A Hunt Turns Tragic, and Two Cultures Collide

NY Times ^ | November 28, 2004 | STEPHEN KINZER and MONICA DAVEY

[dennisw]

dittos

[spunkets]

Cultures my tale! He's a miserable killer at heart and that's all there is to it.

[2111USMC]

You're right.

This article is a pathetic POS!

[billly]

I believe Mr. Vang's story is the truth. Think about it, he even admits to shooting them in the back. a person doesn't just shoot a bunch of men esp when you are outnumber 5 or 10 to 1 for no reason. these group of hunters must have said something really insulting to Mr. Vang and i think shot at him or near him to ty to scare him...if the those hunters did shot at him first which i believe ..then i can understand why Mr. Vang did what he did, i would too

[Redleg Duke]

You are absolutely right! This is a story about an naturalized American asshole who murdered six Americans. It isn't about a "clash of civilizations" or anything else. Some bastard went off the deep end and six innocent folks paid for it with their lives.

I am surprised they didn't play the "assault weapon" card!

[Brad’s Gramma]

hmlenchen3...thanks, that was a great link...lots of stuff on there.

LS...ping to #96.

[oldfella62]

Because only one hunter from the landowner's group happened to have a rifle when they approached Vang. Of course, that person was one of the first shot. So it's not like Vang was surrounded by a wild, armed mob. Vang has a prior record, and seems unbalanced. Do the Hmong people have their version of Reverend Al Sharpton or Jessie Jackson? If so, he may get off pretty easy. Any thoughts?

[Ladysmith]

Oh Lord, I did. Did you see the slideshow in there?? I was in tears...

I bookmarked that post so we can post some threads from there. I just can't right now, trying to get through this databasing! LOL!!

OH! OH!! I think there was a link in there saying the fundraiser had brought in over $20,000 in two days?! You talk about generous folks!

[Brad’s Gramma]

I did see the slideshow. I can't imagine that poor lady burying her husband AND son, on the same day.

I missed the $20,000...incredible how WONDERFUL people can be.

[injin]

"This year, as many as 15,000 more Hmong refugees still waiting at a bleak camp in Thailand called Wat Tham Krabok"

This is not accurate ; Wat Tham Krabok is not a refugee camp and neither is it a bleak place . I have visited it several times and it is very verdant and the people lived there quite well and were happy to have jobs in the vicinity. The Thai wanted to throw out the Hmong after many with ties to Tham Krabok were caught or implicated in the methamphetamine trade in Thailand. What should have happened is all Hmong that were from Laos (not all are) should have been repatriated to Laos and a Laotian Government that was compelled to abide by international human right standards.
This has never happened because Thailand is weak and deferential to it's neighbors ,and the UN refuses to back the Hmong or pressure Laos because of the same old anti-US bias and the secret scheming of the PRC on the Security Counsel . No one dares try and make any of these commie bastards accountable for the mass death the followed in the wake of the US pullout from SEA. The Hmong are among those very victims. It's a very complicated matter , made worse by all the weakness in the region.

[Iowa Granny]

..if the those hunters did shot at him first which i believe ..then i can understand why Mr. Vang did what he did, i would too

You can't possibly be serious.

Do you honestly believe that an exchange of ugly words (and we really only have one person's word that this actually happened. The surviving victim says it didn't happen) could justify taking the lives of 6 people?

[dead]

Mike Katterhagen, another mourner, said he and many of his neighbors felt anger about what happened, but he said, "I don't know if you can place it at who."

He must be a regular NY Times reader.

Normal people know exactly who to be mad at and why.

[Ladysmith]

Oh God, I know. A friend I worked with worked the the wife and mother of the father and son. Apparently, she used to work with us but I have no idea who she is (the company was pretty big at the time.)

My friend is a strong person but can get pretty worked up with worry, now she's worried about her son heading out hunting.

It's going to be a long time before that area gets over this.

[Ladysmith]

...blah... worked with the wife and mother

[jude24]

all these third worlders are the same in my book

That's because you're a racist ass.

[Brad’s Gramma]

I'm thinking that NOW is the safest time to go out in the woods.

[Ladysmith]

My brother sure thinks so!

[Brad’s Gramma]

Think about right after 9-11....it WAS safer then because everyone was looking after each other. Same thing now.

Give her a hug, tell her who I am, where I'm from, my family history, etc....and tell her to let him go back out there.

Please?

[Iowa Granny]

this thread

[Ladysmith]

You may want to check into his history first. He has a history of trespassing and not paying the fine for the conviction, for threatening others with a gun, and is under suspicion of another murder of a hunter from a couple/three years ago.