Thread: {Sob} 'They could have burned my house down'

'They could have burned my house down'
Police say burning of Mexican flag was just mischief; resident hopes it didn't mean more
By BEVIN PEPPARD
The Marion Star

When Jennifer Martz decided to relocate from Pennsylvania to be closer to her mother in Cardington, she did her research.

"She lives too far out in the country," she said. "I like living in the city. I've always lived in the city."


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Martz eventually decided that Marion would be the perfect central-Ohio city to raise her young son. Less than two months after making the move to a home on the city's northwest side, however, she is second-guessing that decision.

"I got up (Thursday morning) to take my son to school and I noticed there were black ashes on my front porch," Martz said. After further investigation, she discovered the charred remains of a Mexican flag she proudly displayed to celebrate her Mexican-American heritage.
"It's connected to my house. It's maybe five feet from my front door. They could have burned my house down," she said about the intentional act by someone to destroy her property.

A U.S. flag she displays next to the Mexican flag was untouched.

Maj. Bill Collins with the Marion Police Department said that officers have thoroughly investigated the incident as arson, but have come up with few leads in the case.

"There was no physical evidence found at the scene that would lead us to determine who it might have been," he said. "Nobody saw or heard anything unusual that night."

Collins said that the incident is being considered "simple criminal mischief."

Martz feels certain that her flag was burned as a message, and should constitute a hate crime.

"I was so taken aback," she said. "I've never, ever had any racism towards me."

Martz was born and raised in the United States. Her father, who is Mexican, wanted so much for her to assimilate with the American culture that he refused to teach her Spanish or any Mexican customs. It really wasn't until she became an adult that she began to research her heritage to learn more about herself.

For her, celebrating her heritage is also a way to celebrate the United States and the possibilities it has promised to so many immigrants for so long.

"There're people dying every day trying to cross the border to make a better life for themselves," she said. "I just think (the flag burning) has everything to do with the immigration

issue."

Chantelle Blackburn, an advocate with the Hispanic Outreach Ministry at St. Mary Church said that ever since Sept. 11, 2001, immigration has become a heated debate for many U.S. citizens.

"It's almost hysteria," she said. "There is a fear of foreigners, of people who are different."

Blackburn said that this is just another example of how terrorists have succeeded in disrupting the American way of life. What people are forgetting, however, is that we are all immigrants.

"To me, this is almost on the level of a cross burning," she said, adding that anti-Hispanic sentiments are alive and well in the Marion community. "There are some (Hispanics) who are afraid, mostly for their children."

Collins said that he is not aware of anyone targeting Hispanics in the area.

"Everybody seems to be getting along," he said. "There's nothing that leads us to believe this would be a hate crime."

In Aug. 2006, police investigated an incident that occurred on Silver Street in which a man threw a homemade chemical bomb at the home of a Hispanic family. No one was injured in the incident and prosecutors charged the suspect in the case with a fifth-degree felony count of possession of a deadly ordnance as they said it was unclear what the suspect's motivation was.

In an interview with The Marion Star, the suspect said that the incident was a prank and that he did not intentionally target the Mexican family.

In order to be considered a hate crime, Collins said that there must be some type of evidence indicating the crime was racially motivated.

"You have to have some other facts or circumstances that would even suggest that and we don't have that here," he said, explaining that evidence could be a nasty telephone call or a spray-painted racial slur. "There has to be a reason."

Arson involving property damage of $500 or more is a first-degree misdemeanor punishable by a maximum sentence of six months in jail and a $1,000 fine, under Ohio Law.

If the crime was determined to be racially motivated, the suspect could be charged with ethnic intimidation, which would bump the misdemeanor arson charge of a fifth-degree felony, punishable by a maximum sentence of 12 months in prison and a $2,500 fine, according to the Ohio Revised Code.

Collins suspects the burning to be the result of juveniles, an opinion that was strengthened Friday morning after Martz's neighbor reported that one of his windows had been broken by a rock and that he witnessed two juveniles fleeing the area.

Martz isn't sure what to think, but she refuses to be intimidated and plans on hanging another flag soon.

"If they burn that one, I'm just going to put another one up. I'm not going to take it down," she said. "I'm not going to be scared the rest of my life."

Her mother, Janice Hutton, however, expressed concern for her daughter and grandson.

"If Jenny continues to try to put a flag up, they may try to stop her another way," Hutton said.


Reporter Bevin Peppard; 740-375-5155 or bpeppard@marionstar.com



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If I moved to Mexico or any foreign country I would do my best to respect that HOST country.

I would never place an American flag and insult the citizens of a country that allowed me a chance to live there.

It is in BAD TASTE to place a Mexican Flag in the United States.

If the Mexican Flag was burned well what do you expect?

Is this a hate crime? In California migrant workers falsely claimed they were picked up for work and driven to the border.
IT WAS A TOTAL FALSEHOOD.

I'll bet this flag story is also phony.

Posted: Mon Sep 24, 2007 1:18 am

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It appears Ms Martz has learned the operative words including the newest "hate crimes" added to the already much worn out "racism".

I wondered if it ever occured to this self-proclaimed American, that this country is at war. We have soldiers fighting and dying in a foreign country under the Flag of the United States of America. Her lack of respect for this country, our soldiers and families of soldiers by her actions, clearly show, her lack of allegiance to this country.

Maybe, if someone did set her revered Mexican flag on fire, it was out of their outrage that someone would display the flag of a foreign country on the very soil we have young men and women dying for. Just maybe it could have been someone who lost a loved one in the war.....if you are truly an American Ms Martz.......show some respect.

Posted: Mon Sep 24, 2007 1:06 am

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After reading this article I can't help but think Ms. Martz burned her own flag to set up the media and cry 'hate crime' and 'terrorism.'

"They could have burned my house down," she said about the intentional act by someone to destroy her property."
BUT THEY DIDN'T! From the looks of the picture the flag was barely damaged

"There was no physical evidence found at the scene that would lead us to determine who it might have been," he said. "Nobody saw or heard anything unusual that night."
WHY WOULD THERE BE IF SHE BURNED THE FLAG HERSELF? OR MAYBE SHE GOT ONE OF HER BELOVED PROUD COUNTRYMEN TO BURN IT FOR HER.

Martz feels certain that her flag was burned as a message, and should constitute a hate crime.
OH HOW POLITICALLY CORRECT YOU ARE MS. MARTZ! I'm sure you'll have the backing of LaRaza to help you with this 'hate crime!' Personally, I think the hate crime was hanging a foreign flag in America! Maybe we could put you on trial!

"There're people dying every day trying to cross the border to make a better life for themselves," she said. "I just think (the flag burning) has everything to do with the immigration issue."
THE NUMBER OF AMERICANS KILLED BY ILLEGAL ALIENS IN THIS COUNTRY FAR EXCEEDS THOSE WHO DIE BREAKING INTO OUR COUNTRY AND THOSE WHO HAVE DIED IN IRAQ! I THOUGHT YOU WERE SO PROUD OF MEXICO? AGAIN I ASK, PROUD OF WHAT? YOUR COUNTRYMEN ARE FLEEING TO AMERICA INSTEAD OF STANDING UP TO THEIR GOVERNMENT IN MEXICO AND DEMANDING THEIR SO-CALLED RIGHTS AS THEY ILLEGALLY DEMAND HERE IN AMERICA! IS THAT WHAT YOU ARE PROUD OF? WHY DON'T THEY STAY HOME AND MAKE MEXICO A BETTER COUNTRY? WHY DON'T YOU GO THERE AND DO SOMETHING TO HELP THE COUNTRY YOU ARE SO PROUD OF?

"It's almost hysteria," she said. "There is a fear of foreigners, of people who are different."
WRONG! AMERICANS ARE JUST SICK AND TIRED OF PAYING YOUR BILLS AND WANT OUR BORDERS CLOSED AND ANYONE HERE ILLEGALLY REMOVED FROM THE COUNTRY!

Blackburn said that this is just another example of how terrorists have succeeded in disrupting the American way of life. What people are forgetting, however, is that we are all immigrants.
WHEN YOU HAVE NO TRUTH TO FIGHT FOR YOU RESORT TO LIES AND EMPTY WORDS. THE ABOVE STATEMENT IS PURE IGNORANCE AND GARBAGE!

The police should investigate Ms. Martz! That's where the evidence points!

Posted: Mon Sep 24, 2007 12:10 am

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I am astounded at this girl! If she is a citizen of America why fly the Mexican flag? She's so proud of her heritage but I wonder why. Is her heritage the reason her father came to America? Is her heritage the reason she stays in America? What is she so proud of? The corrupt politicians and government in Mexico who steal from the people a decent living, education, health care, jobs? Or is it the squalor and filth? I'm sick to death of hearing how proud Mexicans are of their country! If they have so much to be proud of why not go back to their country that seems to offer so much it makes these people so proud! Or is she proud of her illegal alien countrymen who invade our country illegally and steal from American citizens everything they can get their hands on?

She compares the burning of her Mexican flag to the burning of a cross? Say what??? Please help me here...I don't get it! She can't believe someone would burn her Mexican flag. Why not? Maybe Americans are OFFENDED when they see a Mexican flag hanging in America! They should be and she should be ashamed of herself! She is NOT AN AMERICAN!

If she continues to hang her Mexican flag I hope Americans who are offended will do something about it. We have rights too! AND YES, IT IS OFFENSIVE TO REAL AMERICANS!

Posted: Sun Sep 23, 2007 11:31 pm

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Originally published September 23, 2007

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The Marion Star/James Miller


Jennifer Martz stands on the porch of her westside home between a pair of flags that flank her steps. The Mexican national flag in the foreground was set ablaze sometime Wednesday night or early Thursday morning. The American flag flying in the background was untouched. Martz is a U.S. citizen of Mexican descent.










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To me, this is almost on the level of a cross burning," she said, adding that anti-Hispanic sentiments are alive and well in the Marion community. "There are some (Hispanics) who are afraid, mostly for their children."

Getting a tad dramatic here riding the coat- tails are we?

Well, ok.

Let me present a bit of an FYI or a counter-argument of sorts...

Much of the time in the illegal immigration debate, it is casually overlooked that illegal immigration is, in fact, NOT a victimless crime. While I do feel bad for the family involved here, and certainly do not condone that kind of behavior... I'd like to point out that there have been US citizens that have been harassed and had their own houses torched by groups of illegal aliens. Yes, we have a person on this very forum that experienced such thing (I'll omit this person's UserID/name to respect their privacy). Similarly, there are others that have had family and friends killed in auto accidents - some involving DUIs by illegals - others that have been assaulted, had lost or other damaged property, etc.

I have heard of cars being vandalized that had stickers that say secure our borders on them or this is the U.S. now speak English or even a Tancredo sticker. If any of you recall when Tancredo was suppose to speak in Miami the restaurant got bomb threats. They can be alot less tolerant than we are.

If this women decided to burn the American flag she wouldn't be jailed. Why would someone be jailed for burning a flag that does not represent our own country?

"It's almost hysteria," she said. "There is a fear of foreigners, of people who are different."

THAT IS SUCH A PATHETIC STATEMENT TO MAKE!

"What people are forgetting, however, is that we are all immigrants. "

HEY BLACKBURN, I HAVE NEWS FOR YOU! I AM NOT AN IMMIGRANT. I WAS BORN IN AMERICA AND I AM AN AMERICAN!

THIS IS NOT A NATION OF IMMIGRANTS. IMMIGRANTS ARE NOT BORN IN USA. ANYONE BORN IN USA IS AN AMERICAN. AND MOST LIVING IN USA ARE AMERICANS NOT IMMIGRANTS.

I am an immigrant and my patriotism is with this country. I would not even dream of putting a foreign flag on my car or outside my home. This is a lesson that was taught to me at an early age by my family who were European immigrants. There are many others like me out there as well. One man once told me I left the flag from my country of birth in my back pocket and was gald to be here.

Martz was born and raised in the United States. Her father, who is Mexican, wanted so much for her to assimilate with the American culture that he refused to teach her Spanish or any Mexican customs. It really wasn't until she became an adult that she began to research her heritage to learn more about herself.

I was born in the United States. My great great great grandparents immigrated here from Scotland. However, I do not hang the Scottish flag on my front porch to show pride in my "heritage". My heritage is American....period.

Martz isn't sure what to think, but she refuses to be intimidated and plans on hanging another flag soon.

This woman seems to be inviting trouble on herself. I don't condone people vandalizing her property and putting Ms. Martz and her family in peril, and I hope they find whoever did it and punish him/her accordingly. However, perhaps Ms. Martz should show more respect for the country she lives in and worry less about her "heritage".

So when THEY burn OUR flag can we charge them with a hate crime? that street runs BOTH ways!!!!!