Who Are We When We Are All Suffering?

The Pew Hispanic Center released a study this week that revealed that Hispanics living in America have the same concerns as everyone else: the economy, the state of public education, and health care top the list of most important priorities for the Obama administration. With Latinos amounting to half of the US population growth since 2000, we better start seeing our Hispanic residents as part of a whole, too, the whole of America. Latinos voted for Obama 67% to 31% for McCain. So now, even the Democratic Party has to pay attention to our neighbors.

Which brings me to Suffolk County, NY. Home of the hate crime as sport among young white teenagers with nothing much else to do. In addition to killing Marcelo Lucero, an Hispanic immigrant in Patchogue, a group of high school boys has been indicted for beatings of other Latinos. What is most disturbing is that Suffolk County police admitted that they didn't consider these other attacks as hate crimes, despite the fact that Latino men were the victims and the perpetrators were young white men. Ummmmm.

Words have meaning and the vicious xenophobia of Suffolk County executive Steve Levy has infected the Suffolk County police so that they are blind to the obvious.

We have a problem here.

Over 500 People Mourn The Death of Marcelo Lucero in Patchogue

Despite the steady rain, over 500 Long Islanders came to the spot where seven young, angry, unhinged white men surrounded and stabbed an Ecuadoran man, Marcelo Lucero, killing him brutally. This outpouring by the community is important, because it shows that there are decent people who want to change the way we interact with each other.

The change that people voted for this past election is essential to America's future. It doesn't just happen. Whenever I feel despair, I watch those crowds at Obama rallies once again. I see America as it can be, should be, as most Americans want it to be. But we have to make it be. It is not a passive experience. We must be intentional in healing the wounds that run so deeply in our national psyche, and within our individual stories. Racism is very complex and often very personal. It can be undone, if we believe that we can.

Here is a link to the Newsday coverage of last night's vigil. There is video and a slide show, too.

Be intentional in everything we do. There is no time for despair.