Dear suspects,

Recently Facebook, Twitter and Instagram has exploded with opinions on your video. Your video became widely known as a stomach ache for those watching and a heartache for your victim who was disabled. This video showed a young 18-year-old, who suffered from schizophrenia and attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder. The boy who once believed he was spending time with a friend on new year's eve became a scared and abused boy who was forced to react for the camera. Many are happy to know that recently you have each been charged with a hate crime, felony aggravated kidnapping, aggravated unlawful restraint and aggravated battery with a deadly weapon. Although you are now in jail and can no longer torture this man, he will remain mentally tortured for the rest of his life due to memories and recollections of this event. As an 18-year-old myself, I could not imagine the gut-wrenching feeling of fear that ran through the young boy's body. Picking on someone is never honorable, and picking on someone who is mentally challenged is beyond dishonorable.

Trump's recent win has upset many people, but torturing someone to get an opinion across about the president and a certain race of people is an invalid way to express an idea. You tortured a man into voicing your opinion in order to keep himself alive. According to CNN :

"The graphic footage has stunned the country, not just because of the abuse, but because of the comments made by some of the assailants. "F*ck Donald Trump!" one attacker shouted in the video. "F*ck white people!"Antonetti , the prosecutor, said the victim was forced to yell "I love black people" and "F*ck Donald Trump!"

If this is the way we exclaim our opinions then America is not the place I believed it to once be. Did you need to break this man down in order to get your point across? Is this really the way we express our dislike for something? My hope for a safe future draws smaller and smaller the more I see news stories like yours. No matter what background you come from, anyone in their right mind knows better than to pick on someone with a mental disability. I am thankful every day that you did not pick on my cousin nor my friend who themselves are mentally disabled. The hate crimes have to end, and although the hate won't end so easily, we need to discover new and healthy ways to work through anger and hate.