At service, activists decry Texas dragging death

[one...two...tree 2,762]

AP – Jacquline McClelland poses with a photo of her son Brandon McClelland, Friday, Oct. 24, 2008, in Paris, …

By JEFF CARLTON, Associated Press Writer Jeff Carlton, Associated Press Writer

PARIS, Texas – Members of the Nation of Islam, the New Black Panthers and the NAACP on Saturday promised protests to bring more attention to the killing of an east Texas man whose death recalls, for some, a notorious decade-old hate crime.

Speaker after speaker at a memorial service said they disagreed with the district attorney's stance that Brandon McClelland's death was not racially motivated.

"If this is not a hate crime, then there is no such thing as a hate crime," said Krystal Muhammad of the New Black Panthers. "Even though our brother was viciously slain, we will not let him die in vain."

Two white men, accused of running McClelland down and dragging his body about 70 feet beneath their pickup, remain jailed on murder charges. They face up to life in prison if convicted.

Authorities have cast doubt on theories that the attack was a hate crime but said they will take another look when autopsy results become available this week. A determination of racial bias in a crime can increase penalties, but not for the murder charges these defendants face.

Still, a finding of racial bias in McClelland's killing could make a powerful statement. And Deric Muhammad of the Nation of Islam called McClelland's death an "exact copycat" of the 1998 James Byrd case.

Byrd, a black man in Jasper, about 200 miles south of Paris, was chained by the ankles to the back of a pickup by three white supremacists and dragged for three miles. Two of the killers are on death row; the third is serving a life sentence.

McClelland died after going with two white friends on a late-night beer run across the state line to Oklahoma. On the way back, authorities said, McClelland argued with the two suspects — Shannon Keith Finley and Charles Ryan Crostley, both 27. He left the pickup to walk home.

Authorities said that the men then ran him over and that his body was dragged beneath the truck. His body was discovered Sept. 16. McClelland's mother said fragments of her son's skull could still be found three days later.

Crostley and Finley are jailed on charges of murder and evidence-tampering. Finley's attorney did not immediately respond to a voice mail message Saturday, and a call to a listing for Crostley's attorney was not answered.

Unlike the Byrd case, there is no evidence that McClelland was tied or chained to the truck. Officials also point out that McClelland was friends with the two murder suspects.

In an odd twist, McClelland served jail time after pleading guilty to perjury for providing a false alibi for Finley in the latter's murder trial in 2004. Finley eventually pleaded guilty to manslaughter.

"What this case shows is that if a white person wants to lynch a black man, all they have to do is befriend him first," Deric Muhammad said.

Officials said they have uncovered no evidence that Finley, who served time for manslaughter, had joined a white supremacist gang while in prison.

"There is nothing about that in his prison records, and there are no tattoos on his body" that would indicate Finley had joined such a gang, said Allan Hubbard, a spokesman for the Lamar County and District Attorney's office.

Finley does have a tattoo of a Paris-area gang that includes blacks and whites, Hubbard said.

"There is nothing racially motivated in the state's eyes about this murder," Hubbard said.

The differences between the Byrd and McClelland cases were dismissed at the memorial service, which also served as a meeting to organize future protests. Speakers chanted "No justice, no peace," "Power to the people" and "Never again," and condemned Paris as a racist town.

"The time has come for a black man's life to be equal to a white man's life," said Anthony Bond, founder of the Irving chapter of the NAACP. "Whatever happens in Paris affects every other person in America."

The service later moved to a two-lane road lined by farms, where McClelland's torn body was found. Family members and activists from across the state placed flowers and wreaths at a spot alongside the road where white spray paint indicated where authorities had located body parts.

Bobby McCleary spoke movingly of his dead son, who called him "Pops."

"A couple of times, I've found myself calling him just to see what he is doing," he said. "I just want to hear 'Pops' one more time from my son."

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20081026/ap_on_.../dragging_death

[Scott & Lai 12]

"What this case shows is that if a white person wants to lynch a black man, all they have to do is befriend him first," Deric Muhammad said.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20081026/ap_on_.../dragging_death

So, any time a white person kills a black person, it is racially motivated, and a "lynching"? Is that not itself a racist concept?

And what about when a black person kills a white person? Is that also always racially motivated, and thus a hate crime? Or are only murders of victims of certain races by certain other races eligible to be considered "hate crimes"? If so, how does that help bring about equality in the value of the life of victims of different races?

[natty bumppo 297]

So, any time a white person kills a black person, it is racially motivated, and a "lynching"? Is that not itself a racist concept?

And what about when a black person kills a white person? Is that also always racially motivated, and thus a hate crime? Or are only murders of victims of certain races by certain other races eligible to be considered "hate crimes"? If so, how does that help bring about equality in the value of the life of victims of different races?

stop.making.sense ....

trouble maker ....

Edited October 26, 2008 by Natty Bumppo

[peejay 327]

I read this story and it still doesn't add up.

McClelland died after going with two white friends on a late-night beer run across the state line to Oklahoma. On the way back, authorities said, McClelland argued with the two suspects — Shannon Keith Finley and Charles Ryan Crostley, both 27. He left the pickup to walk home.

So his white friends killed him after an arguement and since he is black this is now a "racial incident" and "hate crime". Substitute "white friends" with "black friends" and what do you have? Typical run of the mill punk sh*t that goes down all over America that nobody even blinks an eye at. Black youths kill each other at an alarming rate and where is the outcry? The silence is deafening.

The white/black element launches the usual "activists" into their usual stir up the sh*t even more mode. Nothing new here.

[Niels Bohr 72]

The guy is dead. RIP, m'brother from another mother!

Anyway, I do disagree that this man was a victim of a hate crime. It may be that his two friend maybe intoxicated, and being unable to realize reality from illusion.

I can feel the mother's rage towards a hate crime because she grew up in an area where she was subjected to many hate crimes. She still cling to these events at the present which makes her believe it's a hate crime.

Hopefully, some new evidence will be found.

[Pooky 3,792]

I find it interesting that Steven posts the article, with all that entails, yet does not give his opinion to accompany it. So, Steven, what do you think?

[one...two...tree 2,762]

I find it interesting that Steven posts the article, with all that entails, yet does not give his opinion to accompany it. So, Steven, what do you think?

Since we're on a first name basis, what is your real name BTW?

There isn't enough evidence, IMO, to say it was a hate crime, but I wouldn't easily dismiss it as not a hate crime either. Certainly it was heinous, no? I'd like to know what the defendents said why they decided to run him over?

[Ling Ling 22]

When you lay down with dogs, you're gonna get fleas.

This guy was clearly not a saint, and he knew his "friends" weren't either.

The outcry from his family should have come when he started getting into trucks with them,

not after the truck runs over him.

So called "Black Activists" and "Civil Rights Leaders" are not appointed or elected. 90% of the time,

we find that they have an agenda which is not shared by 90% of the people they claim to represent.

Typically they are more welcomed by the uneducated and the delusional.

I feel sadness for the death of any human being, but he, his family, and his community need to take

some responsibility for the death. All the evidence I've read, shows that this was not a random act,

and that it could have been avoided. Black, White, Yellow, Brown or Purple....a smart person knows

that associating with drunken convicted killers (or manslaughters) is not the way to a long and peaceful life.

Further, there are in fact hate crimes committed against people of EVERY skin type and ethnic background.

To say that this man's death was a hate crime just because the killers were White, is ignorant and unjust.

To deny that hate crimes exist today, is equally unjust, and even more ignorant.

[Hilarious Clinton 452]

All violent crime is a 'hate' crime.

[Ling Ling 22]

All violent crime is a 'hate' crime.

Literally, yes.

However, the legislation at hand defines a "hate crime" as one motivated primarily by prejudice.

A crime legally determined as a "hate crime" often has substantially stiffer penalties.

The idea is that it's a deterrent, much like the death sentence is a deterrent for murder or other heinous crimes.

[Peikko 1,575]

When you lay down with dogs, you're gonna get fleas.

This guy was clearly not a saint, and he knew his "friends" weren't either.

The outcry from his family should have come when he started getting into trucks with them,

not after the truck runs over him.

So called "Black Activists" and "Civil Rights Leaders" are not appointed or elected. 90% of the time,

we find that they have an agenda which is not shared by 90% of the people they claim to represent.

Typically they are more welcomed by the uneducated and the delusional.

I feel sadness for the death of any human being, but he, his family, and his community need to take

some responsibility for the death. All the evidence I've read, shows that this was not a random act,

and that it could have been avoided. Black, White, Yellow, Brown or Purple....a smart person knows

that associating with drunken convicted killers (or manslaughters) is not the way to a long and peaceful life.

Further, there are in fact hate crimes committed against people of EVERY skin type and ethnic background.

To say that this man's death was a hate crime just because the killers were White, is ignorant and unjust.

To deny that hate crimes exist today, is equally unjust, and even more ignorant.

An excellent post articulating my view on these types of incidents (as much as one can generalize and understand based on reports from the media) Bolded sums it up really.

[Scott & Lai 12]

When you lay down with dogs, you're gonna get fleas.

This guy was clearly not a saint, and he knew his "friends" weren't either.

The outcry from his family should have come when he started getting into trucks with them,

not after the truck runs over him.

So called "Black Activists" and "Civil Rights Leaders" are not appointed or elected. 90% of the time,

we find that they have an agenda which is not shared by 90% of the people they claim to represent.

Typically they are more welcomed by the uneducated and the delusional.

I feel sadness for the death of any human being, but he, his family, and his community need to take

some responsibility for the death. All the evidence I've read, shows that this was not a random act,

and that it could have been avoided. Black, White, Yellow, Brown or Purple....a smart person knows

that associating with drunken convicted killers (or manslaughters) is not the way to a long and peaceful life.

Further, there are in fact hate crimes committed against people of EVERY skin type and ethnic background.

To say that this man's death was a hate crime just because the killers were White, is ignorant and unjust.

To deny that hate crimes exist today, is equally unjust, and even more ignorant.

Ita.

[IAMX 3,055]

It happened a decade ago. Time to move on. Educate, but don't rub it in people's faces.

What happens here and now, with recent murders, should be the focus. The dragging that just happened should call for the guy who did it to be dragged, hung, and beaten like a pinata.

Edited October 27, 2008 by SRVT

[peejay 327]

It happened a decade ago. Time to move on. Educate, but don't rub it in people's faces.

What happens here and now, with recent murders, should be the focus. The dragging that just happened should call for the guy who did it to be dragged, hung, and beaten like a pinata.

Isn't that cruel and unusual punishment? We can't have that, can we? No, we can't.

[IAMX 3,055]

It happened a decade ago. Time to move on. Educate, but don't rub it in people's faces.

What happens here and now, with recent murders, should be the focus. The dragging that just happened should call for the guy who did it to be dragged, hung, and beaten like a pinata.

Isn't that cruel and unusual punishment? We can't have that, can we? No, we can't.

Sure we can. We believe in the government killing people. Why not now?