Immigrant's beating death exposes tensions in Pa.

[devilgrrl]

Immigrant's beating death exposes tensions in Pa.
By MICHAEL RUBINKAM (Associated Press Writer)
From Associated Press
July 18, 2008 1:12 PM EDT

SHENANDOAH, Pa. - Luis Ramirez came to the U.S. from Mexico six years ago to look for work, landing in this town in Pennsylvania's coal region. Here, he found steady employment, fathered two children and, his fiancee said, occasionally endured harassment by white residents.

Now he is headed back to Mexico in a coffin.

The 25-year-old illegal immigrant was beaten over the weekend after an argument with a group of youths, including at least some players on the town's beloved high school football team, police said. Despite witness reports that the attackers yelled ethnic slurs, authorities say the beating wasn't racially motivated.

Hate crime or not, the killing has exposed long-simmering tensions in Shenandoah, a blue-collar town of 5,000 about 80 miles northwest of Philadelphia that has a growing number of Hispanic residents drawn by jobs in factories and farm fields.

An investigation continues, and no charges have yet been filed, but police say as many as six teens were involved in the fight, which ended with Ramirez in convulsions and foaming at the mouth. He died early Monday of head injuries.

Crystal Dillman, the victim's 24-year-old fiancee, who is white and grew up here, said Ramirez was often called derogatory names, including "dirty Mexican," and told to return to his homeland.

more: http://enews.earthlink.net/article/nat?guid=20080718/48801540_3ca6_1552620080718-2009481722

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Ah yes, Give us your poor, your tired, your huddled masses longing to be free...

:popcorn:

[emilyg]

1. Very sad and disturbing

Ah yes, Give us your poor, your tired, your huddled masses longing to be free...

I guess that does not apply to illegals.

[Blaze Diem]

5. Happens to black US Citizens too, & also happens to any race that is

outnumbered by its counterparts.
Not disputing right or wrong, but just saying what I observe about human nature.
Don't know how a determined mentality can be changed, honestly.

[roody]

13. No person is illegal.

[AlinPA]

2. 'Muricans. Inspired by conservative republicans leading the way in 'Murican "values". nt

[marmar]

3. I'm surprised there hasn't been a "That's sad, but he WAS here illegally" post.....

This is sickening. And sadly, there will probably be lots more incidents like this one.

[devilgrrl]

6. give it time...

the ways things have been going here lately it's guaranteed to happen.

[pampango]

8. There are surely those who want to post "That's sad, but...".

Perhaps your post will prevent them. I doubt that the thugs that murdered this man checked his immigration status before they attacked him.

[no_hypocrisy]

4. "the attackers yelled ethnic slurs, (yet the) authorities say the beating wasn't racially

motivated."

Inconsistent.
Hypocritical.
Lying.
Mendacious.

[elehhhhna]

7. 6 on one is not a "fight", it's a attack. Hope they enjoy the "fights" they're

going to be involved in in prison.

[EFerrari]

9. Are you calling those fine athletes "racists"?

Typical liberal PC handwringing. :sarcasm:

[devilgrrl]

10. Oh come now, he was illegal, he asked for it.

:sarcasm:

[pampango]

11. His attackers might not have known, or cared, whether he was illegal

or not. They knew he was Hispanic, though, and that was more than enough for them. :mad:

[EFerrari]

12. The thing is, the "illegitimate" smear attaches to all Hispanics

with some nut cases. I've heard it umpteen times. They start out talking about immigration and wind up talking about "those people".

Which is a big clue about the way Republicans and their mouth-breathing base have shaped the discussion about immigration and why they have put so much energy into it. I'm only surprised that there haven't been MORE deaths at the hands of these haters. :grr:

[mmonk]

14. Corrupt governments encourage hatred in the populace

for easy targets such as the politics surrounding immigration. The more people hate along these lines, the easier it is for governments to channel that hate into increased power.