Somerville News Coverage of MS-13 Arrest

[cemeterygates.livejournal.com]

I think that the Somerville News piece about the recent MS-13 arrest did an unusually good job depicting the grey area of morality that is so often ignored by the media in their coverage of criminals. I know that such an opinion is commonly viewed by the masses as bleeding-heart, or liberal-guilt, or what have you, but I can honestly say I am proud to be part of a community that recognizes the human side of all people, and I feel this article is an excellent example of that. I do not know specifically what actions Morales was responsible for as a gangster, and I do not question that MS-13 is a very powerful and dangerous entity; but because of this article perhaps a few more people also reflect on the fact that no-one is only a thug.

I would welcome your thoughts.

Comments

[ruxxell.livejournal.com]

wtf is ms-13

[cemeterygates.livejournal.com]

Link to Wikipedia article (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mara_Salvatrucha).

[firstfrost.livejournal.com]

If you change your "a ref" tag to "a href" than the link should work. The article is here (http://somervillenews.typepad.com/the_somerville_news/2007/08/feds-raid-local.html) .

[cemeterygates.livejournal.com]

Whoops! Should be fine now.

[ifotismeni]

you know it's funny, before news of the bust happened i didn't even know ms-13 existed up here, i thought it was a pretty much california-only phenomenon.

but yea, that article's good journalism, hands down. showing the impact of a bust like this is really critical for a strong local story like this. kudos to the reporter.

[derekp.livejournal.com]

This is a horrible report, really. It's nice that they showed that Morales was a human being and didn't murder EVERYONE he knew, but perhaps the reporter could have done a google search for his name and come across his WANTED poster on the FBI website.

"He has a long criminal history including several assaults, burglary, narcotics transportation, and domestic violence."

"Robert Morales is wanted for the alleged murder of two men and the attempted murder of a woman in Los Angeles, California. On July 31, 2000, Morales allegedly shot and killed a man waiting at a bus stop. On November 9, 2000, Morales allegedly shot and killed a fellow MS-13 gang member, and fired several shots at the victim's girlfriend."

I'd be crying if I were about to go to prison for the rest of my life too...

[cemeterygates.livejournal.com]

I guess my point is that anyone can google him to find out what he is accused of, but to investigate personally his relationship with his supervisor and peers and put out there the fact that he conducted himself with dignity and respect as far as they were concerned adds a new dimension to the picture. It's true that the reporter could have done some googling and added more facts to the story, but I feel that the product that he chose to put forward is also complete and very unique perspective.

[derekp.livejournal.com]

And my point is, that any reporter worth his salt would have included his crimes in the report.

[spatch]

Yeah. You have to balance the good and the bad. Everyone's human. The kid's got emotions and I'm sure that his realizing that justice is finally catching up with the stuff he's done, even if he's tried to make a legit life for himself, is gonna bring about a human reaction -- strong, emotional tears. But he's allegedly committed some terrible crimes, so he has to face justice. Kinda like Jimmy Stewart at the end of The Greatest Show on Earth.

It is nice to read a news report that doesn't automatically scream OMG MONSTER MONSTER INHUMAN ILLEGAL IMMEGRANT MONSTER when reporting on a criminal suspect, however. It's hard to tell that to the cesspool of jingoistic rhetoric-spouting blowhards who infest the Somerville News' comments arena.

[excursively.livejournal.com]

Who's Robert Morales? The story refers to "Henry Antonio Morales".

[ron_newman]

If this person was in fact guilty of a crime, the Somerville police should have arrested him, and charged him, and turned him over to the criminal justice system for trial. If there was not enough evidence to do this, the federal immigration thugs had no business barging into our city.

[ron_newman]

Also the top story in today's printed Somerville Journal: Feds swoop down and arrest alleged gang members, spread fear among area immigrants

Have any of your friends and neighbors been harassed or taken away this week? If so, please comment here. We need to get a full picture of what the Feds did in our city.

[ron_newman]

What crimes, given that this is not Robert Morales, but some other Morales?

[lonelyholiday.livejournal.com]

That's interesting because just yesterday I listened to this piece (http://www.onthemedia.org/episodes/2007/08/24/segments/84475).

[julishka.livejournal.com]

if he was guilty of a federal crime, the feds have every right to "barge into our city" and arrest him. different jurisdictions, different law enforcement people. they're not required to talk to the police regarding an ongoing case pre or post 9/11. there's always been that divide.

[androidqueen.livejournal.com]

I still don't understand why they felt the need to check everyone else's immigration status. Was there some evidence that there were illegal aliens working for that company?

[cemeterygates.livejournal.com]

My guess is they were speaking the wrong language in the wrong place at the wrong time.

[androidqueen.livejournal.com]

Okay, so regardless of my own feelings on the situation, can you really start out an article with the sentence:

Civil rights violations are being alleged as a terrorized immigrant community reacts to the federal raid immigration authorities said was a sweep for gang members on Tuesday.

And claim to be reporting unbiased news?

[androidqueen.livejournal.com]

Don't forget that they were probably also the wrong color.

[ron_newman]

I see what you're saying, but I feel proud to live in a city where such news is reported from the (immigrant) residents' point of view rather than that of the federal thugs.

"Those Moraleses, they're all the same."

[mattdm.livejournal.com]

Presumably, derekp did this search

http://www.google.com/search?q=Morales+MS-13 (http://www.google.com/search?q=Morales+MS-13)

and took the first result other than the Somerville News article. Because how many guys with a last name like "Morales" could possibly be linked to or accused of links to a Latin American gang?

Nice.

[androidqueen.livejournal.com]

I don't feel like the other article was reported from the point of view of the "federal thugs." It starts off (and I know you've read it, but):

Federal immigration authorities raided a Medford Street auto body shop today, Aug. 28, and arrested one alleged MS-13 gang member while checking the immigration status of the shop’s other employees.

This tells you what happened without throwing an immediate and blatant bias on it. If you, like me, find it bizarre and troubling that the feds would check the immigration status of all of the employees of a workplace simply because one of them is an alleged criminal, then you are disturbed. You don't need the author to impose her own opinion on the events because you can make up your own mind.

[androidqueen.livejournal.com]

YA RLY

[julishka.livejournal.com]

from what i can tell on the INS (or whatever it's called now) employer info pages regarding I-9 status of ee's, they give 3 days notice to inspect employer's have complied wrt documentation of eligibility to work. couldn't find anything else about say, if they just happen to be there and want to inspect. that part does sound crappy to me.

[ifotismeni]

how is that biased?
they're reporting that the violations are being alleged. are they not being alleged by members of the community?
it's not the same thing as saying that the violations actually occured.