Tuesday, October 07, 2008

Gay Brazilian priest found strangled in Brooklyn, Daily News online readers leave offensive comments

Ever since I read about it this morning, I've been deeply disturbed by a story from the New York Daily News ("Slain priest Jose Ricardo Ferreira de Souza killed helping others?").

From the article:


Struggling to understand his violent death, friends of a Brazilian priest found strangled on the Brooklyn shore said Monday he may have been a victim of his own kindness. Jose Ricardo Ferreira de Souza, 31, whose body was discovered on Brighton Beach on Wednesday, helped fellow Brazilians with immigration paperwork and aided homeless people...

Witnesses saw two or three men beating a man who fit de Souza's description and pull him down to the water's edge about 1 a.m., police sources said...

De Souza's body was discovered about an hour later, clad only in his shirt and socks. Relatives in Brazil have said his cell phone and wallet were missing.

His family told NYPD detectives that de Souza, a bishop in the breakaway Vetero Catholic Church, was gay. Friends, however, said he did not proposition strangers, and it was unlikely that was what triggered a beating.

This reminds me of the 2006 homicide of Michael J. Sandy which also took place late at night by the Brooklyn shore even though I don't know Brooklyn well enough to know if both incidents happened nearby. A gay man's life is gone but don't tell that to Daily News readers who don't seem to care and are already blaming the victim. A sampling:

  • How do they know a bunch of angry Russkies didn't kick his arse because he was making gay passes at them?
  • Well he IS dressed like Liberace in the picture. How do we know gay men don't join the priesthood for the fashion? You think those guys had Sex and the City nights following Sunday evening mass when the show was on HBO?
  • De Sousa was a 31 year old Catholic gay Priest. He wasnot out there at 1am to assist anyone with paperwork. Pedophilia and homosexuality has long been a problem among Catholic clergy.
  • Was he out counseling someone at 1 in the morning? Or was he cruising and got caught by some drunken gay bashers who didnt realize he was a priest and got ****** when he tried to cruise them? OR, was this the standard case of a couple of dudes that saw the opportunity to get their "tally-whacked" then beat the f-a-g to make sure he doesnt tell anyone? People, dont let the fact that this dude was a priest deter the common sense factor here.
Supposedly the Daily News has a link that allows people to flag offensive replies but these - others - have been up all day long. Imagine you being his family and having to read such trash.

De Souza's body will be flown to Brazil to his family. Friends in Brooklyn held a small memorial yesterday at his apartment
.

1 comment:

Bernie said...

I guess as a blogger who sometimes deletes or blocks offensive comments, I've grown spoiled. I can't even read most newspaper website comment sections any more. They are just a haven for idiots and bigots to spew their hatred.