Homeless Man Set on Fire in Boston Park

[tonioseven]

By ANDREW RYAN, Associated Press Writer
Sun Mar 5, 3:55 PM ET

BOSTON - A homeless man sleeping in a park was attacked early Sunday by two men who kicked him in the stomach and then set him on fire, police said.

No arrests were made and police gave no indication of what might have provoked the attack.

The 30-year-old homeless man, whose name was not released, told police he was awakened by the men kicking him in Langone Park in the city's North End.

He drifted back to sleep after the assault, but the men returned, drenched him with a flammable liquid and set his legs on fire, police said.

A 911 caller reported flames in the park, and firefighters found the man wrapped in a blanket after he had ripped off some of his burning clothes.

"He was shivering and was partially dressed," said police spokesman John Boyle.

The park is a short walk from a cluster of downtown bars.

The victim was treated at Massachusetts General Hospital for burns to his legs.

Nationally, the number of assaults against the homeless has risen dramatically since 2002, according to a recent report by the National Coalition for the Homeless. In 2005, 73 homeless people were assaulted nationwide and 13 died, the report said.

Last August, a 40-year-old homeless man died in Boston after he was beaten. Two teenagers have been charged with manslaughter.

In Fort Lauderdale, Fla., a surveillance camera captured two people beating a homeless man to death with baseball bats, the same night two other men were seriously injured. Three teenagers have pleaded not guilty to charges of murder and attempted murder.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20060305/...omeless_attack

We live in a pathetic, cruel, and insensitive world.

[LA-CUSTOMS]

thats really f**kin' low !! how can people be so stupid..... over here a man got set on fire at a bus station while waiting for a bus in london while someone filmed it on there phone !!! makes me sick !

[Quickshift]

thats some fucked up shit

[FlippiN.af]

Way too messed up.

[mike1224]

its embarrassing....... I don't know how else to put it. I don't see how people can think that something, so stupid, hurtful, reckless can be done because they have nothing else to do! Is it that its funny to see people in pain? Does it make you feel better making someone suffer? WTF? how about we do the same shit to you that you're doing to other people! Lets take away all of your posessions, house, money and leave you on the streets. And to top is off, we'll attack you just because you are there. Attacking someone when they aren't expecting it, and aren't able to defend themselves is LOW. But you got some laughs out of it, so it's OK to do, right? In a nutshell, I hope the same things happen to you, as you have done to others.

[2.2 Straight six]

that's fucked up. how could they let the two boys off with manslaughter. they went with the intention of hurting someone and they killed him, they should recieve the death penalty.

[FlippiN.af]

Originally Posted by 2.2 Straight six

that's fucked up. how could they let the two boys off with manslaughter. they went with the intention of hurting someone and they killed him, they should recieve the death penalty.

The thing about it too, is those boys thought they were probably having fun..

[Rally Sport]

Wow thats really sad..

[TexasF355F1]

Originally Posted by 2.2 Straight six

that's fucked up. how could they let the two boys off with manslaughter. they went with the intention of hurting someone and they killed him, they should recieve the death penalty.

I know. It's ridiculous.

Originally Posted by FlippiN.af

The thing about it too, is those boys thought they were probably having fun..

They were and it's utterly sickening.

I'm completely appauled by the world today. Political correctness is allowing it to not be the fault of the guilty. It's always medicine they weren't on, tv, video games, movies, so on and so on. These people need to be forced to take precedent of their actions and be hung from their testicles in public and beat to death.

[sv650s]

Originally Posted by TexasF355F1

I know. It's ridiculous.
It's always medicine they weren't on, tv, video games, movies, so on and so on. These people need to be forced to take precedent of their actions and be hung from their testicles in public and beat to death.

True, people can't get it through their thick heads that their kids are fuckin crazy so they take the easy road and blame it on violent videogames and tv, even if that's true isn't it stupid to copy that shit? it's just sad

[D[X]P]

this is getting fucking rediculous..those fuckers should be burned to death

[BleedDodge]

Originally Posted by D[X]P

this is getting fucking rediculous..those fuckers should be burned to death

That's what they were trying to do.

Why do you think they set the bum on fire?

[2.2 Straight six]

you know, i really don't understand this at all. where the hell do these people get the idea that setting poor, defenceless human beings on fire is fun?

i mean seriously, do they honestly thinnk that thiskind of activity is fun? do they think it's cool to do that?

im sure there'll be people to point the finger and say that recent video games are to blame, but i dont agree with that at all. it was the person as an individual who decided to do this, i odnt believe that a video game scan have so much influential power to make someone do this kind of thing. there are always scientist/psychiartrist/whatever-the-hell-you-want-to-call-them that'll say "well, with the kind of videogames these days some people are finding difficulty in differenciating between what's a game and what's reality."

that's bullshit, i think the only people who are like that are ones with severe mental disabilities, who are most likely in some sort of care home, or under 24-hour supervision/care.

this kind of thing is disgusting, i've seen it so many times too, with the happy-slapping epidemic and other pointless violence for "fun". i don't understnad what kind of indoctrination could posibly make people do these tings.

but if they're caught i sure as hell hope they die for it. an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth. they take a life, they should have theirs taken away. i know someone will say "an eye for an eye makes the whole world blind" but these people deserve it.

[end of rant...]

[LA-CUSTOMS]

Originally Posted by FlippiN.af

The thing about it too, is those boys thought they were probably having fun..

thats defently the worst thing ...... they may have thought they were doing him a favour because hes homeless but he may have liked his life and the justice system is shit for letting them off, to be honest if the courts dont get them the public will with crowbars some petrol and lighters

[Nicole8188]

Last year in May, 5 teenagers were arrested for killing a homeless man about an hour from my house in Holly Hill, FL.

I just went to find the article about it online...

"Three local teenagers have been charged with his killing, and one of the suspects told authorities they did it just for fun."

They beat him to death with a baseball bat. For fun. There are some serious mental problems there. I would say that children like this are going to grow up to be psychopaths, but I don't think it's necessary...

"'No, we are the enemies of the homeless,' Ray said. 'We who pull our children aside. We who cross to the other side of the street. We who yell, 'Get a job.' We have found the enemy, and he is us. We are guilty by our inaction to humanize their souls, which are made in the image of God.'"

That was some guy talking at the homeless man's makeshift funeral in a soup kitchen.

I know a lot of people walk the other way when they see homeless people, but walking away and killing them for fun are 2 completely different things. I don't think the teenage boys who admitted to killing him for fun were thinking about justifying it with society's inhumane treatment of the homeless...