Will Two Murder Cases Show Different Standards of Justice for Mexican Immigrants?
Jose Medillin was rightfully executed today for the brutal murder and rape that he participated in 15 years ago with other gang members when two young women just happened to walk by a drunken gang initiation ritual. There was little doubt about Medillin’s guilt as he had bragged about the event to others. His case attracted world wide attention because he claimed his conviction should be overturned. He was brought to the United States illegally at age 3 and only claimed after he was convicted that under the Vienna Treaty he should have been given access to the Mexican Consulate. Mexican government officials and the World Court stated that he could not therefore be condemned to death but the U.S. Supreme Court found no cause to stop the execution.
On July 12, 2008 undocumented Mexican alien, Luis Ramirez, was walking home with his niece in Shenandoah, Pennsylvania when three drunk local teenagers without any provocation began calling Mr. Ramirez racial slurs and beat him severely such that he died of head injuries within a few hours. According to Mike Urban of the Reading Eagle Newspaper a group of six white males began shouting at Mr. Ramirez ” You don’t belong here..Spic..Get out of this neighborhood..”. The victim tried to call for help on cell phone but was pursued by the teens who ultimately continued to beat the man even after he was unconsciousness. The teens even beat up his 15 year old niece before they ran away. The day following the event the teens met and tried to conceal their involvement. Even though there was an eye-witness it took many days before local authorities arrested the assailants.
Brandon Piekarsky, 16, and Collin Walsh, 17, both of Shenandoah, were charged with homicide, ethnic intimidation and related counts in the July 12 killing of Luis Ramirez, 25, of Shenandoah. However, their attorneys claim that they should be treated as minors and that the six on one attack should be considered “just a street fight gone bad”. Even more ridiculous they claim the the racial slurs that preceded the attack do not imply a hate crime.
The victim’s fiancee, Crystal Dillman, 24, of Shenandoah and mother of his two young children , calls the beating a hate crime, saying the teens attacked Ramirez because he was Latino. Further she noted this is part of “widespread’ discrimination in the area. “As Schuylkill County district attorney I want to emphasize that there can be no forms of prejudice against any ethnic group and any such crimes will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law,” said District Attorney James A. Goodman who will be prosecuting the case.
Illegal aliens who commit crimes in the United States should be punished under the full extent of the law. At the same time, anyone in the United States regardless of their immigration status should be accorded the basic human rights afforded by the Constitution. The killers of Luis Ramirez should not be held any less responsible for the egregious murder because he happened to be an illegal alien. Already their defense attorneys are trying to take advantage of feeling in the community that Hispanics are an underclass. The growing anti-Hispanic rhetoric masquerading as border security discussions has clearly played a role in this tragedy and one wonders whether more will follow. Recently even noted liberal Keith Olbermann of NBC’s Countdown had to apologize after referring to a Hispanic as a “houseboy”. The world will be watching to see if they get the same justice as Jose Medillin or if they are judged under a different standard.
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