Free Republic

On a brisk January morning in East Oakland, California Sonia Cerna held the hands of her 11 year-old son Juan and his little-sister Ana on their way to school. As they crossed the intersection, a 1967 Ford Mustang barreled down the street with reckless abandon, plowing into five-year old Ana and Juan as well as other children, barely missing Sonia. Young Juan suffered a broken leg but was more fortunate that his baby sister, who died the following day of her injuries. Ana is but one of a growing list of crime victims who are both Latino and American citizens,...

While the equality treadmill under most of our feet is moving at a high rate of speed, I would imagine this journey is not traveling fast enough for many Americans whose lives are directly impacted by the possibility of change. Consider tennis hall of famer Billie Jean King, who was outed in 1981 when her relationship with another woman became public, and Greg Louganis, the four-time Olympic gold medal-winning American diver, who came out some seven years after King. With more than 55 years combined of public scrutiny of their sexuality, the repeal of the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA),...

President Hugo Chavez has suffered a string of international setbacks, seeing his campaign for a U.N. Security Council seat fall short and his favored leftist candidates losing elections in Peru and Mexico. Calling President Bush "the devil" still rallies faithful Chavistas in Venezuela, where Chavez leads in the polls six weeks ahead of elections. But critics say his superheated rhetoric is turning away some potential supporters elsewhere. "Taking these kinds of broadsides against the U.S. hasn't really worked for him politically abroad," said Daniel Erikson of the Inter-American Dialogue, a Washington-based think tank. "A lot of governments indicated they would...

Senator pushes to exempt illegal immigrants' vehicles from being impounded By Harrison Sheppard Staff Writer SACRAMENTO - Stymied by his efforts to provide driver's licenses to illegal immigrants, Sen. Gil Cedillo, D-Los Angeles, has proposed a measure that would exempt undocumented motorists from vehicle-impound laws. Under current law, police can impound for 30 days the vehicle of a motorist caught driving without a valid license. Cedillo's bill would exempt those who don't have a license simply because they are not legal U.S. residents. Cedillo said law enforcement resources should be dedicated to pursuing serious driving offenses such as drunk driving,...

"Stop! Police!" These are two simple words that are easy to understand if you speak English. But in a region where the Hispanic population has exploded over the past 10 years, the meaning may not be as clear. "ÁAlto! ÁPolic’a!" might make a difference if you speak Spanish. But in the case of the lethal March 5 shooting of a Hispanic suspect, law enforcement officials and residents say that whether the deputies knew Spanish would not have made a difference. Running from or attacking police is, or should be, a known wrong among all cultures, said Hendersonville Police Chief Donnie...