Life sentences for Sophie Lancaster killers

This post could be argued as nothing to do with music, but I think it has got relevance.

The killers of Sophie Lancaster have been given life sentences. Brendan Harris and Ryan Herbert will have to serve a minimum of 18 years and 16 years respectively. The pair of teenagers kicked Sophie to death last summer because of her goth background.

I for one, in an age where justice seems few and far between these days, couldn't be more happy. The fact that an innocent girl was murdered simply for being a goth is absurd. No one should ever be targeted because of the music they listen to and the culture that goes along with it. It's sickening to see such discrimination lead to events such as this and the scenes in Mexico that Gerard Way has recently spoken out against. As much as I think he can be a prat sometimes, he is definitely doing the right thing in protesting against this behaviour and I firmly believe more bands should be doing the same.

Mark Beaumont is spot on when he says that this has gone beyond bottling Panic At The Disco at Reading in 2006. Are we now living in a society where we are more highly discriminative than ever? What is being done to stop such tragic deaths like this?

The judge's comments are what I finish with, and there could not be more truer words spoken, courtesy of NME.com:

Judge Anthony Russell QC described the behaviour of the Harris and Herbet as "feral thuggery".

He added, "This was a terrible case which has shocked and outraged all who have heard about it. At least wild animals, when they hunt in packs, have a legitimate reason for so doing, to obtain food."

Speaking to the pair as he sentenced them, Russell said: "You have none [legitimate reasons for attack] and your behaviour on that night degrades humanity itself."

The judge went on to describe the goth community as "perfectly peaceful law-abiding people who pose no threat to anybody".

Speaking to the sentenced duo again he said: "This was a hate crime against these completely harmless people targeted because their appearance was different to yours."

DIGG IT!