You know, we’ve come to expect a certain level of asshattery from the Lone Star State. Hey, we get it, Texas; in a perfect world, all you want to do is sit around, teabaggin’ each other, clearin’ brush, shootin’ stuff at church and buildin’ walls around yourselves so the Mexicans can’t touch your cowboy hats and spurs. In fact, you want it all so badly that you’re maybe willing to secede.
Anyway, the point is, it takes a lot for us to really be impressed by the sheer stupidity of Texas’ shenanigans. That said, we almost choked on our donuts when we read this this morning:
PARIS, Texas – A teenager who has profound mental disabilities was sentenced to 100 years in prison after pleading guilty to charges in a sex abuse case involving his 6-year-old neighbor.
Ah yes. Paris, Texas — the Paris of Texas.
You know what? We’re not even sure where to start here. At first blush, WTF, Texas? You’re getting soft! Whatever happened to everything being bigger in Texas? Whatever happened to you being the death penalty capital of the world! One hundred years in prison!? That’s the best you’ve got? What’s the point of even having capital punishment if you’re not gonna use it on folks like this?
Deep breath.
After careful consideration — something Texas wouldn’t understand — however, we’ve come to a different conclusion: Maybe the penalty is a wee bit harsh.
Actually, wait, before we make a final decision, let’s learn about the perv.
[Aaron] Hart has an IQ of 47 and was diagnosed as mentally disabled as a child. He never learned to read or write and speaks unsteadily.
Despite being a target of bullies, he was courteous, well-behaved and earned money by doing chores for neighbors, supporters said. His parents say he’d never acted out sexually.
“He couldn’t understand the seriousness of what he did,” said his father, Robert Hart. “I never dreamed they would think about sending him to prison. When they said 100 years — it was terror, pure terror, to me.”
To be fair, the median IQ in Texas is 47 (WOCKA WOCKA WOCKA!), but yes, we’re still going with: That’s too much time in prison. A better solution would maybe be something along the lines of, oh we don’t know, no prison time, maybe medical help instead. This guy was just sentenced to 100 years in prison! One hundred years in prison for BEING RETARDED!
Perhaps the worst part of this situation — other than the fact that an 18-year-old with a 47 IQ is going to prison for 100 years (oh, and that someone was molested) — is that neither the judge nor the jury thought it was appropriate. Check it:
The judge said neither he nor jurors liked the idea of prison for Hart but they felt there was no other option.
“In the state of Texas, there isn’t a whole lot you can do with somebody like him,” Clifford said.
Ugh, Texas. Just secede already.
This is truly tragic – if you have an IQ below, say, 50, you should really be allowed fondle who you want.
Yeah I want a retarded kid to ruin my sisters life forever. Every retarded should be allowed to have intercourse with anything it pleases.
Inter-what? I saw the word ‘fondle’.
Just shut up, you obviously aren’t too smart. I’m willing to bet $100 YOUR I.Q. is below average. When was intercourse mentioned? Oh, that’s right, it wasn’t. Fondle was used. To fondle someone and to rape someone are two extremely different things. I swear it’s people like you, that if I ever saw them and was within arms reach, would just slap. Get a fuckin’ clue. Now, the strong probability that you were raped by your daddy-brother shouldn’t affect how and what you type here, that’s not the same as what was described.
retards should be able to fondle whoever they want!
‘awaiting moderation’ – very Orwellian indeed….
As a texan, I would like to say that this is utterly deplorable. There are havens of reason speckled throughout the state, but many of these small towns that are living in bible-wrapped shells come to these kinds of conclusions regularly. The boy should receive treatment, as opposed to a disproportionate sentence, much in the same way criminals who plead insanity are afforded the same.
…“In the state of Texas, there isn’t a whole lot you can do with somebody like him,” …
The irony here is that this statement is better applied to himself. Texas is largely run by idiots whom would come to a similar conclusion.
Just know that there are reasonable texans in here, and while we may be the minority, it is apparent that our numbers are growing, and will hopefully continue to do so.
*another reasonable Texan here*
As for this specific case, I agree it’s far too harsh and definitely defines cruel and unusual punishment. Medical help for him and counseling for the victim would have been far better. But does anyone who is in power care? Not really; this is evidenced by the spawn that someone was stupid enough to let live [Bush]
Hey, every state has their stupid people. Not everyone in Texas wants to secede or lives as people say they do.
So, anyone who has commented negatively about my state, kindly shove the stereotypes up where the sun don’t shine, and kindly silence yourselves. Thank you.
Maybe they could still squeeze him in under Obama’s revised standard for late term abortion and save the taxpayers the cost?
You know, you don’t have to urge us to secede. Texas is currently under 8 inches of water, and we’ll be gone before you…know… gurgle gurgle
Instant karma.
Seriously?
A person with an IQ of 47 cannot be tried as an adult, so this seems quite specious.
Can I chime in? Yeah, Texas did all that stuff, and as a person who used to report on rural/suburb county government, I know there’s a lot of God fearing nonsense, but I have to say, maybe not so much more God fearing nonsense than say, Kansas (ahem, abortion clinic murder) or Alaska (cough, the Palins, cough). Like Bush, we get a bad rap for him, but the U.S. elected him leader of the free world, twice! Teabaggin’ fervor swept the whole nation and Arizona is the spiritual home of the Minutemen. And for Chrissakes, just look at California or New York these days!
Not even liberal Yankee condescension can’t even protect you from THAT asshattery.
I’m not exonerating Texas (we don’t like that too much around here) but I am saying Texas: we’re just like Middle America, only bigger. And if we secede, we take something like one-third of recession-resistant economy with us.
I don’t get what you’re trying to prove with the accusations of other states. Texas is well known for their intolerance, not just because of George Bush. He was just the icing on the cake for the rest of the US’s and world’s view on Texas. There will always be those religious/crazy/political nuts, so pointing out a few individuals who meet those expectations in a couple of states doesn’t really say too much. Intolerance is no longer acceptable in a nation where there are so many different people. Texas just doesn’t seem to get this idea.
What an ignorant article. Just because you have a low IQ you are allowed to molest kids?
Seriously?
No, I think perhaps you missed the whole point of the article, just like when a 6 year old does something wrong, it is not appropriate to send someone who is mentally handicapped to jail for something that they did not truly understand. The appropriate response might be a mental institution, or restrictions on who this person is allowed to interact with depending on if they are judged to be a danger, but 100 years in jail is certainly not the answer.
@victor
Seriously? Are you going to start putting children in jail because they are playing “I’ll show you mine if you show me your’s”?
This poor fellow has the mental ability of a child, he should be treated like one, I thought that was the law in most places…
Unfortunately (some of) Texas is good at undermining reason
The guy molested a six year old. He should be tortured, then killed. If a dog attacks a person, you put it down, least it attack again…
okay while when your children bite some one we will be sure to put them down too.
Nice to know you equate human life at the same level as a dogs. Perhaps when you screw up at work they should just take you out back and shoot you lest you screw up again and cost them millions more. Following your logic, people are incapable of being rehabilitated and are therefore worthless once they commit a felony. Jesus would be so proud of your humility and compassion for those less fortunate.
Just because a person’s biological age is 18 does not mean they are an adult, which is what happened here. The 18 year old did not do anything purposefully malicious and that is the level required for a 100 year sentence. That’s why we have murder and manslaughter charges–the intent of the criminal, or lack thereof, is important in the sentencing stage and, to a lesser extent, the trial. He needs to be in a group home or a halfway house where he can learn the skills he needs to not repeat his behavior.
Keep in mind the average IQ is 100 and his was 47 and anything below 70 is considered mentally incompetent by most states so anything below 50 means you are nowhere near the intellect of the average adult. He can not read or write and I was reading at age 2, which means at age 2 I was smarter than he is now. Would you execute a 2 year old for fondling another kid too?
You have to understand, “b’s” IQ is around 47, too, so he knows what he’s talking about.
Good job on misunderstanding my metaphor. That said, if my 18 year son old MOLESTED A SIX YEAR , I would put him down myself.
Yes, and i am sure that your 18 year old son does not have the mental capacity of a 6 year old, this is why we call it a mental handicap. And how exactly did i misunderstand your metaphor? What are your personal criteria for taking a person out behind the shed? I would really like to know
Come on b, that’s a bit of an unlikely scenario. You really think evolution works fast enough to jump IQ all the way up to 47 in one generation?
Win.
Victor,
It’s not about the fact the molested a kid. It’s about the fact the he had no idea of what he was doing, no understanding of right and wrong.
I’m sure even with an IQ of 47, he knows the difference between right and wrong. I don’t think you give the mentally challenged enough credit. Some countries in Africa have an average IQ of 59.
Actually, Ben, knowing the difference between right and wrong is a result of complex social conditioning. While IQ is not a reliable measure of mentality, it is extremely unlikely someone with an IQ of 47 understands the concepts of right and wrong. This is very obvious to those who work with these people.
A person with an IQ of 47 cannot be tried as an adult. Not in the United States of America.
Hello?!?
come to canada bitches!
“The judge said neither he nor jurors liked the idea of prison for Hart but they felt there was no other option.”
Jury nullification occurs when a jury returns a verdict of “Not Guilty” despite its belief that the defendant is guilty of the violation charged. The jury in effect nullifies a law that it believes is either immoral or wrongly applied to the defendant whose fate that are charged with deciding.
A jury has options. A judge has options. Unfortunately, this kid doesn’t have any more options.
b is a fucking moron. that is all
Yes, yes he is.
Author is ridiculously ignorant, and carries with him balls of steel.. There are two things very clear from reading this article: that his words are without a doubt read and perhaps absorbed (by like-minded, half-wit readers), but his voice is never heard everyday, in the day of his life behind his monitor.
Write on, then.
“but his voice is never heard everyday, in the day of his life behind his monitor.”
Is this some kind of riddle?
Really…Really Texas, I mean WTF. I don’t even know what to say in this situation. I am beside myself that Teas would sentence a child with such serious problem to any jail time, let alone 100 years. This is clearly a sentence that will most likely not be served in its entirety.
I think the people saying the mentally challenged boy raped/molested the young girl have no idea what:
a) Being mentally and developmentally challenged means.
b) What rape and molestation is.
Please look these things up, then educate yourself before you further infect the internet with your willful ignorance and boring, trite moral outrage.
Thanks!
@Kevin
> This poor fellow has the mental ability of a child, he should be treated like one, I thought that was the law in most places…
Along with the physical and sexual development of an 18 year-old.
Sorry, but drawing a comparison to a child of similar mental capacity is simply invalid here. I’m not saying jail is the ideal solution, but the judge made it pretty clear that there aren’t other, more appropriate options in Texas.
You had me at wokka wokka wokka.
I think the real problem is not that he was mentally handicapped, but that the parents left a 6 year old unsupervised with someone who was mentally handicapped. He just as easily could have dropped something on her head or injured her in some other way. What parent would entrust a mentally handicapped adult to babysit their 6 year old?
Texas right wingers are moronic sadists. They don’t care about reasonable conclusions, they’re just looking for a way to express their sadistic fantasies.
ben you’re a fucking moron. the question isn’t whether or not this situation requires some form of discipline and/or punishment to ensure this doesn’t happen again, but rather what is appropriate in the case of someone who has no concept of the seriousness of their actions. steps need to be taken to see that this would not happen again to any other innocent child, however, neither justice, nor public safety is served by locking up a severely retarded person for 100 yrs.
Okay, I agree, but instead of waiting for Texas to leave us let’s just leave it. Let’s give it to Mexico as a gift, you know, for irony’s sake.
society should pick one, either decide that the severely mentally disabled are a senseless cost to the group and euthanize them, or realize that someone with the mental capabilities of a toddler cannot be held to the same standards of conduct as a relatively fully functional adult.
Since our society aspires to ‘civilized’ behavior and most find the idea of executing the mentally deficient abhorrent, that leaves a question of responsibility. It is a given that they (the severely retarded) CAN NOT be responsible for actions they don’t understand, and CAN NOT survive without the care of others, then the legal responsibility for their actions should fall to the caregiver or parent who was deficient in their duty by allowing such a thing to happen. Just as a parent is financially and sometimes legally responsible for the behavior of a minor they are responsible for, if it is impossible for a being to reach a mental ‘majority’ that allows total responsibility for their actions, the only place that blame can lie is with the person or entity who assumed responsibility for the actions and care of the severely disabled person.
You sir are the reason I hate getting up in the morning, you’re such an ignorant clueless bastard, that I’m not even sure why I am responding to such an inane comment. First off I am from texas, I am 21 years old, l smoke copious amounts of weed and would school your ass on any subject you choose to debate. When you infer that all texans a retarded red necks this offends me, I’ve spent most of my life increasing my knowledge and you think you are better than me because of geography. Take you’re head out of your ass and realize that this isn’t a perfect world, and its not like us lowly plebs can do much against an unjust court system less we become targets ourselves, wise the hell up or don’t talk about shit that you have no idea about.
I’m a Texan and I hate my fucking life, hell, I even decided to **** my sister today. After that, i’m gona take a whip and crack it on every niggas back cause im from the south and I got diamonds in my motha fuckin mouth bitch!
Erik, I’d like to give you a billion dollars. How about it? Are you up for the task? Can ya dig it? Ya dig? Nig?
I promise that there are a few of us Texans that are not bent teabaggers!
obviously they are just parking the retard somewhere for a while until it settles outs.
USA does not have a lot of resources. obviously Paris, TX has no long term in-patient facility for mentally ill or retards or whatever.
Now go back to paying the IRS and believing the media. If you have three jobs, better get one more. Yes, you, Paris, Texas.
PS “Dick” Cheney owns stock in the prison industry.
PPS And Donald Rumsfeld owns stock in the “Bird-Flu” pharmacy company.
USA Your government is rotted corrupt shit. What is astounding is that you give this band of thieves any attention at all instead of dealing with the “in your face” corruption.
Texas, death penalty capital of the world. Disgusting. all you “progressives” in Texas look pretty damn retarded.
… just think.. if the diddler hadn’t been sentanced for 100 years, he might have become a judge or mayor. The court officials probably felt professionally threatened by competition.
I am confused, is this author really a pastor? OK, fine you are a bleeding heart liberal, I get it, and that is OK but where is your compassion for that child’s parents. You seem to have plenty of grace for those who perpetuate the crime but not the victim or the victim’s family. If found “not guilty by reason of insanity” in this country he will be walking the street again soon. I am the one who came across your website, both the church and the blog, so I could have easily just kept on moving, but I was “awestruck” at what I saw, and here in NC. It shows me that NC is going down. Glad I moved to SC, but if Texas was to succeed I am sure I would apply for citizenship. Of course I always side with the children!
Whoa! Josh, I just found the most ignorant reply to your post. It’s worse than that guy who’s 21, smokes a lot of weed and could school you on any topic. Except spelling, grammar, syntax and usage, of course.
…you do realise the 6 year old probably has a higher IQ then 47…
I must say that reading in reading these responses I can’t help but wonder who is really more ignorant and hipocritical. How is it that this incident or any other isolated incident can be misconstued to such a degree that it somehow becomes the architype for an entire population. I was born and raised in the great state of Texas. You will not find more friendly, genuine, compassionate, hardworking and honest people anywhere else in the world. Some of our nations brightest minds come from the rural plains, bayous and backwoods of Texas. Texas is home to some of our greatest national treasures. How about if I said everyone in PA hated children because of the Luzerne County Juvenille court scandal? Or that everyone from Wisconsin was a cannibalistic necropheliac becaus Dhamer was from there? Using this logic means everyone in California is either gay or a hippie, and New Yorkers are dirty, self absorbed dope addicts and Arizonians are just a bunch of drunken indians….some of you people really should take a look in your local newspapers and see your own states’ reflections.
This situaton is typical of Texas. The Texas court systems are screwed up! Texas is one of the few states that still actually uses the death penalty. I’ve lived in Texas for the past six years and my experience has revealed that I can find “more friendly, genune, compassionate, hardworking, and honest people” anywhere BUT in Texas. I’ve found that Texas is home to the most intolorant people I’ve ever met.
Jamie: It’s hard to take a guy seriously who uses the phrase “dope addicts.”
I am happy that this man is sentenced to 100 years in prison. He should no business to abuse this child on matter if he has a IQ of 47 or 147. Doing this is NO EXCUSE whatsoever. People who have in IQ of 70 or below, they always said if somthing is you doing is not right then you are doing wrong. Yep, they KNOW right from wrong and if they are if they made do something wrong, they will aknowange it and take respondbility of there own actions and they never make their disability as a excuse either. I donn’t understand why most people are thinking sentencing him is too harsh? I was watching news of people who sexully abused children here in Texas has sentenced to 99 years to life in prison and they are not mentally disabled. I don’t understand why they are so concern for this man and not concern of this child whom he abused?! If they put lower sentencing and he relase form jail, t the more likely he’ll will do it again just like the rest of the sickos out there. I don’t understand why are some people wanted to excuse people with disabilities who is commit a horrble crime and refused to make them responsable for their own actions? They may think that they can do everything thing they want and ge away from murder. I beleve that they can face concences just like everyone else. I am a Texan and I love America ans I don,t agree about Texas are being secede from the union. Texas is not going everyware and it’s here to stay.
Meg,
I don’t think the argument is whether or not this guy should be on the streets. But not prison. He needs to be in a mental health facility.
“I was watching news of people who sexully abused children here in Texas has sentenced to 99 years to life in prison and they are not mentally disabled.”
Really?
A person with an IQ of 47 would probably not understand the repercussions from their actions., i.e. George Bush (sorry, I had to). This does not mean they should be able to hurt others, just that prison, where they will be brutalized by other inmates, is extremely harsh given the situation.
I more than this guy blame the parents for leaving this poor child with an individual that would not understand these things. We have a family friend with an IQ similar to his and I would NEVER leave my child alone with her.
She doesn’t understand.
The prison sentence is for the molestation. Not the retardation.
But, yeah… Overkill.
Still, Texas is not all of a piece. Lots of nice places and people here. Painting any subject with such a broad brush is ignorant.
If you talked about blacks or jews in the same way you’d sound like a bigot.
It was not a little girl that was molested. It was a six-year-old boy who was forced to perform oral sex behind a blow job. There was no “little sister” involved.
Check out the link: .
Shit, I mean behind a shed. Sorry, it’s Friday and I’ve got “blow job” on the brain.
I once got a blow job from a guy in austin who i thought was retarded but turns out he was just dumb. he couldn’t find my stuff and was too drunk (dumb?) to remember where he lives. our country needs this level of depravity at times.
I guess since he’s mentally challenged he should be okay to kill, rape and steal as much as he wants because “he doesn’t know what he’s doing,” as you ignorantly put it.
As far as bashing Texas, you’ve either never been here or you’re some pole-smoker from Oklahoma who was turned away at the Red River.
Either way, Go Fuck Yourself.
Whoa! How do they do it on Gizmodo? Ban hammer!
First off bashing an entire state for the actions of one tiny town on the fringe of being considered west Louisiana, is ignorant in and of itself. Secondly, I don’t know if you have a child (if not, please do not to procreate, we have enough idiots in this country already) but I don’t give a witches tit if they guy graduated Ivy League or if the goob wears coveralls and eats mustard on his “french-fried taters mmmm-hmmm” If he touched my six year old inappropriately and they didn’t put him away where he couldn’t do this again, I would put him under six feet of dirt. By the way, way to show your scuzz factor by debating rape and fondling! Maybe the issue is that you like to cop a feel on the neighbors kid yourself and just have a soft spot for this guy. Since when did being stupid or mentally deficient buy you an excuse for doing whatever you want? I mean if that’s the case, a guy like you could potentially do anything he wanted, right?
Who is this prick addressing?
Ugh, Paris, Tx, doesn’t make state laws, so that’s why the bashing isn’t of “one tiny town”. Texas’ judicial system is the problem as we’ve seen over and over, aaaand over. That said, I think maybe — just maybe — there was some hyperbole in the post…
As far as the last part of that comment goes, it doesn’t really deserve a response, but what the hell, it’s getting one. You’re right; by just talking about this issue (which, by the way, was reported in countless mainstream news outlets around the world!), it means we all want to fondle kids and rape. Anything people talk about, they want to do. Journalists across the country, everyone who clicked the link on reddit and fark, and everyone who says the word “fondle” just wants to fondle the shit out of kids. You’re right. You caught us. I guess we should all go to jail for 100 years.
Seriously, do you even think before you say things?
[...] is for lovers, and Texas is for the batshit crazy (with a few notable exceptions, of [...]