Letter: Why was there an attack only four blocks from a 'safe' campus?
Saturday, October 11th, 2008
Last Saturday evening, our son and his cousin, both KU students, were attacked and viciously beaten by four thugs in the 900 block of Ohio Street around 10 p.m.
This was a heinous, savage, brutal attack, which should actually be categorized as attempted murder, as our son was knocked unconscious, and then kicked repeatedly in the head and face while lying limp and unconscious. How is it that even the most hateful savage attacker does not stop stomping on the head of his limp and possibly lifeless victim’s head in this situation? Fortunately, a good Samaritan happened onto the brutal scene and had the fortitude to scream at the four attackers, who then ceased their bludgeoning bloodfest while he still had a pulse. She may have saved his life, and we would love for her to come forward so that we might express our deep gratitude for her compassion and bravery.
She and his cousin were able to hoist him into her car and transport him to the emergency room at Lawrence Memorial Hospital, where the fine and capable E.R. team treated him for a bilaterally fractured jaw, which was displaced, and multiple facial lacerations and contusions. We brought him home to New Mexico as soon as he was stable, and he has had two titanium plates surgically placed on the jaw fractures. His upper and lower teeth are wired together for the next eight weeks. He lies here at home, suffering silently and sedated, staring at the ceiling above his bed, while his attackers roam free and likely proud of their latest “feat." This all because of an unprovoked, apparent hate crime, a mere four blocks from campus. We say "hate crime" because there was no altercation or intent to rob — only to brutalize.
Obviously, this sort of thing should not happen anywhere, but it should most certainly not be happening four blocks away from the “safe” and beloved KU campus, to innocent kids who have come there to enjoy four quality years of their lives, as they attain their degrees.
The good citizens of Lawrence and parents of innocent students deserve to know what goes on, and they deserve more and better protection for their children.
— Steve and Lynn Gibbs are parents of a KU student and live in Santa Fe, N.M.
Discussion
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Thank you to The Gibbs for making us all aware of this incident. Unfortunately, there are too few ways for students to find out about these attacks. Just last weekend my female friend was attacked by two men on Mass Street. They were interested in sex, but because she made it clear that she was not, they attacked her punching her repeatedly in the face. When they finally got her down, they drug her by her hair until she managed to fight back and get away. Bystanders did NOT intervene. This summer gay friends of mine were attacked again by strangers on Mass Street and are in the process of dealing with the legal process. Also many of you might have heard about the male bartender who was attacked when leaving work during the basketball championship last Spring. And who knows what else has happened that we haven't heard about! Lawrence, this has GOT TO STOP. We all need to take responsibility and watch out for each other. We need to stop depending on just the police to protect us. We need to take care of each other. To those of you who are perpetrating these crimes, get the hell out of my town.
Awareness, avoidance and de-escalation are important elements to any self defense. I'm not interested in "blaming the victims" but I am very curious as to the events leading up to the conflict.
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