Hate Crime: Gay Puerto Rican Teen George Steven Lopez Mercado Brutally Killed
This grotesque crime is made worse by the response of the police. The police investigator responded to questions concerning the murder of George Steven Lopez Mercado that "people who lead this type of lifestyle need to be aware that this will happen." The police investigator, when making a public statement, has the power to affect the community. By choosing to warn the gays in Puerto Rico instead of the murderers he is colluding with the murderers. He had the power to reinforce that these actions were illegal and justice would be served in this torture and murder hate crime case. He instead chose to warn other gays in Puerto Rico that this should be expected as though citizens who are gay are not protected under the law.
According to the Towleroad translation of local news, some Puerto Ricans are demanding that the police investigator be replaced because he is prejudiced in this case. Those requests are being made to Superintendent Figueroa Sancha.
Puerto Rico has a conservative religious climate, being strongly influenced by Roman Catholicism and socially conservative protestantism. Puerto Rico is also a United States territory. As a result the brutal murder of George Steven Lopez Mercado is a hate crime under the hate crime legislation signed into law by President Barak Obama of the United States. To date no murder has yet been classified as a hate crime in Puerto Rico. Homosexuality in Puerto Rico is not illegal and George Steven Lopez Mercado deserves as much protection under the law as any other Puerto Rican citizen.
Hate crimes differ from regular crimes in intent. When someone commits a hate crime it is not simply a personal attack. A hate crime is done for the purpose of breaking the spirit of a group of people. The police investigator confirmed that this was a hate crime in his statement that these things will happen to people who lead the gay lifestyle. By ripping off someones arms, legs, and head the murderers symbolically attempted to separate George Steven Lopez Mercado from his humanity. In pieces a person seems less human and less important. The world will remember George Steven Lopez Mercado as he was, an innocent Puerto Rican citizen who lived a lifestyle that was legal and consistent within himself.
Hate crimes are not new to the gay community around the world. No matter what one's views on homosexuality, citizens attacking other citizens on the basis of a personal characteristic is unacceptable. I have had several of my friends attacked because they were gay or their gender representation was not what the attacker thought was appropriate. It is not appropriate for citizens to take legal matters into their own hands by causing harm to other citizens. These hate crimes must be addressed as such.
George Steven Lopez Mercado was well known in the gay community of Puerto Rico. There has been a huge response in the Puerto Rican gay community. He was loved and will be missed by his friends.
Sources:
Christopher Pagan, Brutal Hate Crime Murder in PR Not Being Covered, CNN iReport
Andy Towle, Gay Puerto Rican Teen Decapitated, Dismembered and Burned, Towleroad
Published by Rose Ellen
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27 Comments
Post a Commentthat is completely wrong even though people shouldnt be judged for who they are to begin with. people choose to have a life that they want, no should ever change that. they have a right to life about that they can do in their own life no one elses. we all have a right in life, other people can change them.
The fact that these murdering thugs have coldly murdered this teen says a lot about them, that they are deranged in the head and unstable. What excuse are they going to use next time when they murder somebody else. The fact that the police officers comment shows he condones this barbaric murder. Whether somebody is gay or not isn't anybodies business, just as its not their place to say whether they're FOR or AGAINST! Just seems primitive to me!
That is so terrible that those evil thugs tortured that gay teen with brutality and with barbarism. Even though, he was gay, they had no right at all to kill him. I am against homosexuality, but I love the homosexuals. Let God judge the gays, not the people judging the gays, even though they do not agree with their lifestyle.
We are so sad! We join the rest of those mourning tonight. Shame on the police force for looking away! We shall ovecome!!
sensless,barbaric,horrifying, you can not begin to describe such an inhuman act of violence and hate. The heartless moron that leads the investigation,should be fired. His innapropiate comments do nothing but condone the act, as if he was asking to be killed and dismembered. When are people goin to begin to understand that we are all gods creatures, that we are capable of making choices, and that no one has the right to decide for us if the choices we make are right or wrong. Steven was no different, he made the choices that made him happy, and nobody had the right to decide for him if it was right or wrong. My prayers go to his family and friends. when his killer gets caught,i hope he gets the same mercy that he showed steven. rest in peace steven.
first: identity is not "lifestyle"...homosexuals have the same variety of lifestyles as heterosexuals. you would not refer to heterosexuality as a lifestyle. second: to allude to catholicism and protestantism as the basis for bias and violence doesn't "hold water"...it suggests that christianity supports violence, discrimination and criminal acts against a person because of race, identity, ethnicity, gender, etc. although the christian defense has been used countless times to justify violence on small and large scales, from what i have learned about jesus christ, i don't think that he would ever endorse or support any hate crime.
When will the violence end?
Maine LGBT Civil Rights March [Dave here] For those of you in the Boston area, Join the Impact Massachusetts will be hosting a candlelight vigil for Jorge Steven Lopez Mercado this Sunday evening. Please invite your Bostonian/local friends to attend and show your support not only for Jorge, his family back in Puerto Rico, and the LGBT community there, but for hate crime victims everywhere. Thank you!
Candelight Vigil in Memory of Jorge Steven Lopez Mercado
Location:In front of Trinity Church, Copley Plaza, Boston
Time:6:00PM Sunday, November 22nd
so much violence in this world today, so sad.
horrific crime that puts puerto rico in a bad light... how many young people have to die before we realize that God created us all equal and that crimes like these solve nothing and only foment more hate. Hopefully the justice system in Puerto Rico gives this criminal what he deserves instead of turning a blind eye.