Hispanic Calif. Leaders Receiving Threats

[Judi Lynn]

Hispanic Calif. Leaders Receiving Threats

By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
Published: April 24, 2006
Filed at 10:37 p.m. ET

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) -- The lieutenant governor and the mayor of Los Angeles, both Hispanic Democrats, have received threats amid a national debate over immigration policy, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger said Monday.

Schwarzenegger told reporters about the threats against Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa and Lt. Gov. Cruz Bustamante during a news conference in his office Monday.

Other elected officials of Mexican heritage have also received threats, Schwarzenegger said, but he did not name them.

Bustamante spokesman Steve Green said the lieutenant governor appeared at some immigration rallies with Villaraigosa in March and received ''nasty e-mails'' afterward. The death threat -- ''The only good Mexican is a dead Mexican'' -- came about three weeks ago on a postcard, he said.
(snip/...)

http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/us/AP-Immigration-Threats.html?_r=1&oref=slogin

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Hispanic Leaders Targets of Death Threats

By Shawn McGinnis, KTLA News

April 24, 2006, 5:25 PM PDT

It was revealed today that death threats have been made against several prominent Hispanic officials in California.

Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger made the announcement this afternoon.

The governor says the threats against Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa and Lieutenant Governor Cruz Bustamante come in the midst of a heated national debate over immigration policy.

Bustamante spokesman, Steve Green says the lieutenant governor received several "nasty-emails" and a written threat several weeks after appearing with Villaraigosa at some local immigration rallies.
(snip/...)

http://ktla.trb.com/news/ktla-shawndeaththreats,0,6020230.story?coll=ktla-news-1

(Edited to add 2nd story.)

[IndianaGreen]

1. Freepers always hide behind anonymous threats

I am sure that puke-nazis like Coulter and Malkin will accuse Villaraigosa and Bustamante of being hysterical.

[RagingInMiami]

2. Keep pushing, motherfuckers

keep pushing.

[liberaltrucker]

3. This gringo has your back

:patriot:

[RagingInMiami]

10. Thank you

We're all in this together. I wish more people would see that.

[proud2BlibKansan]

8. So does this gringo

The hate talk on this issue - from BOTH Democrats and repukes is downright repulsive.

[RagingInMiami]

11. But you are a gringa

A true liberal as you have proven throughout.

As I told LiberalTrucker, we're all in this together. Thank you.

[proud2BlibKansan]

12. No hablo espanol

I guess I need to learn, eh?

[RagingInMiami]

14. It never hurts to learn another language

[proud2BlibKansan]

15. Je parle Francais

[RagingInMiami]

17. There's a language I would like to learn someday

But not by sitting in a classroom in the U.S. But by immersing myself with locals in France. By living in Paris.

[proud2BlibKansan]

18. C'est magnifique

I tried to learn Spanish in college. I really did. But I kept speaking Spench (that's what my professor called it). I guess I have an LD brain when it comes to languages.

[RagingInMiami]

19. Spanish really helped me out in Italy

Where the languages are pretty similar. I learned basic Italian by books, simple things like how to do ask for directions, order food, etc. But then I would find myself slipping into Spanish when the conversation got more in-depth.

I never had a problem getting by though.

French, for me, is easier to understand if I read it. But because they don't pronounce the constanant, it's more difficult for me to understand it verbally.

[Ecumenist]

4. Surprise, surprise....

This is par for the course for these types.. They never show their heads, OH NO.. it's too easy to express their displeasure via stealth mode..

[DeepModem Mom]

5. Schwarzenegger: Immigration Debate Prompts Threats to Hispanic officials

LAT/AP: Schwarzenegger Says Immigration Debate Has Prompted Threats
From the Associated Press
April 24, 2006

SACRAMENTO -- Prominent Hispanic elected officials, including the mayor of Los Angeles and California's lieutenant governor, have received threats in the midst of a heated national debate over immigration policy, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger said Monday.

Schwarzenegger told reporters about the threats against Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa and Lt. Gov. Cruz Bustamante, both Democrats, during a news conference in his office Monday.

"There's something very important that I need to speak to my fellow Californians about," he said. "It has come to my attention that our Lieutenant Governor Bustamante and our Los Angeles Mayor Villaraigosa and other elected officials of Mexican heritage have received disturbing and hateful death threats."

Schwarzenegger said he also was disturbed to learned that vandals had torched and spray-painted ethnic insults on a Mexican-owned restaurant in San Diego County earlier this month.

Sheriff's officials ruled the April 10 attack a hate crime.

"That is not what California stands for," Schwarzenegger said. "I've asked the district attorneys throughout our state to be vigilant and swift in their actions against those who practice hate against our fellow citizens."...

http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-threats25apr25,0,3452726.story?coll=la-home-headlines

[Xeric]

6. Predictable

I hope those that have been taking part in the immigrant bashing see that they've encouraged and emboldened the nazi types out there.

[proud2BlibKansan]

7. No surprise here

I haven't heard xenophobic racism this bad since the 60s. Even Democrats are saying some really hateful things about Hispanic immigrants. And I have a feeling it's going to get a lot worse before it gets any better.

[neuvocat]

9. Hey Gov, start taking a look at Fresno.

That's where the FR HQ is at.

[951-Riverside]

13. Its not uncommon for public officials to receive threats

...How come this is being reported?

[Tiggeroshii]

16. Probably cause it' sin light of the immigration debate... n/t

[alarcojon]

21. Please

Governor Gropinator made a statement about it. We're dealing with the lieutenant governor of the state and the mayor of the second largest city in the country. They're both of Mexican descent and are getting death threats amidst a heated immigation debate whose flames are being gleefully fanned by right-wing hate radio and by more Democrats (even DUer's} than I care to mention. And you have a problem with this being reported?

These threats should be a wake-up call to decent people everywhere to tone down their xenophobic rhetoric. We Latinos are 1/7 of the population and we ain't going anywhere. Punk-ass anonymous threats by cowardly freepers won't suddenly make us "go back where we came from."

[951-Riverside]

23. Re: "And you have a problem with this being reported? "

No.

[alarcojon]

25. Then why ask

"why is this being reported"?

[951-Riverside]

26. Re: "Then why ask"

I understand that people are passionate about the immigration 06 distraction errr debate but I asked because "Its not uncommon for public officials to receive threats". Lt Gov. Bustemonte has been in office for a very long time I'm sure he's received alot of threats none of which have been reported and I'm sure given Mayor Villaraigosa's popularity he's received a bunch threats as well.

This CANT be the first threat these politicians have received in their careers.

[alarcojon]

29. Ask Schwarzenegger why he felt compelled to comment on it

and if you can't see that these particular death threats occur in a climate of high anti-immigrant (read anti-Mexican) sentiment, and that that is relevant to their newsworthiness, then we have nothing left to discuss here.

[NVMojo]

20. this is sick!

[alarcojon]

22. Kick!

:kick:

[Zorra]

24. I hope they catch these freepers and give them the maximum

sentence allowed by law. That might make the rest of them think twice about terrorizing innocent people.

Making death threats is a very serious crime.

[bdamomma]

28. Death threats against people who are demonstrating their free will

apparently there are those who are against free will and free speech, this just really sucks.

[countryjake]

33. Like the threats said, some people believe that the only good...

Mexican is a dead Mexican.

These are hate crimes, pure and simple.

[cboy4]

27. My life is miserable because of all of these Mexicans...Just miserable

:sarcasm: :eyes:

[Robbie Michaels]

30. I'm Not Surprised

There is growing anti-Mexican sentiment here in Southern California, and in some cases it doesn't matter if you're legal or not. You're seen as "part of the problem". :wtf:

[alarcojon]

32. I'm sure in most cases it doesn't matter if you're legal or not

I'm a US citizen of South American descent, born in Chicago. Both my parents are naturalized US citizens. People can't tell any of this from looking at me - xenophobes just see a "wetback."

[countryjake]

31. I hope Lou Dobbs is proud of himself.