"Angie received justice. And with a verdict on the bias-motivated crime, the broader LGBT community received justice, as well.
I don't want to read too much into this ruling, but I believe this jury ruling from the heartland of America tells us that middle America is readier for fully inclusive federal hate crime and employment non-discrimination legislation than Congress and many LGBT leaders believe."
--Autumn Sandeen, on the conviction of Allen Ray Andrade for the murder of Angie Zapata. From Frontiers IN LA (Autumn also blogs at Pam's)
Share
Like what you read? Subscribe to The Bilerico Project by Email.
Want others to read it too? Use the buttons and links here to share this entry with others. (Move your cursor over a button or link to learn more about it.)
2 Comments
« Getting left at the station | Home | The Miley Cyrus Tampon Song!!! Topless Beauty! Lambert Idol! »
I've said it before and I'll say it again: There is no justice possible for Angie Zapata or her family. The only possible justice for them would be if Angie were still alive.
Justice was meted out here to one person and one person only: Allen Ray Andrade. He'll be spending the rest of his life behind bars and that, for him and his crimes, is justice.
The rest of us will have to make do with something far less than justice because Angie is gone and she will not be coming back. There is simply no possible just balance to that.
Rebecca Juro | May 12, 2009 12:50 PM
Reply to this comment
Angie's family said that Justice For Angie would be Allen Ray Andrade spending the rest of his natural life in prison. I defer to what the family's idea of what Justice For Angie was in this case, and add that if the family believes that Andrade spending the rest of his natural life is justice, then justice was served for more than just Andrade.
And too, I personally feel that justice was served for the transgender community, in that a law that enhanses bias motivated crimes against trans people was sucessfully employed, and the maximum penalty for that bias motivated crime was meted out. It doesn't bring Angie back, but justice never can restore life to murder victims. And, I'll add that since I believe justice was served for trans people beyond Angie, then justice was served for more than just Andrade.
It's true that it would have been better if she'd have been left alone, and not beaten and killed for being transgender. But justice is what we hope is meted out by our legal system after a crime has been committed. Convictions for 1st Degree Murder and a Bias Motivated Crime, and long sentences for those convictions, didn't bring Angie back. But, it was the best result possible given the actions of Andrade -- and the best result given the circumstances is a measure of Justice For Angie, and a measure of justice for the transgender community. Not perfect justice, but justice just the same.
Autumn Sandeen | May 13, 2009 1:29 PM
Reply to this comment