On July 14, 2008, Luis Ramirez lost his life after he was knocked unconscious and severely beaten in Shenandoah, PA by a group of teenagers who yelled racial epithets during the attack. Despite overwhelming evidence of the hate-fueled murder, two of the perpetrators were acquitted of all serious charges and were convicted only of simple assault and alcohol-related offenses. Wednesday, the Schuylkill County Court sentenced them to a mere six and seven months in prison. This is not justice for Luis Ramirez and his family.
Luis Ramirez’s story is yet another chilling reminder of the need for the Matthew Shepard Hate Crimes Prevention Act. After the conviction, HRC President Joe Solmonese participated in a press conference convened by the Mexican American Legal Defense and Education Fund (MALDEF) to stress the dire need for federal hate crimes legislation. At the press conference Joe said:
“Sadly, Luis’s brutal murder dramatically underscores the need for this legislation. Hate violence in America happens all too frequently – nearly one every hour based on FBI statistics. Yet, state and local authorities too often lack the training or resources to fully investigate and prosecute these crimes. And sometimes, local authorities abdicate their responsibility to ensure that justice is served…
… The Local Law Enforcement Hate Crimes Prevention Act will equip state and local law enforcement officials with the tools they need to combat hate violence. And when local authorities fail to act, this bill will allow the federal government to step in and ensure justice prevails.”
In its absence, the Human Rights Campaign and our allies continue to push for justice. HRC joined with our allies such as MALDEF in urging the U.S. Department of Justice to file federal hate crime charges against the perpetrators of this horrific crime.
HRC, MALDEF and nearly 300 civil rights, religious and law enforcement organizations are calling on the Senate swiftly pass this critical legislation to guarantee that bias-motivated violence throughout the country will be not be ignored, and that no other family will have to witness the kind of injustice that Luis Ramirez’s family has seen.
The Senate recently announced it will hold a hearing on the Act this Thursday. Take action and tell the Senate to pass this long-overdue legislation.
Contributed by HRC Senior Counsel Cristina Finch
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