The L.A. Times has taken the subject of the Westlake shooting of a day laborer on September 5th by the L.A.P.D. to an entirely new level.

http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me ... 4257.story

The body of 37 year old Manuel Jaminez Xum was returned to Guatemala where he received a rather glorious state funeral that I’m sure his family could not have afforded by themselves, never mind that he had been away from his village and family for 7 years. The article which appeared in the paper on Sunday September 26th highlights the reasons that Guatemalans send their men to the United States. They are able to build huge houses that are mansions by local standards by sending their earnings back home, ‘hundreds of dollars each week’, according to the article.

Needless to say local Guatemalans are protesting the ‘murder’ of Manuel Jaminez Xum on mass demanding that his family be generously compensated. Clemente Samines a Guatemalan congressman promised to help the family by getting the widow a special visa to travel to Los Angeles where she can then file a law suite against the city and the police department. Is that how they handle things in Guatemala?

As a side note the L. A. Times article appears to blame the rigors of American life for driving Manuel Jaminez Xum to drink and become violent. The entire article seems to be a mild expose on the mistreatment of illegal day laborers by American society. At one time crossing the border illegally meant that you were taking your chances and you knew that you could not expect top wages and ideal working conditions. That time has long since past. A sad story indeed, very sad.