By: Zach Maxwell
Staff Writer
The shooting death of East Central University senior and baseball player Christopher Lane has brought up a number of issues, which, briefly, captured the attention of the national media.
For those who missed it, Lane, 22, was shot once in the back on Aug. 16 in Duncan. Three teenagers have been charged in the incident, two with first degree murder and a third as an accessory to the crime.
Authorities in Stephens County – a little more than 100 miles west of Durant – have mentioned boredom as a motive in the shooting. Other media sources, including KXII television station, have mentioned more sinister motives such as a gang initiation. Talk show hosts even mentioned a racially based hate crime.
Lane was a native of Melbourne, Australia. He played baseball at Redlands College and transferred to ECU in the off-season. His girlfriend is from Duncan, and Lane was there in between a summer trip home and the upcoming school year.
He was out for his daily jog near the girl’s home on the north side of Duncan – described in a recent CNN report as the “well-to-do” side of town – when the boys drove up one afternoon and apparently picked him at random as their target.
This incident brings up so many issues; one scarcely knows where to begin. First, the facts show a tragedy of immense proportions leading to heartbreak for families on two continents. So let’s start there.
We’re all family
Southeastern Athletics immediately sent out a Facebook post offering sympathy for the loss of Lane upon news of the tragedy. The website for our parent conference (www.greatamericanconference.com) also has a page up in memory of Lane, linking to bank accounts established to help the family with expenses to get him back to Australia.
When it comes to situations like this, I think we can all set aside our rivalries, say a prayer, and be “one” for a moment. In this case, we’re all Tigers, and we stand by our friends at East Central.
The race card
Many a conservative talk show host has wondered, “Where’s the outrage?” in this case, comparing it to the racially charged Trayvon Martin shooting. Here in Oklahoma, this brings up an unfortunate coincidence, which bears mentioning.
Back in April, five Southeastern students admittedly pulled a prank at some off-campus apartments, reportedly pretending to be home invasion-style robbers. They went to several friends’ homes, knocked on doors and took cell phones from residents who were reportedly unaware – until later – that it was their friends pulling off an “April Fool’s Day” stunt.
The students, all Southeastern football players, were suspended from the team and the school. They now face a pile of criminal charges, including a felony conspiracy charge. A preliminary hearing is set for October. All the suspended students are suing Southeastern, alleging denial of due process on the suspensions.
Here’s the rub
All five students are black. The NAACP protested the May commencement ceremony at Southeastern on their behalf, and representatives of Rev. Al Sharpton (two black pastors from Chicago) came to Durant in July to advocate on behalf of the “Durant Five.”
But there has been no mention of the Duncan case from Sharpton’s office – a sticking point for conservative talk radio. Why, they wonder, has he not denounced the poverty and thug mentality which led these youths to take up arms against an innocent (caucasian) Australian? One of the boys reportedly tweeted anti-white statements – and later participated in the murder of one. Yet, no anger from the same people seeking a second chance for those accused in Durant.
Tried as adults
Speaking of second chances, the three boys accused in the Duncan shooting likely won’t get one. If proven guilty, few would say they deserve it.
Still, this quirk in our criminal justice system needs to be fixed. The juvenile justice code holds that most young offenders under age 18 can only be held until age 21 for all but a few crimes. For the “big ones” such as murder, prosecutors can simply ask a judge to recognize the youths as adults, thus waving a magic wand and declaring young people eligible for harsher punishments.
I don’t have a problem with the harsher punishments; it’s the arbitrary declaration of adulthood which bothers me. It’s unfair to mature youths who don’t get the same treatment in positive situations. A 16-year-old who is advanced enough in maturity should be allowed to marry, vote, serve in the armed forces, and so on, under this prosecutorial line of thinking.
The code needs to be changed, allowing for young offenders such as the teens in Duncan to face life sentences for heinous crimes. Our society should admit that we don’t collectively mind putting children in jail if they kill; simply “declaring” them adults doesn’t make them so.
Gun control
I hate guns, and I want them all gone, but that is impractical. Just examining this case, however, neither side (victim or the accused) presents any better case for gun control. No amount of weaponry – concealed or open carry – would have saved Lane from this horrible fate.
And one of the two weapons found in possession of this group of teens is said to have had its serial number shaved off the weapon. It’s doubtful (but as yet proven, as far as we know) that the boys obtained the pistol used in the shooting legally. This is actually a direct example of how current gun control measures (say, keeping pistols from unsupervised youths) has failed.
The bottom line
It’s apparent that some in our society are determined to become gun-waving, violence-worshipping mimickers of popular culture. This is regardless of race; some wish to “knock out woods,” (slang for white people) as one of the Duncan youths tweeted, and others insist on defending their lives, property, and those around them with violent force. Either way, our country is armed for battle, but we’re still pointing those weapons at each other.
a judge to recognize the youths as adults, thus waving a magic wand and declaring young people eligible for harsher punishments.
I don’t have a problem with the harsher punishments; it’s the arbitrary declaration of adulthood which bothers me. It’s unfair to mature youths who don’t get the same treatment in positive situations.
A 16-year-old who is advanced enough in maturity should be allowed to marry, vote, serve in the armed forces and so on, under this prosecutorial line of thinking.
The code needs to be changed, allowing for young offenders such as the teens in Duncan to face life sentences for heinous crimes.
Our society should admit that we don’t collectively mind putting children in jail if they kill; simply “declaring” them adults doesn’t make them so.
Gun control
I hate guns, and I want them all gone, but that is impractical. Just examining this case, however, neither side (victim or the accused) presents any better case for gun control. No amount of weaponry – concealed or open carry – would have saved Lane from this horrible fate.
And one of the two weapons found in possession of this group of teens is said to have had its serial number shaved off the weapon. It’s doubtful (but as yet proven, as far as we know) that the boys obtained the pistol used in the shooting legally.
This is actually a direct example of how current gun control measures (say, keeping pistols from unsupervised youths) has failed.
The bottom line
It’s apparent that some in our society are determined to become gun-waving, violence-worshipping mimickers of popular culture. This is regardless of race; some wish to “knock out woods,” (slang for white people) as one of the Duncan youths tweeted, and others insist on defending their lives, property and those around them with violent force.
Either way, our country is armed for battle, but we’re still pointing those weapons at each other.