I believe in second chances however when it comes to racism, it is hard for people to change their perception. I may be wrong. Mark Wahlberg's racist past has come to haunt him but his supporters are saying he is a changed man who has done a lot of good as an adult. Do you agree?
Before Mark Wahlberg became an accomplished Oscar nominated actor, producer and business man worth $200 million, he was once a drug addicted teenage thug with a history of racist crimes. One of his first felony charges occurred on the afternoon of June 15, 1986. Jesse Coleman, a 12-year-old black boy, and his older brother and sister were walking back to their home in Dorchester. Wahlberg, then 15 and three friends began following the group on bicycles, when one of the boys shouted at them, “We don’t like black niggers in the area, so get the fuck away from the area,” according to court documents. The three terrified black kids began running away, and Wahlberg and his gang chased them on their bikes. During the chase, Wahlberg and his friends began chanting, “Kill the nigger, kill the nigger,” while throwing rocks at the kids. The victims were able to find solace at a Burger King before Wahlberg and his troublesome friends rode off.
Perhaps his most violent crime occurred in 1988 when Mark then 16, approached Lam, a Vietnamese resident of Dorchester, carrying “a large wooden stick, approximately five feet long and two to three inches in diameter,” according to court documents. Wahlberg yelled at Lam, calling him “a Vietnam fucking shit,” and then hit him in the head with the stick. Lam was knocked out cold. Wahlberg fled from the scene.
Mark Wahlberg was tried as an adult, and charged with attempted murder. He eventually pleaded guilty to assault, and was given a two-year prison sentence but was released after serving just 45 days
Recently Wahlberg who is co-owner of family restaurant chain Wahlburgers says the restaurant chain may potentially run into licensing problems due to his criminal record, which he claims, “can potentially be the bases to deny me a concessionaire’s license in California and elsewhere.” He filed a petition for a criminal pardon to Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick on November 26 apologizing for his past crimes, and hoping to have them stricken from the record. “I am deeply sorry for the actions that I took on the night of April 8, 1988, as well as for any lasting damage I may have caused the victims,” he wrote in the petition. “Since that time, I have dedicated myself to becoming a better person and citizen so that I can be a role model to my children and others.
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