I had heard about this case, but only tangentially, and hadn't fully processed the magnitude of the injustice until reading about it in an email from Presente, a new online organization focused on empowering the Latino community with a stronger and more unified national voice.
Luis is an immigrant who was beaten to death by white attackers in a brutal hate crime -- and yet he gets no justice in Shennandoh, Penn. What kind of country are we living in, when our justice system is corroded by racism, and people can literally get away with murder?
Thankfully, the Justice Dept. under President Obama is investigating this, but local leaders such as Democratic Governor Ed Rendell must show leadership and speak out about this turn of events. He may not be able to do anything about Luis' death, but he can at the very least commit to no other innocent immigrants or any human beings being treated this way in his state, under his watch. Here is an excerpt from the letter being circulated by Presente:
As Governor, it’s imperative that you make clear that what happened to Luis Ramirez is not consistent with your vision for justice in the State of Pennsylvania. You should speak loudly and clearly about your commitment to the safety of all residents of Pennsylvania, no matter their country of origin or immigration status. A strong statement like this is essential to begin the process of healing in Shenandoah, and to make sure this never happens again.
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