Dear Friends,
Many of you have asked to be kept up-to-date on any events surrounding the tragic death of Marcelo Lucero and how you can get involved. Letters you can send to your Legislators and Suffolk County Executive Steve Levy are below.
Below are two sample letters, one is a direct appeal to the Suffolk County Executive and Legislators; and one is directed to other Long Island or New York State Elected Officials urging them to contact the Suffolk County Executive and call for a change of course in Suffolk County. Please use these letters, add your own thoughts, and send them! Circulate them far and wide.
Contact us at longislandwins@gmail.com if you need help finding the contact information of your elected officials. Please let the Long Island Wins team know if you have sent one or both of these letters as well as to whom you send them. We are hoping to track how many letters are sent. The letters will also be avalible on the website in the coming days.
The time for action is now. Keep checking-in with www.longislandwins.com for the latest updates.
In solidarity,
The Long Island Wins Team
LETTER ONE
Dear County Executive Steve Levy and Suffolk County Legislators,
I am a concerned _________________ (citizen, mother, student, teacher, clergy member etc) and a _________________ (Long Islander or New Yorker). Last Saturday night 7 teenagers from Patchogue and Medford murdered Marcello Lucero. The assailants were specifically looking to inflict violence that night on “some Mexicans.” Marcello and his friend became their targets simply because of the color of their skin.
This is not the first time Long Island immigrants have been the victims of a hate crime. When will immigrants be able to walk the streets of Suffolk County without fear of attack?
In contrast to County Executive Steve Levy’s recent statements, I believe that hate does not occur in a vacuum or spontaneously, it is learned from others. Hate of this sort is fed by discriminatory policies, attitudes of our local leaders, and general intolerance of difference. There is an undeniable link between the way politicians advocate for the treatment of immigrants and the way they are in turn treated in their communities. Regardless of the color of one’s skin or the country of one’s birth, all people deserve equal treatment.
Long Islanders have continued to express their outrage on what feels like deaf ears. You, as an elected official, are both empowered and obligated to actively work against the spread of hatred towards immigrants. Education is necessary to increase tolerance but education alone is not enough. We as politicians, parents, teachers, business owners and Long Islanders, must set the example. We must lead by our example.
I call on you to 1) Stop using harsh and irresponsible rhetoric demonizing immigrants on Long Island; 2) To support a moratorium on divisive legislation that seeks to penalize and marginalize immigrants, and 3) To promote practical legislation and policies that ensure opportunity for all Long Islanders, foster better understanding of diverse communities, and build trust and cooperation between local government and the communities they serve.
Please contact County Executive Steve Levy and your fellow elected officials to let them know that significant change is needed in Suffolk County. Without drastic changes to the political ideology of Suffolk County we leave ourselves vulnerable to another hate crime in the future. The responsibility falls on all of us to take action now.
Sincerely,
Full Name (Printed) Email Address
Street Address City and Zip Code Signature Phone Number
_________________________________________________________
LETTER TWO
Dear _________________________,
I am a concerned _________________ (citizen, mother, student, teacher, clergy member etc) and a _________________ (Long Islander or New Yorker). Last Saturday night 7 teenagers from Patchogue and Medford murdered Marcello Lucero. The assailants were specifically looking to inflict violence that night on “some Mexicans.” Marcello and his friend became their targets simply because of the color of their skin.
This is not the first time Long Island immigrants have been the victims of a hate crime. When will immigrants be able to walk the streets of Suffolk County without fear of attack?
In contrast to County Executive Steve Levy’s recent statements, I believe that hate does not occur in a vacuum or spontaneously, it is learned from others. Hate of this sort is fed by discriminatory policies, attitudes of our local leaders, and general intolerance of difference. There is an undeniable link between the way politicians advocate for the treatment of immigrants and the way they are in turn treated in their communities. Regardless of the color of one’s skin or the country of one’s birth, all people deserve equal treatment.
Long Islanders have continued to express their outrage on what feels like deaf ears. You, as an elected official, are both empowered and obligated to actively work against the spread of hatred towards immigrants. Education is necessary to increase tolerance but education alone is not enough. We as politicians, parents, teachers, business owners and Long Islanders, must set the example. We must lead by our example.
I urge you to contact County Executive Steve Levy and call on him to 1) Stop using harsh and irresponsible rhetoric demonizing immigrants on Long Island; 2) To support a moratorium on divisive legislation that seeks to penalize and marginalize immigrants, and 3) To promote practical legislation and policies that ensure opportunity for all Long Islanders, foster better understanding of diverse communities, and build trust and cooperation between local government and the communities they serve.
Please contact County Executive Steve Levy and your fellow elected officials to let them know that significant change is needed in Suffolk County. Without drastic changes to the political ideology of Suffolk County we leave ourselves vulnerable to another hate crime in the future. The responsibility falls on all of us to take action now.
Sincerely,
Full Name (Printed) Email Address
Street Address City and Zip Code
Signature Phone Number
