JUSTICE FOR THE BRUTAL MURDER OF LUIS RAMIREZ-
Call on the Department of Justice to Prosecute this Murder as a Federal Hate Crime
Luis Ramirez, a Mexican immigrant, a son, a brother, and father was brutally murdered last year in Shenandoah, Pennsylvania by a group of teenagers that savagely beat him.
After Ramirez was murdered, his bereaved fiancée stated the following regarding the outcome of the trial, "I know they're going to try to make him look like nothing, and try to justify what the kids did, even though there's no way they could justify this. I know I'm not gonna get the justice I deserve; 10-1 these kids are going to get probation or a slap on the hand. Because he's an illegal Mexican they don't care. Right away he's less important."
Well guess what? The court system has failed us. Just last week, the men that fatally beat Luis were found "not guilty" of the most serious state charges including third-degree murder and ethnic intimidation despite the fact that when they were beating him while he was unconscious they yelled to his girlfriend's sister saying "Tell your effin Mexican friends to get the eff out of Shenandoah or you're going to be laying next to him!"
Last year it was Luis and many more people could be in grave danger because of their race, ethnicity/national origin, gender, sexual orientation or religion. Our nation is better than this and Luis' family deserves justice!
We ask that you join LCLAA, MALDEF and America's Voice in standing up against these injustices and call for the Department of Justice (DOJ) to prosecute this murder as a federal Hate Crime.
After the verdict, the head of the jury was quoted saying, "I believe strongly that some of the people on the jury were racist." He added that some of them "had their minds made up maybe before the first day."
Sign the petition to the Department of Justice and U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder demanding for the prosecution of Luis's murder as a federal Hate Crime:
The lack of regard for a human life because of where someone comes from is outrageous and unacceptable. Let's get justice for Luis and his family and make a statement that we cannot allow this to happen again. Please sign this petition and forward it widely:
Please send this email to 10 of your friends and loved ones now.
Thanks for standing up against hate!
The LCLAA team.
Send this petition to:
- Attorney General Eric Holder
- cc: House Committee on Judiciary
- cc: Senate Committee on Judiciary
Honorable Eric Holder
Attorney General of the United States
U.S. Department of Justice
950 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW
Washington, DC 20530
CC:
Members of the Senate Judiciary Committee
Members of the House Judiciary Committee
We, the undersigned, respectfully request that the Civil Rights Division of the United States Department of Justice bring federal hate crimes charges against and prosecute those individuals responsible for the brutal murder of Luis Ramirez in Shenandoah, Pennsylvania.
On July 14, 2008, Ramirez was beaten to death by a group of teenagers who yelled racial epithets throughout the killing. Witnesses told how Ramirez was punched and kicked in the body and head causing him to foam at the mouth, to sustain two skull fractures, and ultimately, to die. A retired Philadelphia police officer said she heard one of the defendants yell to Luis? friends, ?Tell your [expletive] Mexican friends to get the [expletive] out of Shenandoah or you?ll be [expletive] laying next to him.?
On Friday, May 1, 2009, a jury found two of the defendants accused of beating the 25-year-old, father of two, guilty of simple assault. Despite the evidence of a hate-driven attack, the jury found the defendants ?not guilty? of third-degree murder and ethnic intimidation. We, the undersigned, are outraged by the circumstances and outcome of this trial, at a time when hate crimes against Latinos have increased 40% over the past few years and are on the rise.
We respectfully request that you complete a full investigation, bring federal hate crimes charges against and prosecute those individuals responsible for Ramirez?s murder, and send a strong signal that hate crimes will not be tolerated in our great nation.
Signed by:
[Your name]
[Your address]
