This story interested me because it reminded me of the story Rocky posted about on Tuesday, A Profile in Hatred. First let’s have a look at this story, then we’ll compare angles:

Akron police say they aren’t ready to call it a hate crime or a gang initiation.

But to Marty Marshall, his wife and two kids, it seems pretty clear.

It came after a family night of celebrating America and freedom with a fireworks show at Firestone Stadium. Marshall, his family and two friends were gathered outside a friend’s home in South Akron.

Out of nowhere, the six were attacked by dozens of teenage boys, who shouted ”This is our world” and ”This is a black world” as they confronted Marshall and his family.

The Marshalls, who are white, say the crowd of teens who attacked them and two friends June 27 on Girard Street numbered close to 50. The teens were all black.

”This was almost like being a terrorist act,” Marshall said. ”And we allow this to go on in our neighborhoods?”

They said it started when one teen, without any words or warning, blindsided and assaulted Marshall’s friend as he stood outside with the others.

When Marshall, 39, jumped in, he found himself being attacked by the growing group of teens.

His daughter, Rachel, 15, who weighs about 90 pounds, tried to come to his rescue. The teens pushed her to the ground.

His wife, Yvonne, pushed their son, Donald, 14, into bushes to keep him protected.

”My thing is,” Marshall said, ”I didn’t want this, but I was in fear for my wife, my kids and my friends. I felt I had to stay out there to protect them, because those guys were just jumping, swinging fists and everything.

”I’m lucky. They didn’t break my ribs or bruise my ribs. I thank God, they concentrated on my thick head because I do have one. They were trying to take my head off my spine, basically.”

After several minutes of punches and kicks, the attack ended and the group ran off. The Marshalls’ two adult male friends were not seriously hurt.

”I don’t think I thought at that moment when I tried to jump in,” Rachel Marshall said. ”But when I was laying on the ground, I was just scared.”

Marshall was the most seriously injured. He suffered a concussion and multiple bruises to his head and eye. He said he spent five nights in the critical care unit at Akron General Medical Center.

I understand that this story comes from Akron Ohio and Rocky’s story took place in BC, but since the media in Canada and the US walk in lockstep, it’s interesting to note how they viewed each incident.

For instance, in BC, three white kids attacked a black kid and the media ran with the headline “Apparent B.C. hate crime attack posted on YouTube”. Apparently the white kids were telling the black kid that “he was in a white town, get the F*** out of here”. Now, I never heard that on the YouTube video, but let’s just say that actually happened and move on. Keep in mind the black kid wasn’t hurt.

Contrast that to this story where a pack of black kids screamed ”This is our world” and ”This is a black world’,’ and went on to beat the living shit out of an entire white family — mother, daughter, son and father, etc.

What did the first paragraph to this story say? “Akron police say they aren’t ready to call it a hate crime or a gang initiation.”

Do you figure the reporter for the Akron Beacon would have led his story with the words “Akron police say they aren’t ready to call it a hate crime or a gang initiation” if a few dozen white kids screamed at a black family “This is a white world”, and then went on to pound every last one of them until they were sent to hospital?

This entry was posted on Thursday, July 9th, 2009 at 6:53 pm and is filed under A Victims Perspective. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.