The video that has sparked outrage from civil rights organizations and public officials, and has garnered millions of views, depicts Gomez shooting at a figure who is tied to a chair with a hood over its head.
LULAC, the largest and oldest Hispanic civil rights organization in the U.S., has expressed strong condemnation towards Gomez’s actions and rhetoric.
Liberal legal experts are advocating for measures to prevent Donald Trump from assuming office, citing the 14th Amendment.
LULAC claims that the video glorifies vigilantism and promotes harmful stereotypes about immigrants.
“LULAC strongly condemns the occurrence of violent crime in our country and extends its heartfelt sympathies to the victims and their families,” stated Roman Palomares, the national president and chairman of the board of LULAC. “Nonetheless, we firmly believe in upholding Christian values of justice rather than seeking revenge. Utilizing public executions as a means to promote a politically driven agenda only serves to perpetuate unfounded animosity.”
According to Palomares, the use of inflammatory language is intended to appeal to extremist views and perpetuate the false notion that all immigrants are here to cause harm to others.
Selena Gomez, in her video, drew attention to a distressing incident involving the arrest of a Guatemalan immigrant who was accused of a heinous murder on a New York subway. It is this incident that has driven her to call for the public execution of undocumented immigrants who commit violent crimes. However, this stance has received criticism from many who argue that it is both extreme and unconstitutional.
The video received immediate backlash, especially considering previous tragic events such as the 2019 El Paso Walmart shooting, where 23 lives were lost due to a gunman driven by anti-immigrant rhetoric.
Gabriel Rosales, the state director of Texas LULAC, expressed strong disapproval of the actions taken by this alleged candidate. He emphasized the need for social media platforms to take responsibility and prohibit such attention-seeking behavior.
LULAC leaders nationwide have come together to express their strong disapproval of Gomez’s video.
-
- Lupe Torres, national board member and vice president for women in America and Puerto Rico, emphasized the need for legislation to ensure harsher penalties for violent crimes rather than resorting to “revenge killings.”
- Lawrence “Larry” Romo, LULAC national vice president for veterans, reinforced the importance of due process, stating, “We are a nation of laws, not barbarism. Every individual accused of a crime deserves their day in court.”
- Gloria Leal, LULAC general counsel, called Gomez’s video an incitement to violence and vigilantism, warning of the dangerous precedent such rhetoric sets.
