problem that has to be dealt with and until it is admitted and addressed by black leadership, instead of blaming whitey for all of your problems, absolutely nothing will change. You just don't see the problems in white culture as a rule that you do in the black culture.
]She didn't go to confront them[/b], she went to ask them to keep the noise down. Her mistake to treat them like civilized people.
There is a CROWD of unruly teens-- ANY approach be confrontational-- did you ever have teens? She thought was going to exercise her HOA power and these were NOT thinking adults-
the kid deserves whatever punshiment he gets- but old people- call the law or security!!!--
Zimmerman was exonerated in a court of law and Slager pled guilty. The reason I refer to black culture is because there seems to be a discipline problem with the kids. I work at a local Y and see it all the time, we had three black youth in which one threw a basket ball and hit a lady in the head and Laughed about it,they were thrown out. It is their lack of feeling and compassion for other human beings that concerns me, Personally I think they should have been charged with assault. If there isn't a problem with black youth, why is it every high school that is predominantly black have metal detectors? All of the kids I get for community service work with the exception of one were/are black. I am not criticizing, just pointing out there is a problem that has to be dealt with and until it is admitted and addressed by black leadership, instead of blaming whitey for all of your problems, absolutely nothing will change. You just don't see the problems in white culture as a rule that you do in the black culture.
WOW! not sure where you live --but in my city kids from all over act the SAME- they fight- swear- drive crazy- drink- get crazy- do what drugs they do- get belligerent and are ANGRY-
I know people who work in the troubled youth programs and most are just ANGRY- no dad- no mom everybody working 3 jobs- on drugs- chasing a freaking MATE or trying to be teen themselves- the problem is a lack of PARENTING_
but your view is biased
If you hate them, the wise thing is be to stay CLEAR! Not try to control them. I guess you all were goodie two shoes when young and never got into problems. Again the kid is wrong... But people. Do not try to control a crowd.
I wouldn't fear large groups of teens if I were a goody two shoes. lol The reason is I wasn't, and know how mean a crowd of kids can be as opposed to one on one. That boy wouldn't have acted like that if it were just him. I think it's that they are trying to impress their friends. He most likely didn't even think it was harmful.
At that age they are in school, with other kids and adults are teachers, principals, parents. They gain a group mentality and have little respect for adults because they see them as an opposing group. We teach them that by grouping them up in school. It's a side effect.
I imagine your advice of not trying to control a crowd is the same as mine. It's worse when it's a crowd of teens because they don't yet identify with adults. They have a lack of compassion for adults at that age. They also have a lack of knowledge regarding how easily older people get hurt as opposed to a teen or young adult. There judgement is off. Not all, for the record, but a lot.
The best way for her to handle it, instead of trusting young people to listen would be to have called management or the police. If they didn't help she should have let it be. It's not that she was wrong at all, she was obviously just to trusting of these kids. She probably thought they'd respect her because she was an adult.
She was wrong. Sadly she probably won't be so trusting in the future.
I agree with tinytrump. Call the authorities before approaching crowds of youth. It's the safest option.
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If it were my neighbor or a loved one, I would be horrified and furious. If it had been me, I would have been horrified and traumatized. And I'm no pansy. I've seen way worse in my life. Situations that have made seasoned law enforcement and medical staff emotional. 
not sure where you live --but in my city kids from all over act the SAME- they fight- swear- drive crazy- drink- get crazy- do what drugs they do- get belligerent and are ANGRY- 