I'd have to agree with milesg. Being all redneck about it isn't exactly going to help even if you believe an injustice has been done. We're all civilised people, no need to spew irrationality all over the place here. Let's try and be constructive eh?
For what it's worth, I personally think with the mentalities of some of the rural folk that you see it would not have been surprising to see the two farm workers beat a person repeatedly breaking into his shed, even if it were some white kid. Put it this way, if I were a white kid caught breaking into some farmer's shed after having repeatedly doing so in the past, and all I got was a few bruises around my neck, and a few cuts around my body, I'd be feeling pretty lucky. Doesn't make the farmers right of course, but as the judge noted they acted in a criminal way and got punished for it.
By the way, here's the article from AAP below.
NOOSE By Danielle Lancaster and Steve Connolly
GOONDIWINDI, Qld, May 18 AAP - Indigenous leaders have warned that race violence in southern Queensland could explode after two white men who tied a noose around an Aboriginal youth's neck escaped with small fines.
David Hillary Tomkins, 44, and his son Clint William Tomkins, 23, both pleaded guilty today in the Goondiwindi Magistrates Court and were each fined $500 on a charge of assault in company.
They had been facing a committal hearing on the more serious charge of assault causing bodily harm over an attack on 16-year-old Alan Boland.
The court heard Mr Boland had a noose tied around his neck and was beaten with a stick after he was allegedly caught breaking into a shed on the farm where the Tomkins worked, 25km outside Goondiwindi, on November 30 last year.
After a brief adjournment of today's hearing the defence and prosecution agreed to a guilty plea on the lesser charge.
The two farm employees were also ordered to pay $600 compensation to the victim and had their convictions recorded.
More than 100 people protested outside the court and the Tomkins had police protection as they were led out through a side door.
Local indigenous leader Bert Button said an appeal would be made to the Department of Public Prosecutions and Queensland Attorney-General Rod Welford, while civil action against the Tomkins was being considered.
"This is going to incite racial violence," he said of the case outcome.
"The justice system stinks. It's saying it's all right for non-indigenous people to go and put a rope around someone's neck and drag them up and down a river and give them a flogging. We're saying that's not on."
Former ATSIC deputy chairman Ray Robinson said the Queensland government should investigate the police handling of the case.
"It's time there was a deep investigation on what went on here today," he told reporters outside court.
Mr Boland did not attend court to give evidence today and Mr Button said the youth's mother Roslyn Boland was pressured into accepting a plea bargain.
Outside court, Mrs Boland said: "I'm not very happy with the verdict given today."
Mr Boland was with three other residents of the Toomelah Aboriginal Mission, just across the NSW border from Goondiwindi, on the day of the incident.
The Tomkins' lawyer Robbie Davies said the farm had been subjected to frequent break-ins and local police had given the owner permission to restrain offenders.
Mr Davies said the Tomkins' actions were not race related.
"It's a pity they didn't have the hindsight to put a rope around his waist and not his neck," he told the court.
"This is not a racial event. It would have been the same if it was a white youth.
"It's been misconstrued to everyone's grave horror and concern."
Magistrate Dennis Beutel said the Tomkins had gone "too far" when dealing with Mr Boland.
"There was some bodily harm outside what would have been considered reasonable action," he said.
