THEJNSREPORT

Welcome to THEJNSREPORT’S: Initial thoughts on the recent surge in Gay Bashings in NYC 2013

Written by Akan Bosemann

Initial thoughts when thinking about the recent news reports on the rise in hate crimes namely gay-bashings in New York City this past month makes me pause to think for a moment about what’s happening and the timing.  June is recognized as Gay Pride Month.  In the recent past weeks there have been multiple attacks on Gay men in NYC with victims being beat kicked and brutalized for simply being who they are while walking in NYC.

I still struggle to wrap my mind around things like this happening here where there is so much diversity that makes NYC what it is.  The multi-cultural center where everyone from every walk of life is welcome to live and be themselves.  In the latest attack a gay man Mark Carson was shot to death.  Carson was killed while walking with a companion after being harassed with slurs referring to his sexual orientation.  He was  followed and ultimately shot in the head.

I’m sickened, I’m angry and I’m tired.  Tired of the killings and evil that people are doing one to another.  Tired of bigotry, hatred, and senseless violence.  I don’t comprehend how some people can have absolutely no respect for life.  I mean I know murders happen everyday but somehow I still just can’t get my head around it.   I remember not too long ago the Matthew Shepherd case in which another young gay man was murdered simply because he was openly gay.

No one has the right to take somebody else’s life.  Who is anyone to say who has the right to live based on their own personal beliefs?  I say only God.  And since none of us human beings are God none of us has that right.

The timing of these vicious crimes seems suspicious to me if not coincidental being that Pride is right around the corner.  My thoughts and prayers go out to Mark Carson and his family, and the other bias attack victims.  Still I believe in humanity and that we can change.  That being said I hope this awakens the city not to take for granted what living in New York City means.  I hope that in the face of these tragedies we all come together to say that killing another human being simply for their orientation is not acceptable and will not be tolerated.

I pray justice is swift and the persons responsible for Mr. Carson’s death live long enough to sit in prison & reflect on the choices they made to take away someone’s life.  To see that they chose to throw away their own lives.  And that something good comes from this and that Mark Carson didn’t die in vain.