May I try to be the voice of reason for a moment? The news coverage was created by a Remembrance at Martin Anderson’s grave, right? At that time and place, one should have expected a mother and family displaying love and grief for the one they were gathered to remember. It seems oddly lacking that a remembrance service brought no comments about the boy he was or could have or should have been…along with a few words on the good he did and the sweet character he possessed. I saw no tears. I believe the remembrance was of the venemous hate for the individuals involved. As I have grown older, I remember the condition of forgiveness in the Lord’s prayer: “Forgive us our trespasses AS we forgive those who trespass against us.” AS means in the manner that we forgive. I hope she has few things of which to be forgiven. Lastly, the individuals involved have been exonerated by a jury. Facts and evidence not mentioned here were considered by them. Another trial would be double jeopardy.

I think when your God given parents neglect to love or raise you its called abandoned, I know, I was abandoned and the hole that leaves in your heart and soul leaves you feeling unworthy, damaged, and wondering why wasn’t I worth loving, this grandmother alone couldn’t feel those voids only God can. I am not religious and I don’t care what color this child was, he was a child! As for a couple of the hot headed guards who got caught up in the moment they knew there are ways to deal with those types of situations and they know it this way is just more exciting, this was no different than a group of bullies in High School and the kids who would rather be on the bullies good side so they stand by and feed off of his hatefulness and become just like him. Certain officers have low self esteem which they over compensates by being angry and abusive, we were all that way, I just realized that if I didn’t get out of it someone could end up really hurt, money or a nice power trip aren’t worth it

Athena, his grandmother is the only really decent person in this whole slimy mess. His mother was and still is out for nothing but herself and what she can get. She proved that by the way she dumped him on his grandmother in the fi rst place and then when there was money to be made, she suddenly became the loving mother. She is just as guilty and even more so for the kid’s death. Now she just wants to make a name for herself. I can give her one but they wouldn’t print it. As for those that say I don’t know what I’m talking about, I’ve been there! I’m a product of the foster care system and have never been in jail so don’t toss that at me. The kid made his life choices just as I did. But he might have had a shot at life had he had a REAL mother and not this waste of life.

The mother never told Boot Camp people about her son.  She was supposedly there so what was her problem?? It is amazing that his criminal past as of juvenile never was brought to light. He was a criminal and if he would have done what the jailers told him he would not be dead now.. His mother wanted money and all the NAACP and these other religious people are after is REVENGE for his MOTHER!!! Everyone should not pay them attention and the criminal system should make her pay back the millions she got.  She is the reason her son is dead and she needs to face it!If it had been a white person none of this would have ever been brought up. I am not a prejudice person but it’s time this ends and those guards are left at peace. They are the ones who have suffered for what the mother omitted to tell them.  They allshould file a class action suit against her and get all the money she recevied for themselves. She and the NAACP have made a mockery of this whole case.

Labelling him “abandoned” isn’t quite correct.  Didn’t his grandmother step up and try her best to take care of/help him?  I feel the worst for her out of all this.  At least she loved the boy.  Is she beating on the State’s door searching for “justice”?  If so, I certainly haven’t read about it.

Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world. James 1:27 - Now for the definition of orphan:a person or thing that is without protective affiliation, sponsorship, etc.,not authorized, supported, or funded; not part of a system; isolated; ABANDONED: So According to God’s word we (society) are responsible for these types of children, maybe we didn’t know this child but there are a lot of people who did know him and should’ve stepped up and volunteered time to spend with him, this is a dead child we are talking about (good or bad) God created him, He created all of us in His likeness and without the proper love and training we can’t grow up to bear good fruit. Find a child today that needs love and you may just help prevent the next incident of rape, burglary, or murder.

As a mother, it is MY responsibility to raise my child and to instill values, manners, etc into my child.  IT IS NOT society’s responsibility!!  I chose to have my children and they are my responsibility.  If my child fails then I have failed, as a parent, not society.  I understand they will make mistakes as they grow, but I also understand that mistakes will have consequences and those are things that my children are also aware of.

It is sad that a young man, at all of 14 years old, could be judged as being a thug when he didn’t have the chance to live long enough to be labeled anything. And, what is even sadder is that some posters on this forum continue to argue and make ridiculous accusations about his mother and refuse to see the important role we all play in raising the children in this community. It is a poor man or woman who won’t own up to his or her role in shaping the life of a child. I suppose you think that no one helped to steer you in the right direction, or maybe that is part of the reason you don’t see the need to help someone else?

You’ve got it right, Nekkid. Where was this so-called “loving” mother when he really needed her? And now these people seem to think that society should be responsible because he turned out to be such a loser? Had she been there for him in the years he really needed her, maybe, just maybe he would be alive today. Then there are some that are just what we used to call “bad seed” and nothing or no one can help them outside of God Himself. This woman makes me sick to my stomach!

nekkid, couldnt say it any better!!! good job!!

Well now that we’re into name calling, you’re just a typical liberal coward.  He made a lot of decisions in his life that ultimately led him down the path to his death.

Nobody thinks the guards shouldn’t have handled it differently, but that is easy to see after the fact.  Those guards deal with thugs all the time and 99% of the time, they are faking or just acting out.  This time, he wasn’t faking and they couldn’t tell the difference.  People make mistakes which you like to point out as long as it helps your cause.  Those guards made a mistake that they have to live with.  Now liberals have gotten the program shut down which makes Bay County worse than it was before.  Congratulations.

Regardless of any mistakes that were made, responsibility ultimately falls on Martin and his family.  It is not the responsibility of society to fix Martin Lee Anderson.

To Me it seems that most you are rednecks who don’t care for anyone but your kind.You don’t know how Martin was raised.So what if he was a delinquent, as you may say but he was also a good person.He made some mistakes but doesn’t everyone.he could have had a plan to change his life after the program but he never got a chance.Most of you all are bad talking his mother like it’s her fault..half of you don’t even know what your talking about,how can you let something like this go..you must don’t know what it’s like to loose a child.just because he wasn’t active in the community and all that other mess your referring to as being a part of society.But the video should have told you enough so I and everyone else has a right to blame those guards for what happened..why does it take 7 people to restrain a child????then the nurse standing there watching she should have did something instead of waiting to the last min.about time she came he was already dead.

Blame changes nothing, but prayer changes everything! God forgive us all for not taking the opportunity to teach our kids your ways, or for not helping out the kids who have unmet needs.

And for those who do try everything, the blame lies with the kid…quit trying to blame everybody but the one responsible.

Martin Lee Anderson’s mother DID NOT try everything…hell, she didn’t try ANYTHING.

Dear Nekkid: Talk to a judge who listens daily to frustrated parents who have tried EVERYTHING but still can’t reach their child then get back to me. It’s not about responsibility when you have tried all you know but still can not get results. Some children need more than a parent is equipped to give which is why we have these agencies with employees who are trained to help. Life Management, Child Advocacy, Youth In Action, Boys and Girls Clubs,etc. are all in business because like so many other things today the times have changed and if a parent spanks or even talks harshly to their child they call CFS so some parents need to seek other resources to help them or find themselves victims in their own homes or worse, in trouble themselves. If you’ve never had a problem with your child then you are one of the fortunate few but for those who have problems with their children try a little understanding of what a frustrated parent goes through. That’s all I’m saying.

...to discover what or who he may have become. The people entrusted to help him failed and blaming the parents is not going to make things better. It is a shame that we continue to fuss and fight over who is right and who is wrong while our kids are taking their clothes off and getting paid for it(GGW), starting fights, stealing, beating each other up, taking guns into schools, using drugs and the list goes on and on. We could be more helpful by exchanging ideas on how to help them and volunteer with youth organizations that are structured to help them rather than continue to put them down. If we don’t help them, and they are our future whether we like it or not, who will?

Quit blaming society!  It isn’t the responsibility of “society” to raise your children.  You are responsible for your home…take responsibility!

When you lose your son at the hands of irresponsible licensed juvenile corrections employees then and only then can you begin to understand this woman’s pain. Shame on anyone who feels the need to ridicule and belittle her after what she has been through and to think that money can suffice for the price of her son’s life is ridiculous. No one knows what a little TLC and belief in him would have done to turn him around isn’t that what the boot camp was all about, restoring the lives of the children? Shame on us for putting this family on trial for having basic human problems. How many parents in this area have children who are guilty of worse? Just take a stroll down to the juvenile courthouse and listen to a few cases. Having to build a juvenile courthouse is proof that something is wrong with our society. When the adults want to throw the children away instead of pulling together to help them make something of themselves then we have a real problem. At 14 he didn’t have a chance…

“Something was taken away from me, my child. I would never forgive those, all that was involved in killing my son.”

It is sad when somebody just can’t find it in their heart to forgive themselves.  I hope she does eventually.

true, and we can all thank ole charle for wanting black support and opening the state checkbook. the state should sue the wanna-be mother to get the money back. and if she doesnt have it plop her sorry butt in jail, along with her crackhead boyfriend. they should profit zero!!

Hey Gator, I think 7 mil is pretty well enuff to be paying for someone that was wasting his time on this planet. And now his would-be mamma wants even more? She should be locked up for life in solitary for impersonating a human being. The woman obviously has no heart and is only looking to make a name for herself at the expense of the child she abandoned and left someone else to raise. How blind do people have to be to not see this? they keep playing the racial card but fail to even notice that some of the Deputies were black as well. This whole thing is just a lame act on her part. I thought the NAACP had some brains but now I wonder….

oldman, you are right, but to go a little further, mla was failed by the woman that had him, didnt want to describe her as a mother because she wasnt, his grandma tried but it was too much of a task. but mla was a peice of trash wanna be gangbanger, one of the good things to come out of this is he cant committ anymore crimes against the people of this state, and we dont have to pay his legal fees and pay to house him for the rest of his life in prison. enjoy!

Just another loser with a Jesse Jackson mentality. Whatever it takes to stay in the spotlight! Oh, her “son” died? Where was this loser when the kid really needed her? She can’t even spell “mom” much less be one! Put her in jail for being a waste of human breath! If she had been there where she was supposed to be maybe her “son” would still be alive instead of being the juvenile delinquint he was. Or maybe now she wants to move in with another loser named Crist?

Please stop giving this woman a venue to air her anger—not grief. She and all who stand with her will not be satisfied until those who were found not guilty by a jury, are punished in some way she finds satisfactory. I think she contributed to her son’s death to a larger degree than any of those who were charged, tried, and ACQUITTED. The charges she is pursuing at the federal level amount to double jeopardy. These people have been acquitted. They should not now be tried for depriving the deceased of his civil rights, i.e., his life.  She accepted 7 million taxpayer dollars.  She now wants to eat her cake, too.