The Spark

the Voice of
The Communist League of Revolutionary Workers–Internationalist

“The emancipation of the working class will only be achieved by the working class itself.”
— Karl Marx

Hate Egged on by a Militaristic State

Jan 7, 2013

Erika Menendez pushed Sunando Sen into the path of an oncoming New York subway train on December 27. Sen was killed.

Why would someone do this? Menendez explained her actions by saying “because I hate Hindus and Muslims ever since 2001 when they put down the twin towers I’ve been beating them up.”

Menendez wasn’t acting in a vacuum. In acting on this hateful impulse, Menendez followed through on the overwhelming amount of propaganda directed against Muslims ever since 9/11. This is a propaganda encouraging all New Yorkers to fear anyone wearing a turban, anyone they see as different, “not American.” It’s a campaign of hate being encouraged by government authorities and right- wing politicians who seek to align the general public behind their violent attacks against the populations of other countries.

The United States government has been waging a war against the people of Afghanistan, Pakistan and Iraq for more than ten years, killing, destroying, and mangling thousands, supposedly in the name of 9/11. So, is it really so surprising that someone could be drawn into perpetrating a horrendous crime like this?

The State of New York charged Menendez with second-degree murder as a hate crime. She could go to jail for life. And while it is true that she killed one man out of hate, the United States government fomented her hatred and in these wars has far surpassed her terrible crime.