Delbert Belton Died For Your Sins

The Battle of Okinawa. Nearly three months in duration with over 12,000 Allied Servicemen killed and an estimated quarter of a million Japanese military and civilian casualties.

Of the survivors, one was Delbert Belton, who went home to Washington to work and raise a family. Even after the loss of his beloved wife, Delbert attempted to live out his golden years in happiness. His days were contended until the evening of August 21^st, when he was murdered by two boys who chose not to work, live good lives and honestly earn a living.

They chose robbery and murder instead.

I ask you; where is the outrage?

I know our ummm “Leader” in the White House has a lot on his plate, but why has he nor any other politician made even a peep regarding the brutal attack on a man who risked his very life for the freedoms we enjoy?

You can bet that had a gun been involved, every media outlet would be trumpeting this story. But no, the top stories are Ben Affleck playing Batman and Kanye’s baby. Are we really that jaded, are we really that complacent, are we really such soulless media sheep that celebrities now hold precedence over a man whose sacrifices have ensured that German or Japanese are not the global languages?

I really don’t know what is more disgusting; the fact that two teenagers saw fit to bludgeon an 88 year old man to death, or the fact that Delbert Belton’s death was perpetrated by a seriously flawed system just as much as it was by two cowardly thugs.

One suspect is in custody, the other is still on the loose. This second suspect was convicted of assault in June.

Convicted.
Of assault.
Two months ago…

And he was walking free. Free to murder someone’s father. Free to murder someone’s friend. Free to murder a man who we ALL owe a debt of gratitude to.

In Washington state, 4^th degree assault carries a sentence of one year. But for some reason, the person found GUILTY of assault was allowed to murder. Simple as that.  That court system, much like the nation itself, flat out REFUSES to hold people accountable. They blame gun companies, they blame drugs, they blame upbringing, they blame environment; they blame anything and everything except for the monster who committed the crime.

I must ask, why were these animals not locked up?

I have another question; why is the Murder of Delbert Belton not called a hate crime? Oh wait, it’s only a hate crime if the victim is “of race/minority”. Makes sense, since as far as the media tells it, only white people are capable of being racist. You can see it in the comments, you can see it in the posts. People are afraid to mention the color of the attackers. Why?

The Race Card, of course. I for one, choose to call a Spade a Spade. (No pun intended. Or is it?!) They call Our Nation the Great Melting Pot and my hometown of San Diego is a microcosm of that. Cultures from around the world are represented here, you could figuratively travel the world in one day. Yet, when it comes to cowardly thugs, they come from all races and backgrounds. Poor, middle class, rich, it doesn’t matter. The “I gots to get mines” attitude isn’t just a thing of the inner cities either; it spans the Nation and infects nearly every realm of media; music, tv, movies and even video games.

So you see, race isn’t the problem; although many like to think it is. I wouldn’t be surprised to have someone accuse me of racism for some of what I have shared here. And I’ll probably be accused of pulling the race card by stating the FACT that had it been an elderly black man beaten by two non-black teenagers, Obama would’ve held a press conference by now. I say that because I truly believe it.

Through all of this; writing, thinking, raging, I keep thinking back to Mr. Belton and a great sadness comes over me. What were his final words? What did his attackers say to him? 88 years old and beaten to death. There are no circumstances of hate crime or even elderly abuse charges being spoken of at this time.

Why?

If I find the answer, I’ll be sure and share it with you.

This once great nation is slowly but surely destroying itself from the inside out. Is there one cure-all? Probably not. Is it reversible? My God, I hope so. I can’t imagine how things will be when my children are adults if we stay on this self-destructive path. I do have one suggestion.

Accountability. Be accountable for your words andactions and hold others accountable for theirs. Might not change things overnight, but it’s a start.

I know in my heart that there are a few million or so of you out there who still view the world as Martin Luther King did. His message and legacy still resonates with good, caring souls of every race and every color. Just please don’t view the world as idiots like Al Sharpton or his white equivalent Tom Metzger do. Speaking of Dr King, I think he’d have a hell of a time these days. He sought to judge men solely by the content of their character. It’s just too damn bad that there’s way too many out there with no character at all.

Rest in Peace, Mr. Belton. May your horrific last moments here on Earth be forgotten in your Eternal Home.

In seeing as how the public at large always looks for excuses rather than seeking accountability, seeing as how our nation is just about as divided as it was during Lincoln’s presidency, and now seeing how the youth of our nation treats WWII veterans I am forced to ask myself one final question:

I wonder if Australia has any vacancies…