Re: Mining Racism and Murder in a Northeastern Pennsylvania Coal Town
- From: charles q <q.charles132@xxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Sun, 3 Aug 2008 16:05:53 -0700 (PDT)
On Aug 3, 2:15 pm, trudogg <independ...@xxxxxxxxx> wrote:
On a street in Shenandoah, Pa., deep in the heart of the anthracite
coal region, six White teens took their racial hatred to a higher
level. They confronted 25-year-old Luis Ramirez, an undocumented
worker, and beat him to death.
At first the police chief, the mayor, and borough manager refused to
believe racism was involved. Although there was already racial and
ethnic tension in the 5,000 population town, the town's political
leaders were united in one belief--it was just another street fight
gone bad. "I have reason to know the kids who were involved, the
families who were involved, and I've never known them to harbor this
type of feeling," said the borough manager.
It took police almost two weeks, even with several witnesses, to
finally arrest four of the teens. The district attorney charged two of
the teens with homicide, aggravated assault, and ethnic intimidation,
and two others with aggravated assault and ethnic intimidation.
Unindicted co-conspirators are millions of Americans and the far-right
mass media.
It's common for people in a nation that is in a Recession to complain.
They're frustrated with their lives, with bad working conditions, dead
end jobs, and low incomes. They're frustrated by skyrocketing prices,
obscene corporate profits, and do-nothing legislators. The problem
isn't "us," they believe, but "them." Others. Outsiders who "invaded"
America.
A century ago in the coal region, good ole boy Americans complained
about the Irish and Poles who took "our" jobs in the mines. For
decades, Whites kept Blacks out of almost all but the most menial
jobs, and then lynched those who they found to be too "uppity." During
the 1920s and 1930s, the masses of Germans, trying to rationalize
their own economic distress, decided the problem was the Jews--and
Americans went along with that ethnic racism. We blame Asians.
Africans. Muslims. Anyone who's different.
In today's America, it's the "Illegals," the code-name for
undocumented Mexicans. Of course, undocumented Swedes or Canadians or
anyone with White skin pass under the radar. Anyone with dark skin
doesn't.
However, politicians and pundits together yell that "illegal" means
just that. "What's not to understand about 'illegal'," they screech.
They claim they aren't after any one race or people. Just get rid of
illegals. You know, the ones who take "our" jobs. Take "our" welfare.
Take "our" education. Take "our" health care. For free! And, while
they're taking, say the forces of righteousness and purity, these
illegals become criminals. Some do. But most don't.
You can't reason with people in their own crises. You can't tell them
that our prisons are filled not with undocumented workers but with
American citizens. You can't explain that most undocumented workers
don't want hand-outs because they don't want to be known to the
authorities. Volumes of data won't convince some of the masses that
undocumented workers, the illegals, often live in near-poverty and
don't get welfare. They don't even go to the ER when necessary, and so
their illness or injury "runs its course" while destroying other body
systems because these undocumented workers, already exploited by
American business, are afraid of being identified and deported.
In our schools, hatred festers and breeds. Jokes about race,
ethnicity, religion, women, gays, and anyone not "us" are told and
retold by students--and by teachers and principals who should know
better.
Two decades ago, the hatreds would have been somewhat isolated,
confined to the corner saloon or social club. But now,
self-aggrandizing politicians and media talk show hosts and pundits,
who erroneously believe they are populists, spew hate-filled torrents
of bigotry and fear-mongering.
I don't know if the six teens who murdered Luis Ramirez listen to talk
radio, watch Fox News, or read web blogs and anonymous call-ins and
letters to the local newspaper. They don't have to. Their community
does.
Walter Brasch
--http://gssites.com/bbg/index.html
I must say that it was an act of cowards and fools.6 of them? Thats
pushing things way to far.I don't know if the guy was illegal or not
and to me it shouldn't have mattered anyway's.Just because he was not
white certainly did not merrit them beating him to death.I for on say
they should make an example out of the 6 of them.That was truley most
tragic
.
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