Posted by: Noël Jones
Michael Buck of the Express-Times reports that a 54 year-old man, George Humbert, Jr., was found murdered in his apartment yesterday morning at 27 S. 6th Street in Easton's West Ward, just off of Northampton Street. According to another ET article, he was well-liked by his neighbors, who reacted with sadness to the news. The Easton Police Department is trying to establish Humbert's last known whereabouts and piece together a motive, and they ask that anyone with information about Humbert to call Lt. Scott Casterline at 610-250-6634 or Detective Christopher Miller at 610-250-6656. Police said callers may remain anonymous.
One thing I wish they had mentioned in the article is estimated time of death--that would help neighbors jog their memories as to whether or not they heard or observed anything out of the ordinary that morning or the night before, as the case may be. If anyone knows anything, please call the EPD so we can put the person responsible behind bars.
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10 comments:
What would be interesting would be a picture or physical description of any kind.
This is that institutional racism you sometimes go on about. We've become so sensitive to the subject that we won't even mention it.
From reading the article however, I think the motive is fairly clear. Though I wont speculate publicly as to what it is. Still, what a waste of space. The article says basically "Hey we found a dead guy" and absolutely nothing else.
This has gotten somewhat ridiculous don't you think.
Peace,
David
not sure what you mean by "institutional racism" here...
It used to be that when something bad happened, we actually told a story. Now particularly if it has to do with drugs and minorities, or crime and minorities, we just sort of skip over the physical description. I'm not saying this to be mean or hateful , it's just something that has been brought to my attention. I assume the victim was not white because if he were the paper would have said so. This is both racist and stupid and I think a bit offensive to all, both minority and majority.
Call it an institutional reverse racism if you prefer, but this story without any facts is pretty worthless. With no description, how do we get witnesses?
The story basically says something happened somewhere...
pointless and a bit overkill. And hey, I may be wrong in this, but it was pointed out to me as a trend, and with a bit of research I tend to see it as well.
Morning noel.
Peace,
David
Actually, the trend I've noticed (and have discussed before on this blog) is quite the opposite. Often when a suspect is a black male, his photo is posted in the paper with the article, less so when the perpetrator is white. This feeds the common misconception that criminals are usually black, which feeds racism.
The other trend that I have noticed in comments posted to the Express-Times on line, is that when there is a photo of a black suspect, or if the name of a suspect is a typically black male name, racists will come out of the woodwork, frothing at the mouth to talk about "scum" and "low-lifes" and "animals" but they are much quieter on the rare occasion that a photo of a white suspect is posted, or if the name of a suspect in an article that has no photo is not a typically black male name.
This is a totally different situation, where there is no photo and no details have been offered, in fact details are being requested of the public. I have a couple of problems with the article:
1. it asks the public for information but offers no helpful information itself--not even time or cause of death.
2. it mentions that in years past the victim was arrested for marijuana possession. This seems irrelevant and a way of suggesting that this is a drug-related crime. Without any other information from the reporters or the police, we have absolutely nothing to substantiate that. He was arrested in the past and paid his debt to society. It seems like an invasion of privacy and disrespect for the dead to bring this up. He seems to have been a 54 year-old man that was very well-liked by his neighbors.
It would be no less bizarre than if someone else was murdered, for the article to say, "she was arrested a few years ago for shoplifting" as if as if the woman couldn't have been murdered for any other reason, or randomly.
People are murdered for all kinds of reasons--robbery being a common one. Domestic violence being another. It may turn out that he was murdered over a drug deal gone bad, but so far we have no evidence to suppose that, and it was inappropriate, in my opinion, to mention past offenses without any other information.
Any projections of "institutional reverse racism"-which is actually an oxymoron--are projections at this point as there is no evidence to base them on, and like all projections they live in the mind of the projector, not in the realm of reality or reason-based thinking.
Here, again is the definition of racism:
rac·ism
[rey-siz-uhm] Show IPA
–noun
1.
a belief or doctrine that inherent differences among the various human races determine cultural or individual achievement, usually involving the idea that one's own race is superior and has the right to rule others.
2.
a policy, system of government, etc., based upon or fostering such a doctrine; discrimination.
3.
hatred or intolerance of another race or other races.
So, you see, if you try to apply "reverse" to any of these definitions, it does make sense. I think what you're referring to and are offended by is "Political Correctness". But in this case, even that objection is entirely speculation that you are projecting without evidence. Let's see what unfolds...
Noel:
The xenophobia (New Jersey scum! New York freaks!) and racist opinions (no need to post them here) that pop up in the comments section of both the Express Times and the Morning Call are truly frightening sometimes.
I *get* institutional/knee jerk reactions of a low key, but the mouth frothers in this general area are amazing.
UT--Agreed (on the xenophobes too)!
I think that three arrests and convictions (well, pleas) , basically one a year for the last three years, one as a "with intent to distribute"...with only probation assigned each time tells a tale.
As I said regarding the rest, the matter was brought to my attention and I find it fair. Then again you read the local papers far more than I and I may well be completely off track.
I'm pretty sure I get why this article was so vague, and I'll withhold further speculation.
But yes, some detail would have been a good idea. No detail leads to questions.
Peace,
David
I agree as to the xenophobia / xenocentrism , granted all areas have it too a degree, but it's pretty in your face around here.
i was talking to a local business owner just now, who said that he thinks that the police are giving no information because there are too many crazies out there that would try to say they saw something when they didn't...
There are Sub Cultures out ther that are foriegn to us..sometimes others exist withi other ones....I have seen some wierd shit...There are business owners who forget to contain themselves when they are on the sauce...I went out about 4 years ago and the behavior stuck out like a sore thumb to me because I have a bachelors in cognitive psychology...I would see things and the next day these people acted like it was no big deal.a normal nite out...I have never seen so many dysfunctional people...I my place what U see is what U get,but in other places it's not like that....I love U noel...Tunsie
an interesting comment, tunsie, but off-topic. this post is about a man that was murdered on 6th Street...and whether or not police and journalists should be asking for information without giving any.
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