Saturday, July 16, 2005

Rape Spurs Anti-Hispanic Backlash in Ohio

This article from AP is certainly engaging after reading Orcinus' (Dave Neiwert's) Death on the Fourth of July. It has all the hallmarks he addresses in his book, particularly a community with a rapidly changing racial makeup.

"HAMILTON, Ohio - It started with the spray-painted, misspelled "Rapest" on the house of a Hispanic man accused of sexually assaulting a 9-year-old white girl. Then the house went up in flames in a suspected arson.

Confrontations, name-calling and threats against Hispanics followed. Men roamed the streets wearing pillowcases with eye holes, and Ku Klux Klansmen in hoods and robes showed up to pass out pamphlets. There were rumors of assaults and beatings.

Now this small Ohio river city's booming Hispanic population is cowed, the streets in their neighborhoods nearly deserted."

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