We Can Stop The Hate | Latest Outrage

A Look Inside the Minuteman Project: “It’s Just Like Hunting”

Thu, 02 Jul 2009 12:20:22 GMT

This week, The New York Times (NYT) delved into the Minutemen Project and Shawna Forde, former head of the Minutemen American Defense. Forde was recently arrested for the murder of nine-year-old Brisenia Flores and her father Raul. The murder happened during an inconceivable attempt to steal money for the development of an underground militia targeting undocumented immigrants.

NYT quoted former Minutemen American Defense member Merrill Metzger saying, "I had to take an oath, and part of the oath was that I couldn't eat Mexican food. That's when red flags went up all over for me. That seemed like prejudice."

Another former member, Chuck Stonex, said Forde had talked about buying a ranch near Arivaca, AZ and building a compound. According to NYT, Stonex said that he took an excursion in October into the desert with Forde, where, wearing camouflage and carrying handguns and rifles, they searched for illegal immigrants.

"It's just like hunting," Stonex said, describing the tracking skills the group used. "If you're going out hunting deer, you want to scout around and get an idea what their pattern is, what trails they use."

Read the full article.

Family of Latina Killed in Train Crash is Victimized by Hate Calls

Thu, 25 Jun 2009 12:32:21 GMT

In an astonishing display of insensitivity, a number of callers paid their respects to the family of a victim in Monday's tragic WMATA train collision, not with condolences, but with hate. Callers harassed the family of the late Ana Fernandez, mother of six, seizing onto her Hispanic surname and reports that she had emigrated from El Salvador as an excuse to intimidate her children and relatives.

According to wtop.com, the family of Fernandez received several threatening phone calls questioning her legal status and that of her children. Ana's sister has said that Ana was here legally and that all of her children were born in the U.S.

Our condolences go out to the family, and our outrage goes to those who made these calls.

New report focuses on “Confronting the New Faces of Hate”

Fri, 19 Jun 2009 14:50:30 GMT

Earlier this week, the Leadership Conference on Civil Rights (LCCR) Education Fund released its most recent report, Confronting the New Faces of Hate. This study documents how some in the anti-immigrant camp have resorted to "the dehumanizing, racist stereotypes and bigotry of hate groups." The report notes:

"As inflammatory rhetoric targets immigrants at the same time that the number of hate crimes against Hispanics and others perceived to be immigrants steadily increases, a heightened sense of fear has gripped Hispanic and other minority communities around the country."

The Washington Post ran a story on the LCCR report. The article highlights that U.S. civil rights leaders have noted that "an increase in hate crimes committed against Hispanics and people perceived to be immigrants in recent years ‘correlates closely' to the nation's increasingly contentious debate over immigration, faulting anti-immigrant rhetoric in the media and extremist group mobilization on the Internet."

Read Confronting the New Faces of Hate here.

In OH the Sentence for Attacking a Latino & Tying a Noose Around his Neck is 10 Days in Jail & $100

Fri, 19 Jun 2009 10:13:49 GMT

Apparently, in Mount Vernon, Ohio the sentence for attacking a Latino, tying a noose around his neck, and dragging him through town is ten days in jail and $100.

On May 30, 2008 Robert Cantu and his friend were attacked by several assailants shouting racial slurs. Cantu's friend got away but the assailants caught Cantu. The attackers tied a noose around Cantu's neck and proceeded to drag him from their truck for several feet. They then allegedly stopped the truck and began to attack him. They threatened to hang him.  An acquaintance of Cantu's, Ezzy Thompson, happened to be passing by and intervened. The attackers fled and Thompson was able to untie the noose from Cantu.

"[Thompson] was with his girlfriend," said Cantu. "He saw me on the ground and ran over and pushed the guys off me. He got the noose off me. I've known Ezzy for about eight years. He was just in the area."

Several months later at the Anti-Defamation League's insistence, Dale Klein was charged for this crime by the police. The case was given to the prosecutor on December 8, 2008.

On June 17, Dale Klein, 18, pled no contest through his lawyer to the second charge of committing ethnic intimidation by reason of race, color, religion, or national origin, which is a fifth-degree felony. He had originally pleaded not guilty. As a result of that plea, the charge on the first count, committing aggravated menacing, a first-degree misdemeanor was dropped. The maximum sentence for the charge could have included six months in jail.

The judge sentenced Klein with ten days in jail and a $100 fine.

"What you did was shameful," judge Ronk told Klein. "It brought shame on you and apparently brought some shame upon this community. And that is something you should regret. I also know this, Mr. Klein. All of us were 17 at one time and have done something stupid. We all make mistakes. You made a significant mistake. Generally speaking, in this world we treat other people the way we want to be treated. I kind of doubt that's what happened. You certainly are deserving of some punishment."

The case was tried in juvenile court since Klein was 17 years old at the time he committed the crime. Since Klein is now 18, the sentence will be served in an adult facility.

In a brief statement to the court, Marcie Cantu, the victim's mother said:

"First I want to thank everyone involved. This has impacted our lives deeply. We have the right to live here just like everybody else without being harassed, hurt or, intimidated. We need to send a message out to the community that you cannot treat other human beings in this manner.  You will be brought up and you will be punished."

When speaking with reporters after the trial, Marie Cantu expressed dismay with the verdict:

"It was supposed to be 30 days, and even that wouldn't have been enough. They put a rope around his neck and they towed him. There is no justice, and that's pretty obvious. The big question is, why haven't the other three people been charged. And if I want them charged, I have to find out who they were and where they lived. That's not my job. That's the police's job."

Read the story here, here, here and here.

What is Required - Nothing Less than a Wholesale Reexamination of the Entire Minutemen Movement

Tue, 16 Jun 2009 21:33:14 GMT

This week our colleagues at the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) released an updated backgrounder on Minuteman activist Shawna Forde. In addition to having a long and sordid history of blaming Hispanic "immigrants" and "gang members" for the world's ills, including blaming a series of uncorroborated and highly suspect personal "attacks" on them, Forde was just charged with the first-degree murder and burglary of a Pima County, Arizona man and his nine-year-old daughter. Forde and her two accomplices allegedly targeted the man-a suspected drug dealer-in hopes of financing their anti-immigrant activities.

Forde is a longtime member of the Minutemen and has close ties to many of its leaders, particularly Minuteman Project head Jim Gilchrist. Apparently, the self-proclaimed unbigoted and nonviolent Minutemen have no problem associating with a vociferously anti-Latino activist who earlier this year sent an email about her upcoming trip to the border and claimed, "It is time for Americans to lock and load."

Nor is this the first such incident. In previous incidents documented by this website, Minutemen members have been arrested for carrying firearms during and threatening participants at pro-immigration rallies; producing videos showing Minutemen members tracking Mexican immigrants through night vision goggles and then shooting them; assaulting day laborers; calling on Minutemen members to "steal the money from an illegal walking into a bank or check cashing place"; and on and on.

http://www.wecanstopthehate.org/uploads/Hate_Crimes_Fact_Sheet

It is not enough for Gilchrist to now express regrets for the direction the movement he helped initiate has taken. It is not enough for Minutemen American Defense member Chuck Stonex to disavow Forde's actions by saying, "This is not what Minutemen do," when the kind of bigotry and hate touted by the Minutemen is exactly what compells people to murder. What is required is nothing less than a wholesale reexamination of the entire Minutemen movement, not based on their beliefs, which they have a right to uphold, but based on their violent actions.

http://www.adl.org/main_Extremism/Shawna-Forde-Arrested.htm

Candorville Daily Comic on Judge Sotomayor and NCLR

Fri, 12 Jun 2009 10:29:46 GMT

View a larger version of this comic.

Act Now! Stand Up for What is Best in America!

Fri, 12 Jun 2009 05:02:27 GMT

Thank you for standing up to the nonsense! In just a week and a half, over 4,000 people have responded to the National Council of La Raza's (NCLR) petition asking Republicans to restore the debate on Judge Sotomayor's Supreme Court nomination to a more appropriate level of civil discourse.

We will be presenting this petition to Republican National Committee Chairman Michael Steele, House Minority Leader John Boehner (R-OH), and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) on June 19. We have one week between now and then to make a final push and gather as many signatures as possible. Please join us in asking these Republican leaders to denounce this smear campaign and keep the nomination process civil, respectful, and constructive.

You've done it once. Let's do it again and send a strong message to the Republican leadership. If you haven't already done so, please sign the petition today. If you have, forward it on to your family and friends. Let's make sure that this petition has 5,000 supporters by the time it lands on Michael Steele's desk.

NCLR Condems Fatal Attack at the U.S. Holocaust Museum

Wed, 10 Jun 2009 17:20:50 GMT

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE            Contact:
Jun 10, 2009                                      Jackeline Stewart
                                                              (202) 785-1670

NCLR CONDEMNS FATAL ATTACK AT THE U.S. HOLOCAUST MUSEUM

Washington, DC-Janet Murguía, President and CEO of NCLR (National Council of La Raza), the largest national Latino civil rights and advocacy organization in the United States, called today's killing of African American security guard Stephen Tyrone Johns at the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum "an evil reminder of the hate that threatens our nation's security and values."

Suspect James Von Brunn, who according to press reports and federal officials is an avowed white supremacist and anti-Semite, is the latest example of hate that has victimized innocent civilians and attacked American values.

"We stand with our brothers and sisters in the Jewish community, who have long extended support to Latinos and other communities experiencing the ill consequences of hate. Our thoughts and prayers are with the victim's family," said Murguía.

"NCLR commends law enforcement for working swiftly to apprehend the gunman," Murguía continued. "We call on all Americans to increase their vigilance to prevent acts of violence that are too often linked to bias based on race, ethnicity, or religious beliefs."

NCLR is committed to working across racial, ethnic, and religious lines to increase tolerance and understanding among all communities.

For more information, visit http://www.nclr.org/ and http://www.wecanstopthehate.org/.

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Republicans, Stand Up to the Extremists! Much Hangs in the Balance, Including our Votes

Mon, 08 Jun 2009 08:16:42 GMT

The nomination of Judge Sonia Sotomayor to the U.S. Supreme Court was an historic and proud moment for Latinos in America. But as proud as our community is over her nomination, we have been stunned and repelled by the visceral reaction it has generated among many in the Republican party.

Rush Limbaugh, former House Speaker Newt Gingrich, former congressman and presidential candidate Tom Tancredo, and others are claiming that Sotomayor is a "reverse racist." Mark Krikorian of the Center for Immigration Studies-the "think tank" of white supremacist John Tanton's anti-immigrant groups-and the National Review online attacked Judge Sotomayor for pronouncing her own name correctly.

In an article that appeared in The Hill newspaper, Republican insiders are quoted as being "concerned" that Sotomayor's avowed love of arroz con gandules and other Puerto Rican delicacies will cloud her judicial decision-making. Conservative commentator Debbie Schlussel called Sotomayor "Judge J-Lo" and suggested that she was about as qualified to be on the Supreme Court as the well-known singer.

Clearly judge Sotomayor's ethnicity has proven to be too much of a temptation for those who give voice to hate and extremism. Instead of looking at her judicial record, they have launched a vocal rampage that has reached new heights of absurdity.

In one attack on Judge Sotomayor, Tom Tancredo faulted the Justice nominee for being a member of "La Raza" and likened the organization to a "Latino KKK." The "La Raza" of Tancredo's failed historical analogy is actually National Council of La Raza (NCLR), the largest Hispanic civil rights and advocacy organization in the United States.

His and others' attitudes are offensive, shameful, and a slap in the face, not only to dedicated NCLR staff and partner organizations, but to Raul Yzaguirre, former President of NCLR, who marched with Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. to secure civil rights for all Americans. Raising questions and concerns about Judge Sotomayor's 17-year record on the bench is legitimate. Resorting to outdated stereotypes, defamation of character, and outright falsehoods is not.

Republican party leaders must denounce the extremist rhetoric surrounding the nomination of Judge Sotomayor to the U.S. Supreme Court.

While we applaud Senator John Cornyn's call for civility, these gross mischaracterizations of Judge Sotomayor coupled with the deafening silence of the Republican leadership are leaving many within our community with a disturbing picture of the Republican party. Party leaders need to understand that much hangs in the balance here, including the Latino vote.

NCLR has released a petition asking Republicans to restore the debate to a more appropriate level of civil discourse. In just one week, the petition has already gathered over 3,000 signatures.

We are calling on Republican National Committee Chair Michael Steele, House Minority Leader John Boehner, and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell to stand up to the extremists. Stand up for your party. Stand up for what is best in America. We are better than this. The Republican party is better than this.

We ask you to sign your voice to this petition and help us send a strong, loud message to the Republican party today.

Sin Palabras (There are no words…)

Mon, 08 Jun 2009 08:04:48 GMT

The Oklahoman Newspaper 6/3/09