Chapel Hill Murder (What the ????)

Submitted by Fred Black on March 6, 2008 - 1:03pm
The media is reporting that Eve Carson, the UNC Chapel Hill student body president, was identified Thursday as the woman who was fatally shot in a neighborhood near campus early Tuesday morning.

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Lots of Work to be Done

Submitted by Fred Black on March 15, 2008 - 4:36pm

Agree with your main points, Dave.  I've been working elsewhere in the state the last few days and it's very interesting to hear the comments folks make in other parts of our state.  There's a lot of anger to be sure, but there is also compassion for the entire situation being expressed. 

One women reminded me that we have to do more, and start doing it earlier, if we are going to have an impact on some of our young, and especially those who are not in conducive living situations.  Her comments reminded me of the quote from the Great Frederick Douglass:

"It is easier to build strong children, than to repair broken men."

 Frederick Douglass (1817? - 1895)

Ya know what's funny, Fred?

Submitted by beckiemoriello on March 16, 2008 - 8:28am

Ya know what's funny, Fred? This is the same point I was trying to make the other day, but apparently I failed. I was trying to say that we need to fix our communities so that people don't feel the need to kill each other.

Oh well, this isn't the first time I've been misunderstood. (Ehem, to prevent another misunderstanding, I'm not blaming you for the misunderstanding. Oh boy, I need to get off of here.)

Fred Phelps Group to Protest at Eve Carlson Memorial On UNC

Submitted by OscarKatz on March 17, 2008 - 6:06pm

Not content in the quest of destroying the lives of families who have lost their children to AIDS or causing anguish to the parents and families of fallen soldiers, the "God Hates Fags" Church (sic) is coming to town to protest at the Eve Carlson Memorial and they will do it on the UNC campus while the memorial is being held. The question for the students of UNC and the citizens of Chapel Hill and Orange County is this: are you going to do what veterans have begun doing when Fred and his crew show up by surrounding them in a cloister like fashion with motorcycles and humans shielding the grieving families from these scumbags or are you simply going to sit around and do nothing?

 


From the Westboro "Church" Homepage:

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill's Smith Center 300 Skipper Bowles Drive This is for the memorial service for Eve Carson. Although her death was reportedly described as "a random crime," we know that this is nothing less than the Wrath of God upon the children of Disobediance. You have taught your children to cater to every lust and false religous system and to reject the Word of God. It does not matter that she was the student body president of the University of North Carolina. What matters here is that God did not slay YOU today and you have an opportunity to repent of your crimes against God. However, this is nothing less than the Quarrel of the Covenant. Like Esau, you have sold your birthright, america, and chosen to live as a whore. You have been cast out with no blessings, and now you are irreversibly headed for Hell. Now, "Go and cry unto the gods which ye have chosen; let them deliver you in the time of your tribulation." (Judges 10:14) "I spake unto thee in thy prosperity; but thou saidst, I will not hear. This hath been thy manner from thy youth, that thou obeyedst not my voice. The wind shall eat up all thy pastors, and thy lovers shall go into captivity: surely then shalt thou be ashamed and confounded for all thy wickedness." (Jeremiah 22:21-22) America is Doomed. Amen.

[This comment was edited at 8:05pm 3/17/08 to remove mean and unproductive words which were in violation of the OP guidelines. =RS]

The problem is that

Submitted by Ruby Sinreich on March 17, 2008 - 8:04pm

The problem is that counter-demonstrating gives Phelps just the attention he so craves. (Kind of like trolls on the Internet.) I wonder whether it would be more effective to ignore him.

Legal Action

Submitted by Fred Black on March 17, 2008 - 9:21pm

 Fred Phelps was permanently disbarred from practicing law in the state of Kansas way back in 1979, but that hasn't slowed him down one bit.  This despicable man does what he does, and more need to stand up to his special brand of hate.

After Fred Phelps’ Westboro Baptist Church members demonstrated at the funeral of Lance Corporal Matthew Snyder his father was justifiably upset. But Albert Snyder didn’t just get mad - he got even:

A grieving father won a nearly $11 million verdict Wednesday against a fundamentalist Kansas church that pickets military funerals in the belief that the war in Iraq is a punishment for the nation’s tolerance of homosexuality. Albert Snyder of York, Pennsylvania., sued the Westboro Baptist Church for unspecified damages after members demonstrated at the March 2006 funeral of his son, Lance Cpl. Matthew Snyder, who was killed in Iraq.

The jury first awarded $2.9 million in compensatory damages. It returned later in the afternoon with its decision to award $6 million in punitive damages for invasion of privacy and $2 million for causing emotional distress. U.S. District Judge Richard Bennett noted the size of the award for compensating damages “far exceeds the net worth of the defendants,” according to financial statements filed with the court.

The Appeal:

Maryland District Court Judge Richard D. Bennett rejected the post-trial motions of the Rev. Fred Phelps, two of his daughters and his Kansas-based Westboro Baptist Church on Monday but did cut the federal jury award to the father of U.S. Marine Lance Cpl. Matthew Snyder from $10.9 million to $5 million.

In his 55-page opinion and order, Bennett affirmed the jury's verdicts against Phelps, the church, Shirley Phelps-Roper and Rebekah Phelps-Davis for invasion of privacy and intent to inflict emotional distress. In October, the jury awarded Albert Snyder, a Spring Garden Township resident, $2.9 million in compensatory damages and $8 million in punitive damages for the church members' actions at his son's funeral in Westminster, Md., in 2006.

On Monday, Bennett ordered the compensatory damages to stand while reducing the punitive damages to $2.1 million. Bennett explained his decision partially resulted from the defendants' ability to pay the lesser amount.

How Fred?

Submitted by Terri Buckner on March 17, 2008 - 9:30pm

"more need to stand up to his special brand of hate."

What do you suggest?

If

Submitted by Fred Black on March 17, 2008 - 9:56pm

he violates the law and what UNC specifies about the limits of his protest, he should be arrested and prosecuted.

Truly Inspiring!

Submitted by Fred Black on March 18, 2008 - 9:03pm

I wasn't sure what the "Celebration of the Life of Eve Carson" would be like this afternoon, but it was nothing short of an amazing experience.  The over ten thousand in the Dean Dome, most in Carolina Blue, heard a lot about this amazing woman.  UNC leaders, student government leaders, roommates, and a former boyfriend, all paid tribute to her in very special ways.

The rendition of "Amazing Grace" by the UNC Gospel Choir, and "Hark the Sound" by the UNC Band both added a lot to the celebration.  As we walked back across campus with some students, comments like "I'm glad I came," and "that was really special" were expressed in various ways.  One comment really struck a chord: "I'm glad they shared their memories of her, flaws and all. I really feel like I know her now!"  How true.

Thanks, UNC, that was truly inspiring!

Praise and Another Reward

Submitted by Fred Black on March 19, 2008 - 12:01pm

ABC-11(WTVD) is reporting that Governor Mike Easley is offering $10,000 for information leading to more arrests in the Eve Carson murder. Accessories after the fact?

In a proclamation released Wednesday morning, the Governor acknowledged the "intensive investigation" conducted by Chapel Hill Police Department, the Durham Police Department, the SBI and the FBI. A week after Carson's murder, Demario Atwater, 21, and Laurence Lovette, 17 were arrested and charged with first-degree murder.

Lovette has since been charged with the shooting death of Duke University grad student 29-year-old Abhijit Mahato.

Easley said, "The Governor's Reward would be beneficial in developing new leads that would help bring anyone else associated with the crime to justice."

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