Perhaps because this poor young man is white. We've been told so many times that people of colour cannot be racist that we don't know how to safely approach a racist hate crime when whites are the targets. This needs to be strongly addressed, I'm waiting for someone of influence to have the courage to call this what it is. There cannot be two sets of rules if we are all in fact equal.
What I am hoping happens is the law abiding citizens in Chicago rises up and fully supports this tortured young man and demands all of these criminals be charged with a hate crime. I still feel they should also be charged with kidnapping and if there is a law on the books concerning torture they should add that charge as well. He was bound and gagged for no telling how long.
Another thing that breaks my heart is they specifically targeted him pretending they were his friends to lure him there when they all knew what they planned to do to him once they got him inside of the apartment. At least one of them knew he had mentally disabilities and they took advantage of someone so vulnerable who they knew couldn't fight back.
He was treated so inhumanely that I get sick when I even think about it. Making him drink from their toilet. Gah! Making him walk around on all fours like he was a dog. LE said he was so traumatized it took them awhile before he was even able to tell them what all had happened to him.
His parents had to be worried sick about him. This may traumatize this young man so badly that he will never get over what they put him through. He had to believe they were going to kill him.
If this had happened to a young black disabled young man by a group of white t**** there would already be uprisings in the streets and Chicago would be in riot mode. If it had been reversed and the victim was black and the perps were all white then it still would be a hate crime. This was ALL about twisted hate just because of the victim's race and that is why he was targeted.
It sickens me the police superintendent is being dismissive of what happened to this young man and why. This is NOT about 'kids will be kids' and these aren't kids. Does anyone personally know one 18 year old who has done something like this? I sure as hell don't. All four are adults and one also stole a car and that is probably not the only crimes they have done before the car theft and torture/assault of this young man.
If all four aren't charged with hate crimes it will certainly show the blatant double standards we face in this country but it happened in a city where they will probably only get a slap on the wrists and like Katydid said they will probably get very little time. That is so wrong on so many levels. It sends a message that one race has less worth than another race.
If that does happen I don't know how the law abiding citizens in Chicago can stomach that or live with the disparity and unequal justice just because the victim was white and his attackers were black.
So many things need to change for the better in our country.