8 Year Old Victim

I sometimes cut and paste stories, including the comments, from NOLA.com when I am particularly disgusted or disturbed by the comments, to preserve my horror.

In 2009, there was a story that appeared on NOLA.com about an eight year old who was shot, along with two others, in New Orleans:

An 8-year-old boy and two other males were shot Tuesday night in West Carrollton, police said.
The shooting occurred shortly before 9 p.m. in the 1700 block of Monroe Street, near Green Street, New Orleans Police Officer Garry Flot said.
The 8-year-old was shot in the arm and had a graze wound to the knee. One of the other people shot was hit in the foot and the other was shot in the thigh, Flot said. Information about their ages was not available immediately.

After the story went up, the following comment appeared:

Posted by gonzap1 on 03/17/09 at 10:46PM

no need for cameras..just let them kill each other.

I was horrified at the suggestion that we should "just let them," including an eight year old, "kill each other," and notified NOLA.com, using their "Inappropriate? Alert us." link but the comment remained up for some time, at least through the night. (I do not recall it being removed at all but it is no longer there.)

But looking back at the comments now, almost two years ago, there are a number still up that are just as bad:

comradeobama (posted March 18, 2009 at 12:23AM)

Same old story
Same type people
Same outcome
Oh Well

jarrodw4031 (posted March 18, 2009 at 8:27AM)

We need white leadership and black flight.

ellno (posted March 18, 2009 at 9:10AM)

newtonawlins,
Kudos on the mentoring. That's a noble thing to do.
The sad part is that while you're mentoring, the black population of New Orleans is using its political advantage to prevent any meaningful solutions to the problem. Their only answer is more money, but their track record proves that money in the hands of pandering democratic politicians is a tool for evil rather than good.

And others focus the blame on the victims and their families:

trulyamazing (posted March 18, 2009 at 8:11AM)

First of all, an 8 year old has no business playing outside at 9pm no matter what type of neighborhood you live in. An 8 year old should be bathe, fed, and in bed asleep at that time. I'm pretty sure the parent/parents are aware that they don't live in Mayberry, but STILL, they allow the child to play at that time of night. Charge the breeders with NEGLECT and make them go to WORK to pay the hospital bill. I'm almost certain they are unemployed, otherwise, the child would be inside preparing for the next day with them. I sure as heck don't want to pay for their inadequate parenting.