Dear Les,
A Black man is beaten to death by White teenagers after they assault him with racist slurs. The attackers tell the man's friends they'll be next if they and "their kind" don't leave town. Then, the attackers are cleared of all serious charges by an all-White jury.
We know this type of story all too well given the history of Black folks in this country. This time, the story is about a Latino man--Luis Ramirez--killed because he was a Mexican immigrant. Luis' murder is part of a growing trend of hate-based violence against Latinos, and most elected officials have been unwilling to even acknowledge it.
ColorOfChange exists to fight for the interests of African-Americans and amplify our political voice. But when we see this kind of hate directed at another group of people, we want to make sure our members have an opportunity stand up against it. Our friends at Presente.org are calling on the governor of Pennsylvania to break his silence, now.
Please join them to create a level of public outcry that can't be ignored--and please invite your friends and family to do the same.
Color of Change
Thanks and Peace,
James, Gabriel, William, Dani and the rest of the ColorOfChange.org team
Luis Ramirez was brutally beaten and killed in a small Pennsylvania town because he was a Latino immigrant. Now, two of his attackers are on the verge of freedom, acquitted of all serious charges. We must stand up against hatred and violence towards Latinos communities and demand that our elected leaders do the same. Help us call on Governor Ed Rendell to speak out against the bigotry and fear that led to Luis Ramirez’s death.
Demand that Governor Rendell speak out
After they had beaten Luis Ramirez to death, the white teenagers who attacked him sent an ominous message to Luis' friends:
Tell your f**king Mexican friends to get the f**k out of Shenandoah or you'll be f**king laying next to him.1
Just over a week ago, two of Ramirez's killers were acquitted of all serious charges by an all white jury2, with the jury foreman making it clear that justice for Ramirez had no chance in the small town of Shenandoah, PA:
I believe strongly that some of the people on the jury were racist. I believe strongly that some of the people on the jury had their minds made up maybe before the first day of trial...And I believe the four boys that were involved the most are racist. I absolutely do...3
Thanks to the hard work of MALDEF and others, the Department of Justice is now looking into Ramirez' death.4 But that's only part of what's needed. Where are the leaders in the State of Pennsylvania? Why has the governor had nothing to say? His silence is shameful.
Until our elected leaders speak up, we can expect more stories like Luis'--not just in Shenandoah, but across the country. Governor Rendell owes it to Pennsylvanians and Latinos everywhere to condemn and speak out on what's happened. Together we can demand that he does. Please click the link below to add your voice and ask your friends and family to do the same. It takes only a moment.
http://presente.org/ref/ad/9/campaigns/ramirez
If Luis Ramirez's death were an isolated event it would be outrageous enough. Sadly, it's part of a growing trend of racially motivated violence against Latinos, particularly in rural communities. According to the FBI, hate crimes against Latinos rose 35% between 2003 and 2006.5 And as author David Niewert writes, the target of hate crimes goes beyond their immediate victims: "The purpose is to terrorize the target community, to drive them out, eliminate them."6
That kind of intimidation only works only if the people who are targeted remain silent, and officials in positions of power remain unaccountable. That's why we need to speak out and let folks across the country know we won't tolerate hate and violence towards our communities. It starts with demanding that the Governor of Pennsylvania make clear that anti-immigrant hate has no place in Pennsylvania. It's time for him to show leadership now.
Join us in calling for him to speak out: Presente.org
Thank you and Adelante!
The Presente.org Team
References
1. "Town struggles with fallout from immigrant's fatal beating," CNN, 7-31-2008
2. "Jury acquits teens of murder in Mexican immigrants' beating death," Associated Press, 5-2-2009
3. "Jury Foreman Calls Other Jurors Racist," WNEP, 5-2-2009
4. "Luiz Ramirez Hate Crime Petition," MALDEF, 5-5-2009
5. "The Year in Hate," Southern Poverty Law Center, Spring 2008
6. "A jury's hate-crime verdict in rural Pennsylvania reinforces the racial divide," Crooks and Liars, 5-3-2009
Letter to Governor Rendell from Les Blough
Dear Governor Rendell,
The acquittal of those who killed Luis Ramirez is of course outrageous and unacceptable in civilised society. It is also another sign of the last stages of the collapse of the state and society in the United States. I born and grew up in Somerset County, Pennsylvania and with the exception of my Amish/Mennonite community (originally German immigrants), I saw some of this hatred toward people of color in the all-white public school I attended and later at Bethlehem Steel where I worked for a period of time. But in the past few years hatred and racism has blossomed as it once did prior to the civil rights movement. These are reasons that I moved my family out of the United States to Venezuela where people of all colors immediately accepted us into their community. The only racial slurs I hear in this country are members of the white opposition calling President Chávez a "mono" (monkey). Racist-based beatings and murders are unheard of. We were fortunate enough to be able to escape the growing violence and hatred of the U.S.. Most people in the U.S. are trapped for financial reasons and cannot.
No longer can Pennsylvanians deride Alabama, Georgia and other southern states as being the seat of racism. It is now pervasive throughout the country and a direct result of the government's genocide in the Middle East, their policies against immigrants and their destruction of the US economy. The government and their handmaidens, Hollywood, TV police shows and the mass news and entertainment media are directly responsible for the murder of Luis Ramirez and the parody of U.S. justice and culture. Placing a token African-American in the White House cannot hide or change these facts. You, Governor Rendall as the most powerful politician in Pennsylvania also bear direct responsibility for these crimes and the acquittal of these men. You supposedly have the power to speak out and exemplify the ideals of racial and class equality. Please fulfill your responsibility to do so. It could cost you your political career, but in doing so, you would bring dignity to the office you hold and the people you have been elected to serve in the State of Pennsylvania.
Sincerely,
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