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| "April 5, 2011: Family members of attacked Giant fan, Bryan Stow, gather for a news conference outside USC Hospital in Los Angeles. They are, from left, John Devitt, uncle, Elizabet Stow, mother, Bonnie Stow, sister, Erin Stow, sister and Dave Stow, father. According doctors, Bryan Stow is showing signs of brain damage and remains in critical condition." Bryan Stow, a 42-year-old paramedic and father of two from Santa Cruz, is showing signs of brain damage and remains in critical condition after the beating. He suffered a severe skull fracture and bad bruising to his brain’s frontal lobes, said neurosurgeon Dr. Gabriel Zada.  Stow was in a parking lot heading to a taxi stand after the Dodgers' 2-1 victory over the Giants on March 31 when two shaven-headed young men in Dodgers clothing began taunting and swearing at him and two other fans, who were all wearing Giants gear, police said. ...Stow was punched in the back of the head. He fell down, bashing his head on the pavement, and was kicked before the attackers ran;They fled in a four-door sedan driven by a woman who had a boy with her, police said....The suspects are described as between 18 and 25 years old, according to LAPD Detective Percy Morris. Composite sketches released by police show they both had shaved heads and thin mustaches. One suspect had a small goatee and the second had numerous tattoos on his neck... There is this individual anger and inner violence There is this violence of control and power in relationships This story makes me ponder the horrifying lack of love lack of community lack of species recognition in the culture. more about this later The widening spiral of infection, violence like a virus, selfish, without empathy UPDATE: Description of the encounter in the parking lot: HERE at USA todays Daily Pitch excerpt: "...Corey Maciel also told 710 ESPN Radio in Los Angeles that Stow was blindsided during the attack and was "unconscious before he ever hit the ground." Stow remains in a medically induced coma after having surgery on his skull to take pressure off his brain. Here is Maciel's radio account of what happened to Stow, according to ESPN Los Angeles: "We were walking out and the mood definitely changed from intimidating to hostile once we got into the parking lot. We were actually out there, we were saying great game, shaking some Dodgers fans hands. There were some that were yelling profanities, and just being rowdy. That's how it started. … We were honestly just trying to get out of there with our heads down and our tails between our legs because it turned from intimidating to hostile and we were uncomfortable and wanted out of there. … "Bryan and I were walking, side-by-side, and talking, not even about the game, about work, I think. Somebody pushed Bryan. This guy came out from behind the car and pushed Bryan into me. I grabbed Bryan and rolled away. We kept walking. Then, at that point my older brother Matt intercepted a punch on the cheek that was meant for Bryan, by the same guy that had pushed Bryan. … We all kept walking. We didn't say anything. We just knew we needed to get out of there. We needed to avoid this confrontation. About five minutes later, they came up from behind us, and they caught us when we were all a little bit spread out. I never saw it coming. My other friend Jeff got hit in the mouth and Bryan got hit from behind. He got hit in the side of the head and never saw it coming."... and sadly, the medical prognosis is not good at the moment. excerpt:  ..."Relatives of the Giants fan launched a website -- http://www.support4bryanstow.com/ -- in part to provide daily updates on his condition. Stow's sister, Bonnie Stow, told CNN that one priority of the neurosurgeons is keeping him sedated to prevent seizures and swelling in the brain. In a recent Web posting, she wrote: "The doctors want to limit visitors, noise and physical contact with Bryan. They're wanting to keep his brain calm and just ... quiet ... to see how that works. ... That way the neurologists can get a better reading of brain activity. Fever down." Bonnie Stow said her brother's seizures have subsided, and over the next 24 to 48 hours doctors want to gradually reduce the sedation he is under and, hopefully, bring him out of the medically induced coma. "We can't wait for Bryan to wake up so he can see for himself just how much people love him, whether they are family, friends or strangers." Since the unprovoked attack after the March 31 game at Dodger Stadium, money has poured in from numerous donors and fundraising events to help pay for medical costs and provide support for his two young children. Bonnie Stow said the website also identifies fundraising activity endorsed by Stow's family..." Along with all the pain and feelings of confusion and personal anguish, this event will provoke some discussion of the strange new culture of senseless and selfish violence. Violence to make an inferior feeling of smallness go away for a minute. |
