3.13.2004
Over the last month, I have received stories of first and second hand accounts of citizens in action. Many of these were similar in nature so I went ahead and just listed the main stories, not their copycats. I want to leave you this weekend with a glimmer of hope for the future. With people like this in our country, we can only pray that others will follow their lead.
Freehold, New Jersey
Mayor Michael Wilson and the City Council, supported by a group of residents
calling themselves People pressing our Elected Officials to Protect our Living
Environment (P.E.O.P.L.E.), have declared war on immigrants of this city
utilizing extremely logical arguments to conduct a defamation campaign to the
immigrants, mostly Mexicans; accusing them to use the Schools and Hospitals
without paying taxes, of not being in the military service, causing a housing
crisis, to take the Jobs away, to cause economic problems draining the economy
and to produce Jobs.
The Mayor and council have already begun to
implement illegal regulations, that officially go into effect on January 1,
2004. The regulations are directed at the immigrant population, which consists
of mostly Mexicans, and the intent is to expel them from the city. Under these
measures and as of this date, the City police will be able to detain immigrants
anywhere in the city and fine them up to $500.00. , arrest for 30 days. An area
particularly targeted, because day laborers gather there to wait for employers
to pick them up, is the well known "The Muster Zone" on Throckmorton Street.
Dallas, Texas
David Marcos hires 16 day laborers from a convenience store front in downtown Dallas. David transports them in the back of his truck approximately 6 hours outside of Dallas into the town of Snyder where he instructs them out of his truck at gunpoint and leaves them in a privately owned field where the owner promptly calls the local police to arrest the 16 illegal immigrants for trespassing.
Columbia, South Carolina
Following the sexual catcalls made by a 18 year-old Mexican male, Laura Hahn and Susan Herrman physically attack Javier Solaro by using pepper spray and a rock. Javier is sent to the ER with damage to his left cornea, a fractured skull and two broken ribs due to his assault. All charges are dropped following the initial hearing.
Yonkers, New York
A 27-year-old Yonkers man has been arrested by city detectives and accused of killing a day laborer whose body was found Sunday in a wooded ravine on McLean Avenue.
Amede "Pito" Irizarry of 14 Coyle Place was charged with second-degree murder in the bludgeoning death of Ignacio "Nacho" Meneses, 24, who was well known in the recreational Mexican soccer leagues in Yonkers, where he played for five years.
We can only hope that no more violence is visited upon the illegal immigrant community for we are not sympathizers of those who use actual force in order to convey messages. However, we hope stories such as these spread throughout the illegal immigrant community and will create a climate of fear. When the day laborer realizes that this trip in a strangers truck could be his last, maybe he will think twice before unzipping his fly and urinating all over our immigration laws and judicial system. Thanks to all who wrote me this month with these stories of heroism. Please keep them coming. God bless you all.
Victor Bousier
3.13.2004