Hate Crime or Crime Fighting?
Activists protested outside a Salt Lake City courthouse yesterday following the arrest of David James Bell, a local drag performer whom they claim is the victim of anti-gay violence. Police say otherwise. Any way you cut it, this story’s one for the books:
[Bell] was beaten after he allegedly kidnapped the two children of a neighbor, and the father discovered the children in his house. His live-in boyfriend was also beaten severely after he tried to break up the fight.Bell faces two charges of child kidnapping and one charge of burglary. His bail is currently set at $100,000, which was not changed during Tuesday’s hearing in 3rd District Court.
According to court documents, Bell took his neighbor’s 2-year-old and 4-year-old children from their home while they were sleeping early in the morning on July 4. The children were not harmed.
The protesters argued that the men were attacked because of their sexual orientation, a claim prosecutors dispute. No charges have been filed against the father.
Witnesses insist the children wandered over to Bell’s house after being disrupted by their parents’ late-night party, which was still going on at 6am, when the children were discovered missing.
Bell’s friends and defenders claim the neighbors reacted so rashly because of Bell’s sexuality. Said his attorney, “If the mother had gone to that house and found D.J. with his wife, this would not have happened. But they jumped to the conclusion [that], since he’s gay, he must also be a child molester.
That’s f%cked. Utah is as fascist as the deep South.
I live in Utah and Utah is far from being as fascist as the deep South. This is one strange story, though.
Bell clearly should have somehow notified the children’s parents of their whereabouts! But I wasn’t there so I don’t know the whole situation.
If the court documents are correct then don’t go around taking other peoples kids, he deserves what he got. If on the other hand the witnesses are the ones telling the truth then the first thing he should’ve done was not to call the parents but immediately call the police and not taken the kids for an overnight sleep at his home.
Think people!
There’s a lot of conflicting press, a division even in the mainstream.
The family denies, specifically the mother that she sent the children over there. So then others neighbors keep bringing up tales of him lurking in the neighborhood or telling anothe parent, her daughter was beautiful, which she found to be creepy. And I don’t know, I know there’s a lot of variations, but it’s my understanding gay men usually aren’t into girls or women, at least unless they can sing showtunes or pop songs. And the rumors suggesting more things than this but never reported. Which kinda makes a point for that queer side complaining about it.
Then there’s the claims from Bell’s camp that the mother did send the kids over there. And another network affiliate says an unnamed third party, neither connected to the family or bell, that supports the mother did send the kids over as she was having a spat with her husband.
Regardless it looks like both sides are going to be charged, separately. Doesn’t look like it’s going to help either case if one trial is before the other.
Though Bell is likely going to get the worse of it and even if no other evidence to suggest he’s a paeodphile. It looks like thats the way his case is going, regardless of what the verdict is he’s likely going to be a registery list.
So the rules of living in modern society?
Don’t help your neighbors out. And apparently, whether it’s serious or light, everybody is pedophile before proven otherwise.
Also, if you look at both sides, am I the only one that thinks this was a trailer trash story that should have been held on trial with Jerry Springer?
I lived in Utah for almost a year and Bell was one of my very first friends when I moved out there. Within 5 minutes of meeting this man, you’d know there is not a mean bone in his body.
Unfortunately the other side of the story is very slowly getting out and a lot of key details are missing. I think it’s outrageous that these accusations are even being brought upon David Bell.
I could go on & on about what a great guy Bell is – but I’m sure everyone would think it’s just because he’s my friend. I’ll leave at this though: I’d trust him with any of my little cousins, nieces, nephews or my own children ANY day.
Churchill-y’s comment at the very end.
THINKING PEOPLE….exactly he is dam right….
I knew Bell at two different points in his life, when he was a teen and when he was newlywed with his wife.
As Bonnie said, he doesn’t have a mean bone in his body, and he is absolutely not the kind of person that would hurt a child.
What kills me is the response that we’re getting in local newspapers of “I wish he’d been beaten to death,” etc. etc.
There are more stories on the case that have more information than the DA report:
http://qsaltlake.com/index.php.....;Itemid=93
http://slweekly.com/index.cfm?.....F518F752F2
As supports of Bell we have started a myspace page that includes all the media so far about this event. Please keep checking back for pictures that will soon be posted.
http://www.myspace.com/injustice801