BootCamp

What I saw of this was on the morning news.
I will not watch the video - wherever it's posted - and bump up the number of "hits" (ironic reference in this case) on the video.

If these - or ANY - morons want to get on you-tube or wherever this is posted, they should swallow a couple dozen Mento's and chug a 2 liter bottle of Diet Coke. This way, their selfish stupidity only hurts themselves and not an innocent victim.

While my outrage from what I saw on the morning news was similar to what Paladin expressed in his posts, I find it hard to justify the use of firearms (which I own and am licensed to carry) to "shift the balance" in a situation like this. That goes beyond self defense. HOWEVER, in light of the overwhelming disparity in making things even, I think the girl would have been justified in grabbing whatever she could find (a lamp, broom, weapon of ANY kind) and using it with deadly intent as she saw fit to get herself out of that house as quickly as possible.
My personal opinion is that the eight "participants" should be tried as adults for conspiracy to commit assault, battery, incitement to riot, and gross indifference for the "lookouts". After the criminal trials, the civil suits should begin immediately to bring the severity of their kids actions home to their parents.

It doesn't take a village to raise a child.......it takes two parents who are responsible and involved enough in their kids' lives to know when to praise and reward, when to say no, and when to administer a good beating - without the threat of the government sticking it's nose into what goes on in the home. That's not abuse - that's the effective use of a parenting tool.

Kids today have no fear of their parents , their teachers, and in many cases the police, and inasmuch have no regard for the consequences of breaking rules. They feel they can simply call Child Protective Services and the justifiably angry parent will be removed from the house and placed under arrest. Too often, a parent administering corporal punishment is arrested for Child Abuse. A beating without good cause IS abuse. A beating WITH reason is "effective parenting". I got enough beatings growing up to know the difference. I wasn't abused - I was punished when I deserved it. I never got into any criminal mischief because I knew facing my Father would be worse than anything the Courts could do to me.
Today's kids use the system to get away with almost everything short of murder. The sickening part is that their parents plead their case for them at times like this.
Makes me want to put each one of these little pukes in a room with six assailants - one at a time - and see what the kids and their parents have to say then.