Will Holder Prosecute as a Hate Crime?

In the early morning hours of November 15, Christopher Kernich and two fellow students at Kent State, Ohio, were walking down the street when three men in a car nearly hit the group of students. One student allegedly yelled at the men to "watch what you're doing." The men then pulled into a nearby driveway, got out, and assaulted the students. Kernich was beaten so severely that he never regained consciousness. He died Saturday.

Christopher, 23, was a star athlete and a business management major at Kent State. Involved in football, basketball, and baseball, he was a handsome young man who will never get to fulfill his dreams because of three thugs. It's always sad to hear of such a young life being taken under any circumstances, let alone because these "men" were told to be more careful when driving.

Kernich's mother, an employee for a contractor working at the U.S. Embassy in Iraq, flew home to be at her son's side as soon as she heard. From experience, I can tell you that this is every mother's worse nightmare.

Ronald G. Kelly (photo right), 20, and Adrian A. Barker (photo left), 21, both of Akron, have been charged with felonious assault and could face even more charges in light of Kernich's death. A third suspect remains at large. Kelly and Barker should be facing federal hate crime charges. Why? Because this heinous act was perpetrated by three black men who beat three whites, killing one.

According to John Peach, chief of police at Kent State, racial comments were not the cause of the beating.

"The windows had tinted glass," he said. "They didn't know what race was inside the suspects' car. Some of these rumors that are taking place are ridiculous."

Some Web sites and blogs have suggested, in explicit language, that Kernich was at fault in the beating.

"Nobody could have predicted how these suspects acted and why," Peach said. "It's inexplicable."

If the roles had been reversed and a black student was killed by three whites, it would be front and center in the media. Eric Holder and BHO would have the killers convicted in the press. But all reports I've read on the incident give no indication of the race of the killers. Is it because they're black? Murder is murder regardless of skin color. Black or white, these scumbags deserve to never see the light of day again.

Since the recent hate crimes legislation was passed, Holder needs to wield the power he has to throw the book at these guys. Of course, my gut tells me he won't. He refuses to sentence the members of the New Black Panther Party who were convicted on charges of voter intimidation for their menacing presence at a Philadelphia voting center during the last presidential election, so I have my doubts as to whether he'll charge Kelly and Barker with a federal hate crime.

BHO and Holder wanted hate crime legislation expanded, so let's see how willing they are to apply it equally under the law. Maybe they're just waiting for a white on black killing or too busy reading blogs to determine which of us is guilty of a hate crime.

Anyone who may have information on the third person involved in the killing of Christopher Kernich is asked to contact the Kent State University Police Department at (330) 673.7732.