LatinaLista — While the focus this past week has been on how the various primary candidates were trying to get voters to vote for them by flaring tempers over illegal immigration, there was another story happening that involved the same elements that are, unfortunately, considered part of every successful GOP candidate’s platform — public anger over illegal immigration and an undocumented immigrant.
The only problem is that the undocumented immigrant, 51-year-old Martin Reyes, died at the hands of schizophrenic teen who told police he hated Mexicans. Reyes was Honduran.
What’s worse is that Reyes’ attack wasn’t the first in Baltimore against a Latino. So far, there have recently been four other Latino men targeted, assaulted and robbed by attackers. Reyes own cousin was shot in the forehead in July.
In Baltimore’s Patterson Park, Donald Romero holds a sign at rally against violence against Hispanics.
(Photo: Jed Kirschbaum, Baltimore Sun)
Is it coincidence that all the victims are Latino?
It seems unlikely since the increase in assaults in the city didn’t start happening until illegal immigration dominated the headlines when Arizona passed their immigration bill in the spring.
While it would be premature to assume that all these attackers actually care about the issue of illegal immigration, it’s clear that these attackers actually think nobody does care about their victims.
To target Latinos without impunity can only mean that in their twisted minds they feel it is “safe” to assault individuals who are demonized by so many. They see that no one defends Latino undocumented immigrants and so these attackers must think they’re doing someone a favor by killing, injuring and robbing them.
Where could a schizophrenic teen get that idea? Where does the seed that plants such a fatal notion come from?
It comes from talk against undocumented immigrants that is neither censored nor challenged. The raw anger that people exhibit with the issue of illegal immigration has to be a turn-on for people who are not in their right minds.
The discussion of illegal immigration has crossed the border of responsible debate into an arena that doesn’t just inflame one side against the other, but creates a very deadly delusion — a license to kill.
