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The wrong explanation for Clayton's tragedy

Once again, some see race as the reason

239 comments

The wrong explanation for Clayton's tragedy

POSTED: Wednesday, October 24, 2012, 8:19 AM

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As if the killing of Autumn Pasquale isn't horrible enough, some anonymous postings on this and other news sites insist that race is the reason for the 12-year-old Clayton, NJ girl's death.

Autumn was white. The two suspects are black. And for some people, this explains why she was strangled.

It's as foolish to judge public opinion by reading comments on websites as it is to judge people by race. So I won't go there.

I will say that in small-town Clayton on Tuesday, I saw blacks and whites united in their grief about the death of a fellow human being. This truth speaks more eloquently than handfuls of hateful words ever could.

Kevin Riordan @ 8:19 AM Permalink | 239 comments

239 comments

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Comments (247)

0 like this / 0 don't • Posted 4:46 PM, 10/24/2012

ugh!!! this is for you.. http://www.quickmeme.com/meme/366d67/

— selophane43

0 like this / 0 don't • Posted 9:17 AM, 10/24/2012

When the victim is white it's never about race. If it was two white teenagers and a black girl, Reverend Al would be on the next plane. Racism plain and simple. This stuff keeps up and you'll see the KKK come back.

— neddyflanders

0 like this / 0 don't • Posted 2:34 PM, 10/24/2012

You seriously are smoking some bad weed. I suggest you start buying it from someone else.

— Typical Huntingdon Valley Slumlord

0 like this / 0 don't • Posted 5:02 PM, 10/24/2012

What tune would people be singing if it were two white boys and a black girl as the victim? I don't think it's a hate crime though. But if the situation were reversed, al and Jesse probably would be up here demanding justice. Remember the duke lacrosse case? When it's reversed, it is always racism and usually wrong. This girl was a sad victim of a terrible crime and not because of race. Due to nice bike parts. There are some valid points that people are making but just like when it is reversed, mostly inaccurate. Just a sad reality of the country we live in.

— gillo79

0 like this / 0 don't • Posted 9:22 AM, 10/24/2012

Killers come in all shapes ,sizes and races these were 2 thugs that took an inocent life, if there were complaints about these two stealing bikes then why didn't the police follow up on this before this happened.

— angrywhtguy

0 like this / 0 don't • Posted 9:25 AM, 10/24/2012

Why isn't this a hate crime? Reverse the situation and you could bet your house the ink would be all over this as such.

— STEPHEN1988

0 like this / 0 don't • Posted 9:33 AM, 10/24/2012

This comment has been deleted.

— Tony Stark

0 like this / 0 don't • Posted 9:56 AM, 10/24/2012

These two hated the fact that she had something they didn't. HAte crime

— 835union

0 like this / 0 don't • Posted 9:29 AM, 10/24/2012

Vlad, you can speak about what 'the black community' has to do? What about your community? All the examples you pointed out have a key component that you somehow have overlooked. I grow tired of uninformed posters blaming the actions of certain issues on a whole race. I am surprised you and other ignorant posters have been baited by this article. I won't be surprised if it reaches over 300 comments.

This was an immense tragedy that should have not happened. neddyflanders, read your history books.

— EP_Represent

0 like this / 0 don't • Posted 9:31 AM, 10/24/2012

This comment has been deleted.

— Tony Stark

0 like this / 0 don't • Posted 7:44 PM, 10/24/2012

Do you honestly expect us to believe that the police, when given an opportunity to get some blacks, did nothing? Nope, not buying it, but just on the off-chance that you're telling the truth, maybe the police didn't do anything because all they really had to go on was your word.

— wb2nd

0 like this / 0 don't • Posted 9:39 AM, 10/24/2012

There was no need to write this story. It is never a racial issue when it is white on black, let it have been the other way around and they would be coming out of the woodwork!

— waltv

0 like this / 0 don't • Posted 9:56 AM, 10/24/2012

Just like Trayvon was a racially motivated killing. You know, a guy trying to protect his neighborhood, who sees a thug, who happens to be black........asks what he is doing and a fight ensues. there was no racial motivation at all, but because he was black, well, well. See, the white media doesn't get it or they don't want to get it. Another question, why did they need to kill that innocent girl at all?!?!?!

— dontlikedems

0 like this / 0 don't • Posted 9:39 AM, 10/24/2012

Kevin - I understand where you are coming from, but if the victim was black and the suspects were white..... Al Sharpton and Jesse would be in Clayton right now demanding that the suspects be tried as adults !!!

— AJL99

0 like this / 0 don't • Posted 9:40 AM, 10/24/2012

And neither did the Trayvon's case, however because of the BIG WHITE ELEPHANT in the room called , 'double standard" you media hounds would be all over this as a hate crime if two white boys killed a young black girl. Get real.

— B-Dub