Dear Mr. Frett

Yeah, he sucks. He must be mentally unhinged or something.

I frequently give hitchhikers rides but I won't anymore. 🙁

Is he related to this guy? http://www.fbi.gov/wanted/fugitives/vc/murders/frett_ad.htm

Yeah, seriously, no rides to hitchhikers!!!!!

The stupidity of this crime is just mind boggling. I can't image what would have possessed Mr. Frett to kill over a car. Talk about no good deed goes unpunished. I think this place sometimes sucks you in--people are generally very nice and friendly, so I can imagine stopping to give someone a ride, letting down your guard.

He sure must be related to that FBI Frett jerk as he really resembles him. Scum-sucking bastid. Just think, it's entirely possible that Mr. Lerner would have been a defense attorney. I haven't given a ride to hitchhikers in decades.

Was he so stupid that he thought tinting the windows would make the car different enough that nobody would notice it? Wonder what the defense will be? And we'll get to pay for it. :-X

This is beyond understanding on so many levels. The community and family have lost someone important to them. But almost as bad is the blow it makes to understanding among the races. We will never ever again offer a friendly ride to a young black man. Trust has been destroyed beyond repair.

Too bad capital punishment is not legal in the Virgin Islands. We put away rabid animals.

I am glad they caught the guys so quickly. This has got to be some sort of record for the USVI Police Dept.

So very sad, no more hitchhikers in my vehicle.

Maybe he's not mentally unhinged. Maybe he's just an evil piece of garbage. Anybody who would give this gangsta looking piece of crap a ride should think otherwise. I'm sure Lerner was doing the right thing that he and other mention they do all the time. Now it's no doubt time to rethink and come into the 21st century where pieces of shyte like these are allowed to commingle with good people.

Condolences to the Lerner family and maybe a nice shank to the piece of crap.

I can't believe anyone here thought it was really safe in this day in age to pick up hitchhikers anywhere on the planet. Think of it this way, all the islands are small if they have to walk it won't be that far and a safari is always around.

If you live here you know crime is bad, think first.

So unbelievably sad. I did some research because I wanted to see what the world papers and his family were saying. Condolences to them...

http://www.twincities.com/ci_10847889?source=most_emailed

This is beyond understanding on so many levels. The community and family have lost someone important to them. But almost as bad is the blow it makes to understanding among the races. We will never ever again offer a friendly ride to a young black man. Trust has been destroyed beyond repair.

Too bad capital punishment is not legal in the Virgin Islands. We put away rabid animals.

Apparently your understanding is already suspect, and the fact that you've chosen to expose it at this juncture is in really poor taste.

Unless you have some inside information, there is no evidence that I'm aware of suggesting that this crime was perpetrated with racial motives.

And should such evidence come to light it still does not in any shape or fashion justify castigating all young black men as having the same character as Mr. Frett.

If you don't want to give hitchhikers a ride as a matter of personal safety then so be it. However, to selectively give rides based solely on the color of one's skin makes you a bigot.

My sincere condolences to the Lerner family.

I don't see anything in her post that indicates she is a bigot. Maybe she's just not as politically correct as you are and just responding to what happened and is expressing what might be a well justified course of action. Just so that you are aware, you might find that Jesse Jackson would probably agree with her precaution.

“There is nothing more painful for me at this stage in my life,” Jesse Jackson said several years ago, “than to walk down the street and hear footsteps and start thinking about robbery—and then look around and see somebody white and feel relieved.”

This is beyond understanding on so many levels. The community and family have lost someone important to them. But almost as bad is the blow it makes to understanding among the races. We will never ever again offer a friendly ride to a young black man. Trust has been destroyed beyond repair.

Too bad capital punishment is not legal in the Virgin Islands. We put away rabid animals.

Apparently your understanding is already suspect, and the fact that you've chosen to expose it at this juncture is in really poor taste.

Unless you have some inside information, there is no evidence that I'm aware of suggesting that this crime was perpetrated with racial motives.

And should such evidence come to light it still does not in any shape or fashion justify castigating all young black men as having the same character as Mr. Frett.

If you don't want to give hitchhikers a ride as a matter of personal safety then so be it. However, to selectively give rides based solely on the color of one's skin makes you a bigot.

My sincere condolences to the Lerner family.

I am sorry you choose to misunderstand my comment. The hostility I feel from you disturbs me.

My intent was to tell the truth. I have never cataloged anyone in that negative fashion. The truth is that an act like this is not racial, but just the insanity of two individuals. Yes, some might use that as an excuse. However, it robs me of the freedom to stop along the road and offer my neighbors a ride. I no longer know if he might be the "crazy" person , skin color has nothing to do with it. Actually I will no longer give anyone a ride.

This is about the destruction of trust and that is what I write about. If anyone is a bigot Mr Kurpiers, it is you.

I am sorry you choose to misunderstand my comment. The hostility I feel from you disturbs me.

My intent was to tell the truth. I have never cataloged anyone in that negative fashion. The truth is that an act like this is not racial, but just the insanity of two individuals. Yes, some might use that as an excuse. However, it robs me of the freedom to stop along the road and offer my neighbors a ride. I no longer know if he might be the "crazy" , skin color has nothing to do with it. Actually I will no longer give anyone a ride.

This is about the destruction of trust and that is what I write about. If anyone is a bigot Mr Kurpiers, it is you.

Had you chosen to write, "I will no longer offer a friendly ride to a young man" I would have no issue. However, you chose to add the adjective "black" in front of "young man", in addition to calling race into the equation in an earlier statement.

There is more black on black violence in the V.I. than there is black on white violence. Ergo, you have no basis on which to raise this senseless crime as being racially motivated - yet, that is exactly what you have done.

You talk of understanding between the races and what a blow this crime does to that understanding. What understanding do you speak of when you jump to conclusions and assume that Mr. Lerner was a victim because of his race? What understanding have you when you now fear all young black men because of the actions of Mr. Frett?

I object to your strident tone. No where have I said that this was a racial crime. Your comment says more about you than me.

My fear was that this would further complicate racial relations. My fear was we would be made to be more suspicious. My fear was that this incident would be used to further make our lives more difficult.. I resent your comments.

It will tough to argue with Rkurpiers as he no doubt is a university graduate of a fine US university.

Read what she said, not what your politically correct mind thinks she wrote.

I don't see anything in her post that indicates she is a bigot. Maybe she's just not as politically correct as you are and just responding to what happened and is expressing what might be a well justified course of action. Just so that you are aware, you might find that Jesse Jackson would probably agree with her precaution.

“There is nothing more painful for me at this stage in my life,” Jesse Jackson said several years ago, “than to walk down the street and hear footsteps and start thinking about robbery—and then look around and see somebody white and feel relieved.”

The fact that you don't see anything in her post to indicate that she is a bigot is exactly what Mr. Jackson was alluding to when he made the statement that you have chosen to quote out of context.

Just so you are aware, Jesse Jackson made the statement to illustrate how reactions are bred from experiences. Those reactions come from stereotyping people based on the actions of others that share the same physical traits - such as race. Bigotry is born from our natural tendency to categorize people based on experiences and for true understanding to occur between races we must possess the intelligence and the wherewithal to rise above that natural tendency.

I happen to know the context in which the statement was made. One thing I have always loved about liberals is that they can cut off conversation in a minute by calling the other side a bigot. I'll bet that Ms Information is also a liberal and is quite shocked that because she 'manned' up to how she now feels about picking up black youth in the VI's and for the first time she is being called a bigot. Probably never thought it would happen. Not shocking to us conservatives who are called racists, bigots and everything else under the sun.

I object to your strident tone. No where have I said that this was a racial crime. Your comment says more about you than me.

My fear was that this would further complicate racial relations. My fear was we would be made to be more suspicious. My fear was that this incident would be used to further make our lives more difficult.. I resent your comments.

This crime will only complicate racial relations among people who are already bigots. Those who aren't bigots will simply view this tragic murder with the same emotions that they view every other senseless killing.

Raised suspicions between races when there is no evidence that this is a racially motivated crime exposes an already existing bigotry.

I still pick up anyone that will fit. Maybe I'm stoopid (LOL....spelling mistake intentional) or maybe I am too trusting. Whatever the case may be, I always have thought before picking someone up.....look in their eyes...... If I'm meant to go that day, I'm meant to go. I know I would hope someone would pick me up if I needed a ride. Sure, I'm a white female, but, still.....color has nothing to do with it, helping a fellow human is all that matters.

I happen to know the context in which the statement was made. One thing I have always loved about liberals is that they can cut off conversation in a minute by calling the other side a bigot. I'll bet that Ms Information is also a liberal and is quite shocked that because she 'manned' up to how she now feels about picking up black youth in the VI's and for the first time she is being called a bigot. Probably never thought it would happen. Not shocking to us conservatives who are called racists, bigots and everything else under the sun.

So then consciously using Mr. Jackson's statement out of context is even more disingenuous don't you think?

I also find it quite ironic that in this discussion of bigotry you choose to paint a political stripe on someone whom you know nothing about other than what's been written in a few statements. It's almost akin to stating that you will never again offer a young black man a ride despite knowing nothing about him.

I still pick up anyone that will fit. Maybe I'm stoopid (LOL....spelling mistake intentional) or maybe I am too trusting. Whatever the case may be, I always have thought before picking someone up.....look in their eyes...... If I'm meant to go that day, I'm meant to go. I know I would hope someone would pick me up if I needed a ride. Sure, I'm a white female, but, still.....color has nothing to do with it, helping a fellow human is all that matters.

As a rule, I never pick up a stranger - whether I'm in the V.I. or in the states. I feel somewhat guilty because I depended on rides from strangers and friends alike when I lived in St. Thomas during the 60's, 70's and early 80's. The climate is different now. Crime is much more prevalent in the V.I. than it was back then and it's simply a matter of personal safety to refuse to stop for someone you don't know.

On the other hand, I found myself giving lifts to complete strangers a number of times during my two week stay in the Exumas last month. There, where violent crime is near non-existent, I found the risk to be negligible.

I couldn't agree more. However, I am the first to pick up someone that doesn't look "scary".....most of the people I recognize, AND, I drive a pick-up truck....so, all riders to the back.....lord knows I have traveled that way myself.....

Thanks for the advice, though....hopefully you won't ever read about me in the papers!!!!

Alix
www.fullmoonbeachbar.com