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| SOMOS ANASTASIO |
We are nearing the 20th anniversary of the
civil uprising in Los Angeles, sparked by the acquittal of four officers who
participated in the infamous Rodney King beating. It is very ironic that we
have yet another case of law enforcement abuse and brutality enacted against a
long-time resident of San Diego (Encanto) and father of five children. While
there are several differences in this case, mainly being this victim died at
the hands of his torturers, the similarities are glaring.
On the news show Need
to Know, PBS recently released new eye-witness video that leaves little
doubt that on May 28, 2010, Anastasio Hernández
Rojas, a 42-year old construction worker, husband, father
of five US-citizen children, and long-time resident of Encanto in San Diego,
CA, was tortured and murdered by Border Patrol. Rojas was brutally beaten,
repeatedly shot with a Taser while handcuffed and hog-tied in Border Patrol
custody. He eventually died from the injuries sustained in the cold-blooded
attack by Border Patrol agents at the San Ysidro Port of Entry in San
Diego.
Why should we care? Well, just like the Rodney King
case, these abuses by Border Patrol have been reported for a long time. Just as
in the case of Black people mistreated by authorities, eye-witness testimony
has played on deaf ears when investigating law enforcement officials. Through
our shared [Black] history and experience in America, WE know how difficult and
dangerous it can be to come forward in reporting these heinous crimes. Despite
the fact that human rights activists and advocates have for decades
continuously documented claims of mistreatment and brutality by Border Patrol, the
chilling video made public for the first time by PBS, has brought the brutality
faced by many on the southern border to the small screen of millions of
families across the US.
The Border Patrol officers (roughly 20) who were
present and participated in the homicide of Anastasio Rojas were acting in the
same fashion as the police officers who beat Rodney King on that March night in
1990. They didn’t care who was watching, and much worse, they didn’t care that
their actions would have deathly consequences for Anastasio. These officers act
with impunity and have no accountability for their actions. The U.S. Department
of Justice has never intervened and required Border Patrol to address the
killings of people on either side of the border. We must stand on the side of
justice and force the hand of the government.
Why should we care? Anastasio was our neighbor, our
brother, and “there but for the grace of God, go I.” The ruthless beating and
murder of Anastasio is not a case of a few rotten apples, the entire Border
Patrol is out of control, since 2010 from San Diego to Texas, at least 10
border residents have been killed or seriously injured by Border Patrol. All
have been men of color…who better understands injustice of this magnitude
better than Black folks in America…that’s why we should care!
If you would like to help, please go to www.presente.org
and visit www.bringjusticehome.us to sign the petition for
President Obama and Atty General Eric Holder to demand answers. Christopher
Wilson is the Director of Civic Engagement at Equality Alliance of San Diego
County.
