CHAMPAIGN- Emotional words from the victim of a hate crime. It happened on Green street in Champaign just after one in the morning on Saturday. Police arrested Brett Vanasdlen and he was in court Monday. They say he made comments about the student being gay and then pushed him to the ground.
Steven Velasquez is a student at the U of I. He was walking with friends when he says he was attacked for his sexual orientation. He says in this day and age he couldn't believe this could happen and even worse on campus where he thought he was safe.
He was walking down Green street with two girls and another guy when a man started yelling at them for being gay. "It upset me so much that he had no idea who I was, I didn't even try to stick up for myself, I ignored him to go on with his action and throw me to the ground it was such a shock."
"Yes this happened but I have to move on I can't let it affect me because it will take over and inhibit my ability to embrace who I am." Velasquez was released from the hospital the following day Doctors say he was knocked out unconscious and suffered from some head trauma. The man arrested.. Brett Vanasdlen is charged with a hate crime. He's out on bond.
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17 comments:
After doing a google search of the name "Brett Vanasdlen" and after reading a second media report about the attack on Mr. Steven Velasquez, I began to wonder this: is Benjamin Vanasdlen (who in the second media report is the name of the man charged with the hate crime) Brett Vanasdlen? Did Vanasdlen give an alias name to the court/police? My google search reveals a baseball player from Minooka, IL (Brett Vanasdlen) who graduated from Minooka High School, then played baseball for one semester at Purdue U. before transferring to Parkland College in Champaign, IL. His baseball skills and his physical power are well-documented on the internet.
Is this the same man as the accused? Is someone (the media, the school, the defendant) hiding his true identity? Could it be that the accuser is the college baseball jock I've found on the internet? My search in Illinois and neighboring areas found no Benjamin Vanasdlen, just Brett and his younger brother Jon.
all this is bullshit brett didnt do shit its jsut some pussy looking for a way out
I've not been able to dig up anymore information regarding this story.
If and when I do, I'll certainly post it here.
Blown way out of proportion - Steven told a group of us he was so drunk we would have fallen backwards had the wind blown - supposedly Van Asdlen just threw his hands in the air when Steven got right in his face. This is what caused him to lose his balance and fall backwards, not the physical contact. He is on a mission to make life miserable for a jock. I know, because I heard it from his own mouth. And, by the way, I am also gay. We don't need to grandstand and lie to be respected in society and that's exactly what's happening here.
To the anonymous poster above, if you have this information.. you should take it upon yourself to reach Brett.
re: April 20 at 2:35 AM, I'd like to know who you are. That's a pretty big accusation to make towards Steven, and the "oh and I'm gay too" claim sounds like a specious attempt at saying "oh btw i have no reason to lie."
If you're going to make that big of a claim, then make clear who you are.
First leaving the names of either student is completely inappropriate without they're admission because it leaves both of them open to unnecessary additional attacks be it character assassination or physical. This website is suppose to prevent violence and hate not facilitate it right?
Second according to what I'm hearing in this report and the other articles I'm unsure if this even was a hate crime, both places I've found on the internet are bias and should be disregarded. Regardless the attacker deserves some form of rebuttal which from what I've read the police promptly delivered.
This website states clearly in the banner what it's purpose is.
The original news article contained the names.
Police blotters and such all over the nation publish names (and sometimes addresses). If it makes you feel any better I always remove addresses.
If a person doesn't want their name published perhaps they should stay clear of "legal issues".
It may not have happened exactly how the story says. But the fact is, there was some type of altercation which caused the police to become involved.
Logic seems to say if Brett would have simply kept his prejudice to himself none of this would ever had happened.
The bigger issue is; what makes people think their self righteous prejudice is viable enough to act upon it in a confronting manner against another?
No way would I leave my name on this site. There is way to much hate and anger over this whole situation. I have gone to the police and told them what I witnessed,and was relieved to find out I was not the only one who questioned Steven's motives following this incident. I don't think this case is going anywhere. From my understanding, there were 3 cops on the scene, and 2 did not want to even write the incident up, while the third was very intent on making life miserable for Van Asdlen, and won out.
sounds like some people want to make life miserable for steven despite the fact that they have no evidence about this. there were a number of witnesses who saw brett did this. I wouldn't be surprised if some of the posts accusing steven of this were by brett or his lawyer. these bigots will stop at nothing, it's disgusting.
Bigots? The bigots are the gays crying over an incident that nobody would have heard about had Steven been straight. Give me a break! You want equality, then quit acting like a bunch of sissies! The biggest antagonist in this confrontation was the alcohol consumed by Steven and his drunk friends.
LOL
"If Steven had been straight" the incident wouldn't have happened.
So your comparison is obviously flawed.
Brett is obviously a homophobic bigot who needs to keep his bigoted thoughts to himself.
The physical contact in this alteration was started by Velasguez when he put his hand on vanasdlen's shoulder as he drunkenly verbally taunted vanasdlen - of course he was going to clear some space with this wierdo in his face!
This thread seems to have brought out some juvenile homophobes.
Comments which belittle or attack gays will be rejected.
It is our hope that justice will be served and Brett will receive adequate punishment for his unacceptable and ILLEGAL behaviour.
It said on the news clip that he suffered severe head trama. Wouldnt this mean that his head would be swollen and bruised. It didnt seem like he was physically harmed in anyway. This has been blown way out of proportion!?!?!?!
There's a bottom line here (YouTube has posted a video about this too.. just enter "Vanasdlen":
The bottom line is; had Vanasdlen minded his own business and not insinuated himself into a situation in which he was NOT involved he'd not be facing hate crime charges.
I suspect (though I don't know) that Vanasdlen did more than say "oh look at the two guys holding hand". We all can guess what word was used.
Would I respond if someone called me out while minding my own business holding my partner's hand. You bet your ass I would.
This is easy:
Had Vanasdlen minded his own business he'd not be facing hate crime charges and possible jail time. Let this be a lesson to all the little bigots out there that we've had enough of your chiding.
As Peter Finch said in NETWORK "[We're] madder than hell and we're not going to take it anymore".
ALL THE WRONG STUFF
Brett VanAsdlen had "all the right stuff." A normal, all-American kid
and star-baseball-player, who was not pleased about sex-perverts,
minorities and aliens taking over his country. A throwback to his
ancestor, Peter Stuyvesant, the Governor of New Amsterdam, who had
fought to keep Indians, Jews and Negroes at bay in the Dutch colony,
VanAsdlen bashed a Mexican-homosexual in Champaign, Illinois and
was charged with "hate." Steven Velasquez, a twenty-year-old student at
the University of Illinois, who had been conducting a campus-campaign
to "accept" homosexuality, was accosted on a street by Van Asdelen,
who called him a "fag" and decked him. Velasquez, immediately,
appeared on television, weeping and extolling sex-perversion.
"All-the-wrong-stuff" unfolded for the eighteen-year-old
Parkland-college student, who, instead of taking the offensive,
remained mum. Unlike Kenneth Painter, who launched an immediate
offensive against WLBT, the television-station taken over by Negroes
in Mississippi, when he was charged with burning a cross in protest,
VanAsdlen let Parkland-College Athletic-Director Rod Lovett tell
reporters that he was not a "hater" and held no "animosity" toward
any group. VanAsdlen's mother, Rona Lee VanAsdlen, said that she
had been told by her lawyer not to discuss the case, but the lawyer,
Steve Beckett, said that it was simply about "two kids who ran into
each other on the streets." The mother said that she did not want
Brett's career to be marred.
The first misstep was in engaging a lawyer, with no pro-majority
credentials. Beckett has ties to the American Civil Liberties Union
and had accepted the "Champaign County ACLU W. Ellison Chalmers
Memorial Award." David Holland, charged with throwing rocks at
Negroes in Georgia, picked ACLU-attorney Michael Hauptman, who
was a Jew, as well as a practicing homosexual, and was convicted.
Matt Hale, charged with murder-conspiracy, selected a series of
ACLU-lawyers, including Alan Dershowitz and Glen Greenwald, and
was convicted. VanAsdlen is facing three-years. On the other hand,
Painter engaged a high-profile, Nationalist attorney, who immediately
took to the airwaves explaining that the protest against the
TV-station-takeover was "justified."
At an abbreviated preliminary-hearing, Beckett called no witnesses,
However, Painter called a string of experts, who testified profusely,
over two days. A minister told how integration was immoral and that
protest against immorality was a God-given right. A local-official,
called as an adverse witness, admitted that Painter had been singled
out for prosecution, because he was white. Other experts testified
about the meaning of political-protest and its significance in
history. Peter Zenger had been acquitted of "hate" for libeling the
King, when his lawyer contended that the King was a tyrant, who
should have been libeled. John Prescott was, likewise, acquitted of
the Boston Massacre, when his attorney contended that the King was
the real culprit.
Beckett has made no public-statement fingering the evils of
Mexican-immigration and the most detestable-crime-against-nature,
as homosexuality is generally known. The misstep is reminiscent of
Jeremiah Munsen, who displayed a noose to protest minority-invaders
in Jena, Louisiana. Munsen settled on a court-appointed lawyer, who
promptly pressured the youngster into pleading guilty to "hate." But,
even a court-appointed lawyer need not be a fatality. Bill Dickens,
charged with shooting several Communists in Greensboro, North
Carolina, had a court-appointed lawyer, who conducted a forceful
political-defense, in which he put the Reds symbolically on trial and
insisted that the volley had been justified. Dickens and all of his
co-defendants were acquitted.
Another VanAsdlen misstep has been to not prepare for the long-haul,
including any possible civil-litigation. VanAsdlen is being portrayed
by a "standard" criminal-defense, amounting to "he didn't do it,"
"not his fault" or "he's innocent." To the contrary, Mark Watts was
charged with "hate" for running Negroes out of Forsyth County,
Georgia and was sued in a civil-lawsuit. Watts, however, mounted
a spectacular offensive, represented by Nationalist attorneys,
insisting that the "invaders" "had no business" barging into the
all-white county, were "trouble-makers" and, themselves,
law-breakers. The twenty-six-year-old Watts took to the airwaves and
said that he would testify at his trial. All charges were dismissed
and a giant rally was conducted in his behalf.
Another VanAsdlen misstep is not involving pro-majority resources to
engage the public. Marion Roberts, for example, was charged with
"hate," for hoisting a Confederate-flag up the flagpole at the
high-school in Brookhaven, Mississippi, to protest the hiring of a
Negro-coach. Roberts stated from his jail-cell that he would not
buckle and was represented by Nationalist attorneys. A rally ensured
at the courthouse, attended by virtually every student. All charges
were dropped. The one charged need not necessarily embrace his
supporters, however. Hulond Humphries, the Wedowee, Alabama
Principal accused of "hate" for refusing to conduct an integrated-prom,
simply said "no comment" when ralliers hailed him, but a grateful
citizenry went on to elect him Superintendent.
The final misstep of VanAsdlen appears to be the spreading of the
perception that he wants to "get off," so that he may "pursue his
career," instead of presenting himself as one convinced of the
justice of his cause, who is ready to "go to-the-stake," if need be.
Instead, the mother portrays the son as "happy, good natured," rather
than "offended by the depravity gushing in all around us" and the
"unconstitutionality of the hate-laws." Unlike VanAsdlen, Barry
Hackney took the law, itself, to task, when charged with "hate" by
the Texas Human Rights Commission. He appeared at rallies, spoke
over television and, after two years, had all charges dismissed. In
addition, William Hale, who had brought the charges, was fired and
key-portions of the "hate" law were voided.
Political-offense
Bill Dickens: Acquitted of killing Communists, in a shootout. Said
that the Communists were to blame for trying to overthrow the
government.
Barry Hackney: All "hate" charges dropped and key-portions of the
"hate" law voided. Said that he had a First-Amendment right to oppose
integration.
Hulond Humphries: Convicted of "hate" and fired as school-principal,
but went on to run for and be elected school-superintendent.
Kenneth Painter: All charges dropped in WLBT "cross-burning" case.
Said that political-protest against integration was justified.
John Prescott: Acquitted of the Boston Massacre. Said that the King
was to blame for being a tyrant.
Marion Roberts: All "hate" charges are dropped. Said that he stood by
hoisting the Confederate-flag to protest integration.
Mark Watts: All "hate" charges dismissed. Said that running Negroes
out was justified and that "invaders" were law-breakers.
Peter Zenger: Acquitted of "hate" toward the King. Said that the King
was to blame for being a tyrant.
Criminal-defense
Matt Hale: Claimed that he was not involved in a murder-conspiracy
and that his political-views were irrelevant. Convicted.
David Holland: Hired ACLU lawyer to claim that he was not guilty of
"hate" and that his views did not matter. Convicted.
Bill McDermott: Claimed that "his best friends were Mexicans," when
charged with "hate" for protesting integration. Convicted.
Jeremiah Munsen: Offered no resistence to "hate" charges for hanging
a noose to protest Negroes. Pleaded guilty.
Shaun Walker: Claimed that the Mexican he beat up was "only a simple
fight" and that he was not a "hater." Convicted.
http://www.nationalist.org/docs/reports/2008/070501.html
Copyright 2008 The Nationalist Movement
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