This has made the 2nd time Karmelo had a knife on him and had been banned from school events. He was asked to leave a tent that he had no business being at and refused to do so. He is not a victim but a thug. His parents can visit him and with good behavior he will get out, Austin's parents will have to visit their son at a cemetery. I have no sympathies fir anyone who takes another one's life.
First of all, let’s be perfectly clear; I never once stated Karmelo Anthony wasn’t guilty. Further, I never once condoned his actions. I merely attempted to shed light on the possible state of mind of the suspect at the time the incident occurred.
Ok so Anthony was known to have possessed a knife or a weapon. He had previously been caught with a weapon. That doesn’t make him a murderer. He claimed he was acting in self defense because Austin Metcalf had “put his hands on him”. In my opinion, that is an act of provocation. If someone deliberately puts their hands on me in a threatening manner, you can bet I’m gonna do whatever I can to defend myself. Now, it’s not in my nature to pull a weapon and do bodily harm. First and foremost, I’m not a fan of blood. It tends to make me feel weak in the knees.
As far as the parents not being able to ever visit with their child again. Unfortunately, I know all too well how that feels. The circumstances are different but the outcome is the same.
I am not judge or jury. While this may not be a black/white issue, in reality, it is. Every single time there’s a situation that involves blacks/whites, it will become a racial issue. We may never be able to abolish that mindset.
I hate to see or hear about a young man losing his life. In addition, I hate to see a young man spend 35 years in prison. Prison will strip him of any decency he may have possessed.
There’s simply no good outcome for this crime.
I don’t deny you, your right to an opinion. I don’t persecute you for having an opinion. I fail to see Karmelo Anthony as a “punk”. I see him as a frightened young man realizing he acted in a rash and terrifying manner. He can’t undo what he’s done. No amount of prison time will replace the life he stole. 35 years or 100 years in prison will not rehabilitate Karmelo Anthony. His life is ruined and he’ll never get it back.