http://www.cnn.com/2010/CRIME/10/04/pennsylvania.immigrant.beating.death/index.html?npt=NP1
First, I'd like to point out that I chose this article because of the recent events that have occurred at Rutgers University. I didn't do that case because it is high profile, but I wish it was getting even more attention. Hate crimes are a terrible thing in America.
My article is about a Mexican immigrant named Luis Ramirez who was beaten to death by three young men in Pennsylvania. The three men were drunk walking home from a bar and saw Luis and beat him to death while yelling racial slurs at him.The three men were first convicted of a misdemeanor simple assault. All felony charges were acquitted. After the verdict, the Governor of Pennsylvania wrote a letter to the U.S. Attorney General suggesting that the Justice Department pursue civil rights charges. One of the men's charges were dropped but the other two are facing hate crime charges now. If the two are convicted of the hate crime, they could face life in prison.
I do not think this crime is entertainment. The part of the CJ article that this reminded me of was the Crime Justice Policy and Media Research section. To me, this article instilled fear into the readers minds. I think this article isolates public interest groups, especially with the other recent hate crimes, and it shoves another traumatic hate crime in their face. This hate crime certainly makes some individuals feel victimized.
I happen to agree with the way the article is presented. It shows the seriousness of hate crimes and by instilling fear in the readers mind, perhaps adversaries of certain groups will have a change of heart.
I think it is important that this article points out that hate crimes are still happening. I do feel that it could easily be turned into an entertainment piece by striking fear/anger over the cruel events instead of sticking to the court facts.
ReplyDeletePersonally, as someone who studies hate crime/groups/movements, I would have liked to see this case lead to more of a discussion about the community and the verdict. How do you acquit someone on felony charges that stomped someone to death? Simple assault? I don't think so...simple assault usually means something less than a drunken bar fight with no injury..
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