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Steve Levy: “Enabler In Chief”

Posted September 2, 2009 by Patrick Young, Esq.

At a riveting press conference occasioned by the release of a detailed report on the “climate of fear” Suffolk immigrants live under, Mark Potok of the Southern Poverty Law Center condemned Steve Levy as the “Enabler in Chief” of the marginalization of Latino immigrants.
Potok said that “a pervasive atmosphere of fear and criminal violence” had come to characterize Suffolk’s relations with its immigrant population. He described “hair raising” episodes of threats and violence. He said that immigrants talked to his researcher about “being stoned, being beaten with baseball bats.” And, he told reporters that “many politicians in this county… did their very best to pour gasoline on this ugly fire.”
Potok said that research shows that hate criminals “think they are carrying out the will of their community.” When politicians scapegoat immigrants they empower hate criminals to act.
Sister Margaret Smyth of Riverhead said that the report confirmed her own experiences working with immigrants on the East End. “Very little time goes by”, she said, “without someone saying ‘Hermana Margarita, I’ve been spit at, I’ve been hit, I’ve had garbage thrown at me, I’ve been beaten up’.”
Ted will publish a longer report, with video in a little while, but I wanted to get this up right away. Tomorrow, I’ll give you a full analysis of the report.

Tags : hate crimes, splc, steve levy

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