Repulsive.

CNN reported that the pipe was PVC and that the victim's critical internal injuries are the result of the pipe being stomped into him.

Have fun in prison. Bet they have all sorts of pipes there.

See people, THAT'S what racism is, not the silly nonexistent shit that people cry 'white privilege' about up here.

My father got beaten with a shovel once by an ex-cop (in front of his mother's home, to boot) for being Filipino, and I don't think he, or other true victims of racism, would appreciate liberal bickering about whether or not we should go out of our way to take offense at the word 'gyp' or 'gung-ho'.

I don't think he, or other true victims of racism, would appreciate liberal bickering about whether or not we should go out of our way to take offense at the word 'gyp'

I'm Romani and I take offense at people who use the word "gyp" to mean cheat or swindle...

So...rascism is only valid if it is violent?

Both of you miss the point. There are much bigger instances of racism to address than attempts to find harmless terms racist.

And Angelina, you're a gypsy?

Gyp is not a harmless term--it is on par with using Jew to mean cheap. I take offense at it, as does my entire family. And yes, I am a gypsy. We don't all live in covered wagons and place curses on people. Okay, we all place curses on people, I'll admit that.

Do you know that the term gypsy is mostly used to generally describe a group of foraging nomads? And that 'gyp' is in reference to such nomads? I don't think anyone who uses the term 'gyp' has any latent hatred for Romanis.

Some kid got sodomized with a pipe for not being white, and you're digging to take offense at a general term that's not even directed at your culture.

don't be ridiculous gomez. fighting racism isn't about an either/or mentality.
racism can/is subtle and insidious and doesn't only manifest itself as violent crime.

Racism is everywhere! Watch out! The man next to you may be thinking racist thoughts about you right now.

You're digging. Many of you are digging, for something that isn't there.

Gomez:
So a little ol' name callin' jus good ol' boys havin' fun, hunh? Nothin' racist. Just funnin'?

I'll bet those Texas boys thought in their minds that they were just having a little fun and that their fun lovin' name callin' friends and family would approve. The approved name calling is an important component of the dehumanizing process necessary to commit an atrocity like this. Its also part of the dehumanizing that leads to job disrimination, racial profiling, jury prejudice, substandard schools etc. (Ills I believe your GOP messiah Bush's new Press Secretary Snow declared to be no longer a problem in America)

Wonder if they walk in Texas?

Bet if name calling wasn't so acceptable there those young men might have thought twice about believing what they were doing was ok.

Gomez, please. We're not digging-- you're being willfully obtuse. You obviously learned everything you pretend to know about gypsies, or in my case, off the internet. When my parents moved to France, they were labeled the "gypsy couple" in Apt 4A and falsely accused of any thefts or strange occurances in the building the entire year they lived there, which is nothing compared to what my father's parents, who actually lived a nomadic lifestyle went through. Three years ago, when I was in college, some Alpha Phi told me I looked like gypsies she had seen in Rome and proceeded to ask me if I knew how to pick pockets because she had been warned about my people.

I understand that not everyone in the world imbues their use of the word gyp with racist undertones doesn't make it any less offensive to people who have had to live with the prejudice.

I agree with Craig--whether you want to admit it or not, racism is subtle and insidious and it's not necessarily a matter of paranoid white liberal guilt.

Sometimes I feel like arguing about whether some words are intrinsically racist is more or an intellectual exercise than anything else.

Pgreyy has had some good things to say over the forum, for anyone who is interested. And as far as I can tell, Gomez' only argument is basically "You guys are babies," so he can fuck right off.

Josh R. You're back with Mudede's "nigga" discussion. I'm talking about comments with any negative intent. The dehumanizing doesn't come without fallout. Racisim is fucking hurting people:
http://www.amptoons.com/blog/archives/2006/04/27/nothing-has-changed-since-the-rodney-king-verdict/

Agree with Angelina. As a Latino man who traveled trhoughout Rumania, I will say that the word GYP is very, very offensive. Something similar to certain folks of the Caucasoid persuassion who call me Spick. The Roma get treated like garbage throughout Europe, specially in Eastern Europe, its fucking sick and it is such a part of Rumanian's way of seeing things that they dont even see it as racim. Its the same in Bulgaria and Albania. Rumanians refer to all Romas as thieves as if it is not even an insult and when you bring it up they go Gomez on you and shit, and start telling you how over sensitive you are.

I see Gomez' point, but I disagree, I think that subtle racism should be addressed.

Racism at all levels should be addressed, certainly, but not dug for and contrived. Otherwise we end up with a subtle, transparent thought police among all of us, scrutinizing our every word for racist undertones and whatever else they can get offended about.

And I apologize if I offended any cultures with my usage of the word 'undertones'. Or 'scrutinizing' :P

G-Ram, I am offended at your trivialization of my points and feel you have denigrated my thought culture. You, sir, can fuck right off.

Ditto Chetbob. I know he had a river of hate in his heart for me before he ever read a single word that I wrote.

Gomez, you're barely showing a thought process in this comments log.

Hey Seme, who you callin' a Caucasoid?!

No, G-Ram, you're just not paying attention... or are choosing not to.

Humm.. it's funny how everyone strays off topic to make a serious issue about themselves. In addition to the possibility that this maybe a hate crime i think it also has to do with this 16 yearsold guy was trying to kiss a 12 year old. humm.. 16 and 12 dont make a healthy match. Maybe these texas boys werent liking that. I, no matter what race, dont agree with a 16 yearold and a 12 yearold kissing. But either way whether it was about race, age, or both what those guys did to the 16 yearold is disgusting, an act that would be seen from the devil himself. I hope they both get theirs in the end cause i know if there is a heaven and hell that satan will be right behind them showing them what true pain is as he shoves that buring hot pipe up both their asses. I hope they get the death penalty cause they dont deserve to live among us if hate like that runs through their veins.

The story as ABC News reported it..

A 16-year-old Hispanic boy was beaten, sodomized and left for dead because two other teens at an unsupervised house party were offended that he tried to kiss a 12-year-old girl, authorities said Thursday.

The attackers were white and shouted racial slurs "associated with being Hispanic" at the boy during the vicious 10- to 15-minute beating, Harris County Sheriff's officers said. The victim lay behind the house for more than 10 hours before he was found and someone called an ambulance.

The boy remained hospitalized in critical condition five days after the attack.

The attackers forced the boy out of the Saturday night house party, beat him and sodomized him with a plastic pipe from a patio table umbrella, Sheriff's Lt. John Denholm said. Bleach had been poured over the boy's body, in an attempt to destroy DNA evidence, Denholm said.

"His face was extremely swollen. He had blood all over. He looked awful. It was just sad," said Nancy Benavides, who lives next door to the home where the attack took place. She saw the victim taken away by an ambulance Sunday morning.

The victim, who was not identified, suffered severe internal injuries, cuts on his chest and head injuries.

"It's about 50-50 whether he lives or dies at this point," said Harris County prosecutor Mike Trent.

Investigators said no adults were supervising the party, where they found evidence of marijuana and Xanx use.

The attack took place in a neighborhood featuring rows of older homes, some with American flags on display on their front lawns or in windows. Spring is a middle-class, largely white suburb of 36,000 residents, located about 10 miles north of the Houston city line. Its population is about 18 percent Hispanic.

Denholm said the 12-year-old girl was Hispanic.

Benavides said teens frequent the house where the attack took place but they were never loud. Saturday night's party was not disruptive and she didn't hear anything unusual, including the attack.

"I feel bad. I wish I would have been able to hear something so we could have helped," she said.

Denholm said investigators believe the attack was prompted by the age difference between the 12-year-old girl and the 16-year-old victim, who the two defendants thought tried to kiss the girl. "The two suspects were being mean and vicious and looking for any excuse to stomp somebody," he said.

Denholm said the 12-year-old girl and her older brother witnessed the attack, but made no effort to stop the attack.

Timothy Bourque said he is a friend of the 12-year-old girl's brother, whom he described as very protective of his sister. Bourque said he also knew one of the suspects, Keith Robert Turner, 17, whom he called "a wannabe gangster" who boasted about trying to join local gangs.

"He was not really that cool," Bourque said.

Lisa Bourque, Timothy's mother, said Turner had a bad reputation and she didn't want her son hanging out with him.

"Anybody that does something like this is cruel and evil," she said.

Trent said if convicted of aggravated sexual assault, both Turner and the other suspect, David Henry Tuck, 18, face from five years to life in prison. Prosecutors are investigating whether Tuck might have a prior felony conviction as a juvenile, which could increase his minimum sentence to 15 years.

Turner and Tuck are charged with aggravated sexual assault, investigators said. Prosecutors are considering whether to attach hate-crime charges, but unless the victim dies, the possible penalty would be the same.

"Whether it is one or isn't a hate crime, and it may be, that will make no difference here," Trent said. "This is already a first-degree felony and it can't be elevated any higher. There's nowhere to go beyond this, unless the victim dies."

Denholm said if the victim dies, the charges against the defendants would be upgraded to capital murder because a homicide occurred during the commission of a sexual assault.

Authorities set bond at $100,000 for Turner. Tuck's bond was initially set at $20,000, but it was revoked Thursday during a court hearing. He was being held in the Harris County Jail. Turner was still waiting to make his initial court appearance.

Charles Hinton, Tuck's attorney, did not return a telephone call to The Associated Press on Thursday. It was not immediately known if Turner had an attorney.

(Copyright 2006 by The Associated Press. All rights reserved.)