Sadly, this is becoming all too commonplace. We cannot help but become inured to violence, it is all around us.
Look at where entertainment is taking us for example; 'ultimate fighters' 'last man standing contests' The apparently unprovoked one sided fight we saw during a hockey game yesterday (on the news over and over, J. Roy-WHL) any number of video games. This senseless violence is becoming part of our everyday lives, such that they have to keep coming up with ever more extreme forms of entertainment just to capture attention from people with short attention spans.
metalman.

Funny thing, despite all of those "causes" for the escalating violence in our society. You left out the root cause of this example and the reason for many domestic problems around the world. Alcohol. Clearly drinking has caused more violence, and more domestic assaults and more trouble in general than any video game, or ultimate fighting show.

Nice party! We (the taxpayers) pay for the aftermath: Policing costs, court costs, the medical evacuation flight to Vancouver, the entire medical treatment and stay of the victim in the hospital - probably amounting to a couple of hundred grand when the final bills are totaled up!

In addition to attempted murder the brute ought to be fined to pay every dollar on the bill!

P.S.: It's not going to happen. He will plead that he was drunk, didn't know what he was doing, therefore he can not be held responsible for the things he did of which he has no memory! *The ole debbil likkor made me do it!*

Off the hook until the next time!

Seems to me this angry fifty year old is in some need of anger management counselling, eh? And if it was a babe he beat up it would have been a gender sensitivity course too. Counsel him til his eyes roll out of his head.

Diplomat is right.

Metalman, the romans used to have colliseums where gladiators would brutally execute prisoners to entertain the masses.
We are now tame by comparison.

I think people like this should get drunk and do battle in the multiplex, where we could at least recoup our costs for their party by selling tickets to the event.

It sounds like it was already a three ring circus.

I'm having a hard time responding to the comments above. I normally would agree with what's being said about this incident and the person involved, but in this case, I'm in the (unusual) position of knowing and working with this person. Perhaps fortunately, I only know the sober side of this individual, as he is one of the friendliest, hardest working and dedicated employees of the company I work for. He is a pleasure to work with, and is always willing to go the extra mile to ensure the job is done right.

Certainly, this doesn't give him any right or excuse to beat someone to within an inch of their life, but I'm absolutely convinced if alcohol was not involved, this incident would never have taken place.