Action Alert: Help Pass National hate crimes legislation now!

On the one-year anniversary of Luis Ramirez's death, the families of hate crime victims ask you to join their call for justice. On July 14, 2008, Luis Ramirez died after a group of teenagers hurled racial epithets and brutally beat him in Shenandoah, PA, ending with a fatal kick to his head. The Luis Ramirez family would like to thank you for your support and actions you've taken to seek justice for this loving father, son, partner, friend, and hard-worker. His family continues to deeply suffer their loss. Exacerbating the Ramirez family's anguish is the miscarriage of justice in Luis' case. Despite the evidence of a hate-driven attack, two of the assailants accused of beating Luis were found not guilty of murder, ethnic intimidation and other serious crimes, and were sentenced to only six months in prison for simple assault. Luis is not the only victim and will not be the last, unless we all continue to take action. Tomorrow, the U.S. Senate will begin debate on the hate crimes legislation aimed at strengthening federal laws protecting against hate-motivated crimes. The Ramirez family requests that, in commemoration of Luis Ramirez, you contact your Senator to demand that they vote "yes" on the Mathew Sheppard Hate Crimes Prevention Act. CONTACT YOUR U.S. SENATOR! The wave of hate crimes against Latinos includes young and old, citizens and non-citizens, women and men, and a spectrum of national origins - the victims are selected on only one basis - their Latino appearance. Do not wait to take action until the next victim is your brother, aunt, father, abuelita, or other relative or friend- the time to act is now! CONTACT YOUR U.S. SENATOR! Why the urgency? Hate-driven crimes against Latinos have risen 40% across the country since 2003. One year ago, 17-year-old Robert Cantu was attacked with a noose wrapped around his neck by a group of teenagers in Ohio who said they were "going fishing" for "n******". Robert lives in Ohio, is a U.S. citizen, and is Mexican-American. Last November, 37-year-old Marcelo Lucero was ferociously beaten and fatally stabbed in Long Island, New York by a group of teenagers who claimed they were going "beaner jumping." Marcelo lived in New York and was Ecuadorian. Only one month later, we mourned the murder of Jose Osvaldo Sucuzhañay, whose life was violently taken by a group of people whose crime was motivated by hate-filled bigotry. Jose was a businessman of Ecuadorian decent with established roots in Brooklyn, New York. Recently, two Chilean college students were shot to death in Miramar Beach, Florida, where they worked as part of an international foreign exchange program. The killer had reportedly told a neighbor to get "ready for the revolution to begin" and to get rid of "any immigrants inside [her] house." On the morning of this past 4th of July, Maria Guadarrama, a 45-year old woman of Orange County, CA was stabbed and robbed by two men with swastika tattoos who yelled racial epithets during the attack. How many more deaths and victims does the Senate need to pass this critical, common-sense legislation? This is a national epidemic whose growth is spurred each day by hate speech, distortion of facts, and anti-immigrant sentiment expressed through the media and irresponsible politicians. CONTACT YOUR U.S. SENATOR! Please join the Ramirez, Sucuzhanay, Lucero, and Cantu families in calling upon the Senate to pass national hate crimes legislation now! Sincerely, Gladys Limón Staff Attorney MALDEF Make sure you receive MALDEF email updates. Add info@maldef.org to your approved senders list. Click here to unsubscribe from email sent by MALDEF. © 2009 MALDEF Design by Plus Three | Powered by ARCOS MALDEF NATIONAL HEADQUARTERS Los Angeles Regional Office 634 S. Spring Street Los Angeles, CA 90014 Tel: 213.629.2512

I Stand with Sotomayor

Today, the Senate Committee on the Judiciary will begin its hearing on the nomination of Judge Sonia Sotomayor to be an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States. Throughout the week, Sotomayor for Justice will be providing complete coverage and analysis of the hearings from the best legal experts in the country.

Working with our partners, we have compiled over 350 articles and reference materials to keep you informed on the facts and record of Judge Sotomayor going into today's hearings and will post analysis from our experts daily and in real-time through our blog and on Twitter.

Please note we have received word that Judge Sonia Sotomayor's opening statement at her confirmation hearings will be earlier than originally expected. Sotomayor is now expected to make her opening statement at 2pm Eastern.

Here are 5 simple ways you can show your support for Sotomayor.

Live Stream of Confirmation Hearings
Sotomayor for Justice will live stream every minute of the hearings as a public service to help inform and educate everyone about the qualifications, experience, and commitment to justice that Judge Sotomayor has exemplified in her life and career.

Find a Watch Party
Join others in your community and come out and join a watch party. Watch the hearings, join in the conversation, and make new friends.

Sotomayor for Justice Blog
Read and comment on the expert opinion of legal analyst on our blog. You don't have to be a lawyer to comment and show your support for Sotomayor.

Nomination Tweets
Sotomayor for Justice will track all of the conversations on Twitter around her nomination in real time. Anytime, anyone, anywhere, tweets about Sotomayor we'll pick it up and report it to you.

Free Poster Download (and more)
Show your support by downloading your free poster of "I Stand with Sotomayor".

The community is bursting with pride and excitement over the pending confirmation of Judge Sotomayor. She has an impeccable record of accomplishment and possesses all of the credentials and experience that make her worthy of serving on the nation’s highest court. We look forward to making her confirmation hearings accessible to everyone and to share in this historical event.


Sincerely,
Henry Solano
Henry Solano
Interim President and General Counsel
MALDEF

P.S. Be sure to tell your friends and family. They'll appreciate the reminder!

Posted by:
Jerin Alam
National NOW Young Feminist Task Force
National Organization for Women (NOW)