On the occasion of Ramsey Muniz’ 69th birthday, we are gratified to share with our readers the following appeals from Andres Guerrero and Ruben Barrera Botello.–gm
Dear Friends:
On Tuesday, December 13, Ramsey will turn 69 years of age! I constantly thank God for having him in my life. He maintains faith, love, and spirituality in spite of the pain and suffering that he and his family have experienced. For those who want to wish him a happy birthday or send encouragement, his address is provided below.
Ramsey writes, “History will clearly reveal that for those who were chosen, pain, agony, and even imprisonment would be a part of their lives as they shared, taught, wrote, and expressed the true philosophy of spirituality. I demonstrated to my loving mother, Hilda, that she was right when she stated that I was chosen by the spirits of God, or I would have never suffered in the manner that I continue to suffer pain and agony throughout this incarceration.
Christmas is not only for giving and receiving gifts. It serves as a means of reuniting our families so that the power within our families will be like no other to the point that it makes political, spiritual and social statements. It makes our family unity an example of what families should be!
The birth of Jesus Christ is another means of God providing and giving to us freedom as a gift to humanity. Jesus was all about advocating, teaching, praying, meditating, and expressing with all His heart and soul freedom, justice, and love in the hearts of humanity so that they bring forth compassion, forgiveness, and faith in themselves.
“The glory and truth is in the fight for justice of equality, and there we never lose, because it is our duty to defend justice and truth at all costs. Life is very short, but space and time are forever. And it is forever that we as humans must always fight. In this sense, the past, the present, and the future come together and it becomes destiny and eternity. Perhaps this is what Christ meant when He said, ‘I live in you and you live in me, and together we are one.’ “We are one in Christ.”
Dr. Andres Guerrero
Harvard School of Divinity
Amor,
TEZ
Latinas, Latinos, Relatives, Friends and Neighbors:
There are over 55 million Latinos and Latinos in the U.S. alone. We need to reach out to our good brother, Ramsey Muñiz now falsely imprisoned for 18 years, as he struggles through his life sentence for something he did not do. His wife, Irma has been suffering so much through this travesty with Ramsey, too.
In one accord, we should all reach out to Ramsey this December 13, his Birthday, by writing and sending a Letter to President Obama, asking him to reconsider his denial of Ramsey’s Application for Commutation of his Life Sentence.
Please review my attached Letter which I will be snail-mailing to the President and my senators and congressional representatives on Ramsey’s Birthday, to get some ideas of what you can say from your heart about this great injustice.
Por La Causa,
Ruben Barrera Botello, State Director of Pennsylvania
National League of Latin American Citizens Y Que!
December 13, 2011
Ruben Barrera Botello, State Director of Pennsylvania
National League of Latin American Citizens (NLLAC)
Shippensburg, PA 17257
The Honorable Barack Obama
President of the United States of America
RE: Ramsey Muñiz Commutation of Life Sentence Denial
Dear Mr. President:
We pray you and your family are all doing well this holiday season.
As State Director of Pennsylvania for the National League of Latin American Citizens (NLLAC), I would like to take this opportunity to urge you to reconsider the Application for Commutation of the unjust life sentence against our dear mentor, colleague and friend, Ramsey Muñiz, Esquire.
Ramsey was a prominent and highly respected Corpus Christi attorney who also ran for Governor of Texas, in 1974-75. Latinas and Latinos from throughout South Texas and the rest of the nation saw Ramsey, as a great leader, rising star and role model who inspired us all to be good citizens, do well in school and go to college, in order to be able to help our people, as responsible adults.
His 1994 conviction and life sentence astonished especially those of us who believe in his innocence, to this day. Ramsey should never have been given a life sentence, and his beloved wife, Irma, continues to hope and pray for his release, as we all do throughout the nation.
Born and raised just 22 miles from Corpus Christi, I know quite well how difficult it is to grow up in South Texas as a Latino, but thanks to Ramsey and other Latino heroes of his generation, I also went to college and law school, to earn my jurisdoctorate and help my people like Ramsey was doing. Ramsey should be out here, now, instead of behind bars where his excellent education, professional experience and desire to serve our nation, society and Latino communities is wasting away.
After high school, I joined the Marines in 1965, and served in Vietnam before going to college and law school on the G.I. Bill. Ramsey’s inspirational vision helped me see through my PTSD, and aspire for a better life than the poverty I grew up in, in South Texas. Thanks to Ramsey’s inspiration, I even worked with the federal Law Enforcement Assistance Administration (LEAA) against crime, gangs and drug abuse in our communities where the need for professional Latino intervention is so great.
To accuse Ramsey of drug trafficking, and to then deprive our Latino communities of this great leader and role model for the rest of his life was and still is a tremendous shock to us all. This reminds me of Nelson Mandela who was given the death sentence, and then a life sentence before he was finally released, and became the first Black President of South Africa, as you became the first Black President of the United States of America.
Attorneys like Nelson Mandela, Ramsey Muñiz and your self should never be treated like trash, to be discarded and forgotten by the very governments and societies we all serve. There are over 55 million Latinas and Latinos in the U.S. who need Ramsey working alongside us, to better our communities, now.
Ramsey has been unjustly imprisoned for 18 years already. Please reconsider your denial of his Application for Commutation, Mr. President, and end this travesty of justice for the sake of us all.
In God We Trust,
Ruben Barrera Botello, JD
Shippensburg, PA
Cc: National League of Latin American Citizens (NLLAC), Houston TX
Texas Civil Rights Review 