Border Patrol Agents Ignacio Ramos and Jose Alonso Compean -- both serving a combined 23 years in prison for pursuing an illegal alien drug smuggler -- are NOT safe in federal prison!
That was the speculation of many who believe the Agents were wrongly convicted when they began serving their prison terms last month.
And, it would seem that our worst fears are now coming true.
According to WorldNetDaily.com, Agent Ramos' family confirmed that he was "severely beaten" at the Yazoo City Federal Correctional Complex by "a group of five Hispanic inmates who Ramos took to be illegal immigrants."
The beating took place Saturday night shortly after the television show America's Most Wanted aired a segment on the two border agents.
According to the WorldNetDaily.com report, Agent Ramos told his wife that the assailants "threatened him in Spanish, taunting him with, '**** la migra' insulting him -- 'migra' roughly translating as 'immigration,' slang for Border Patrol agent."
Here's what Agent Ramos' wife, Monica, told WorldNetDaily.com:
"He told me they were in the television room watching 'America's Most Wanted.' After that, some time after 10 p.m., he went back to his cubicle and was almost falling asleep. He awoke to the sound of shoes stomping."
"He said he didn't have a chance to turn around and look at any of the guys attacking him at that time. He just felt a blow to the back of his head. The prisoners were kicking him with steel-toe shoes, the work boots they are issued in prison. They kept kicking and kicking. And they kept calling him in Spanish a **** immigration officer, saying 'darle, darle,' which means, 'give it to him.' They were cussing him out in Spanish. He couldn't fight back he was outnumbered."
Folks... we've all heard the horror stories about "good guys" in prison. Especially law enforcement officials who are no friend to the drug dealers, murderers and other criminals that Agents Ramos and Compean likely helped put there. This beating will not be an isolated incident.
We have to do something to help Ramos and Compean and we have to do it now -- there's not a moment to lose!
There's More...
And what about prison security? According to WorldNetDaily.com and Monica Ramos:
"No security came to his rescue... Another inmate came and... walked my husband over to security."
Did the prison give him any medical treatment? Monica Ramos again:
"As of the time we talked this afternoon, the prison still hadn't given him any medical treatment," she said, adding that he told her, "'I asked all day yesterday.' I'm in a lot of pain and I have blood coming out of my left ear.'"
But to add even more insult to injury, Ramos' family told WorldNetDaily.com that the decision to place Ramos in a medium security prison violates a promise from federal authorities that Agent Ramos would be kept in isolation at a minimal security prison.
Agents Ramos and Compean should not spend another minute in prison!
And how did the Administration react? At first, Press Secretary Tony Snow dismissed the question of a pardon as "nonsensical," a note of contempt in his voice.
Perhaps members of the Administration thought that no one would remember Ramos and Compean by the following Thursday.
But if that was the case, you disabused them of that notion!
CFIF activists have sent more than 150,000 faxes to the President and other conservative legislators -- that's 150,000 faxes jamming legislators' fax machines constantly over a period of many weeks -- protesting the shameless persecution of these Border Patrol Agents and American heroes.
And after you started the ball rolling and started to speak out against this injustice -- others joined the fight. This all resulted in the White House beginning to realize they need to take a serious look at this injustice.
Phyllis Schlafly -- one of the most highly regarded conservatives in America -- wrote: "President Bush pardoned 16 criminals, including five drug dealers, at Christmastime, but so far has refused to pardon two U.S. Border Patrol agents who were trying to defend America against drug smugglers."
Republican Congressman Dana Rohrabacher was more blunt: "This is the worst betrayal of American defenders I have ever seen. It's shameful this was done by someone who is in the Republican Party. He obviously thinks more about his agreements with Mexico than the lives of American people and backing up his defenders."
Even John Walsh of America's Most Wanted profiled the case before a nationwide audience on Saturday and plainly told the American people, in so many words, that the more he hears about what is happening to Ramos and Compean, the more it stinks!
Let's make sure the Administration and our conservative leaders know -- beyond a shadow of a doubt -- that this matter IS NOT simply going away!
The American people want Agents Ramos and Compean pardoned. They should not spend another minute in prison.
We are making progress. Let's continue to make our voices heard!
Following Rep. Rohrabacher's lead, 51 Congressmen signed a letter demanding that President Bush pardon Agents Compean and Ramos.
In language crackling with outrage, they told the President what they thought of this prosecution as public policy:
"This episode sends the wrong message to those who defend America at our border, to the American people, and especially to the criminals who operate at our southern border. How can anyone believe we are serious about border security when the lives of two agents sworn to protect those very borders are torn apart, but a vicious drug smuggler is given medical care [at a U.S. military hospital in Texas] and allowed to walk free? It is inhumane and a betrayal of the American people's trust to allow the sentences of Agents Ramos and Compean to be carried out."
But they went even further, pinpointing the blame, and calling into question the morality of the episode:
"We can think of nothing more immoral than to allow the lives and families of those who protect us to be destroyed by an overly aggressive and questionable prosecution by the U.S. attorney's office. The severity of the charges brought against these men, and the harshness of the punishment is totally disproportionate to the violation in question."
Finally, they demanded:
"At this time, the only just course of action is to commute the sentences of Agents Ramos and Compean. We implore you to become personally involved in this case, and bring a holiday miracle to these agents and their families."
Usually friendly columnists like Rick Amato also weighed in:
"The White House stance is not only a slap in the face to families of murder victims and law enforcement. It is a slap in the face to American working-class families of all ethnic backgrounds."
And still no pardon. We can remedy that RIGHT NOW!
Finally -- with your faxes jamming legislators' machines and conservatives expressing outrage and disgust -- the White House began to alter its rhetoric and at least PRETENDED to be concerned.
Tony Snow said the White House would take a second look at the issue:
"What we're doing is getting the entire trial transcript so everybody can see what happened in trial, and we can try to discern the real facts of the case."
Snow also invited Dana Rohrabacher to pay him a friendly visit to chat about the case.
Rohrabacher told WorldNetDaily.com:
"The very fact that they are now willing to look at this case is indication of some progress. However, if they don't do an honest assessment -- for political reasons, or for ego reasons or for reasons of friendship with the prosecutor -- then it doesn't make any difference if they take a second look, or a first look at the facts."
Phyllis Schlafly was also courted. Early in January she got a call from U.S. Attorney Johnny Sutton, who may not have known that Schlafly was a brilliant lawyer.
"He tried to make his case," she said, "and he was completely unpersuasive."
Schafly also had a few words for Tony Snow's announcement that the White House now intended to review the transcript. She called it "a stall."
"We've looked at the facts, and the facts are it's an outrage. The bottom line is the drug smuggler was given immunity and went Scot free, and two border guards went to prison for 11 and 12 years."
Is It A Stall?
Well, it's been a couple of weeks now and still no pardon!
Does the Administration really believe that this time we'll forget about Ignacio Ramos, Jose Alonso Compean, their heart-broken wives, and their six children?
That may be what they think.
But forget it. It won't happen.
Either the President corrects this injustice and returns these men to their families and to the Border Patrol, or the grassroots pressure will continue, and the indignation will keep mounting.
Let's act again. Let's let our political leaders know -- in no uncertain terms -- that we WILL NOT forget these two brave Americans who so desperately need our help!
Let's FLOOD the White House and these congressional offices with faxes until these men are returned home to their families!
Use the hyperlink below to send your urgent, personalized and individual 57 Blast Fax messages to President Bush, the GOP leaders in the United States House of Representatives and all 49 GOP Members of the United States Senate.
Tell them patriotic Americans are sick and tired of the stalls! The time to pardon Ramos and Compean passed weeks ago and now, unless our conservative leaders act quickly and get the job done, they will face the scorn and defection of Americans who once believed in the integrity of our conservative leaders.
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