One year later: Singh suspect remains at large
Bay Area Reporter
It's been just over a year since Satendar Singh was brutally attacked at a recreation area near Sacramento, allegedly by Russian immigrants who perceived him to be gay. But without the inclusion of sexual orientation in the federal hate crimes law the man authorities believe delivered the fatal blow remains a fugitive from justice.
One of those arrested, Alexsander Schevchenko, 22, was sentenced to 150 days in county jail after being found guilty on two misdemeanor charges.
"Five months in jail for the murder of a man was a slap on the wrist," Sloan said of the sentence Schevchenko received. "It indicates that if you harm a gay person, chances are its not going to be costly."
Sloan believes the attack - according to testimony at Schevchenko's trial and police reports, the perpetrators first sent their families home then called friends for additional back-up - "was a conspiracy and should have been prosecuted as one."
Former Sacramento Mayor Anne Rudin, who pioneered some of the most aggressive local anti-discrimination laws in the country between 1983 and 1992, is particularly concerned with the anti-gay, Slavic immigrant community.
"They don't seem to be fitting in very well," she said. "I'm concerned about this immigrant community and how they are not reacting well to the diversity of Sacramento."
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It's been just over a year since Satendar Singh was brutally attacked at a recreation area near Sacramento, allegedly by Russian immigrants who perceived him to be gay. But without the inclusion of sexual orientation in the federal hate crimes law the man authorities believe delivered the fatal blow remains a fugitive from justice.
One of those arrested, Alexsander Schevchenko, 22, was sentenced to 150 days in county jail after being found guilty on two misdemeanor charges.
"Five months in jail for the murder of a man was a slap on the wrist," Sloan said of the sentence Schevchenko received. "It indicates that if you harm a gay person, chances are its not going to be costly."
Sloan believes the attack - according to testimony at Schevchenko's trial and police reports, the perpetrators first sent their families home then called friends for additional back-up - "was a conspiracy and should have been prosecuted as one."
Former Sacramento Mayor Anne Rudin, who pioneered some of the most aggressive local anti-discrimination laws in the country between 1983 and 1992, is particularly concerned with the anti-gay, Slavic immigrant community.
"They don't seem to be fitting in very well," she said. "I'm concerned about this immigrant community and how they are not reacting well to the diversity of Sacramento."
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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7wYSSUNuIl0
It's a moving remembrance of Satendar Singh. It's written narrative is:
It was just six years ago that Harvard University's Civil Rights Project called Sacramento 'America's Most Integrated City' and 'Most tolerant of diversity.' But then a wave of slavic evangelists flooded into the Capital City's suburbs and brought with them a virus of hatred and homophobia from abroad, foreign to a gentle city.
It caught the residents of Sacramento by surprise.
Violent protests by Russian-language immigrants began at lgbt community events in 2006, then Satendar Singh, a Fijian-born immigrant, was attacked and killed by Russian evangelical immigrants because they believed him to be gay.
These evangelical and pentacostal extremists claim to love God, but show no signs of honoring God's commandment, "Thou Shalt Not Kill." I have spoken with many of these protestors and they are quick to defend Singh's killers as justified and never once did they show remorse for the death of Satendar. As if there is any justification for killing a man. And of course they can claim any outrageous deed they want, for they have killed Satendar and he cannot defend himself. But woe to them, for they've killed the one man who could confirm their unbelievable story.
There are few people who more soundly deny the faith found in scripture than these evangelists, profoundly noting the hypocrisy in their praise of Jesus while ignoring his words of compassion and love. It is shameful. Perhaps one day they can find their way back into God's loving embrace. We can all pray for their salvation. They harm their own children by teaching them only to hate - a trait which will prevent them from becoming contributing members of this country's secular society.
In case you are wondering - the number of times Jesus condemned homosexuality in the bible? Zero. The number of times he condemned hypocrites? 16. Jesus proclaimed with compassion, "That which you do unto these, the least of my children, you do unto me."
This video marks the one year anniversary of the death of Satendar Singh at the hands of evangelical immigrants. It is meant to keep this violent act in our consciousness until all those involved are brought to justice. It was more than just Andrey Vusik who was involved. Vusik and Shevchenko's friends at Lake Natoma that day, they too MUST face justice. Please remind District Attorney Jan Scully that more must be done to prosecute these criminals.
Help capture Andrey Vusik - Singh's killer. He is a fugitive from justice most likely aided in flight by the evangelical community from which he came.
The idea for this video began with one of the signs held up by a young protestor that read: "Woe to them who call evil good and good evil." It struck me that the lgbt community's response to the protestors includes that very same quote from scripture (Isaiah 5:20).
The lyrics of the song, and the pictures, objectively taken, trust the viewer/listener to draw his or her own conclusion. - Thanks for watching and please remember in your prayers Satendar Singh, Matthew Shepard and all gay, lesbian and transgendered victims of violence spawned and ignited by the kind of ignorance and fanaticism shown here. Sacramento is a beautiful, historic capital city and the place I call home. It is home to many good people - too many for the actions of these few to have any lasting effect. Song credit: "Hallelujah!" by lesbian singer K.D. Lang.
Note: Scripture which supports loving all of God's children: Luke 6:31: "And as ye would that men should do to you, do ye also to them likewise." Galatians 5:14 "For all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this; Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself."; "All are the sons and daughters of God, good people all, Brothers and Sisters, since created by One Father. No rooted difference is there between them." (From Hindu scripture, since Singh was Hindu in this secular, not solely christian, country); "Have we not all one father? hath not one God created us? Why do we deal treacherously every man against his brother?" (Judiasm, Malachi 2:10); Matthew 7:12, Luke 6:31: "Do unto others as you would have them do unto you, for this is the law and the prophets."
The murders of Satendar Singh and Matthew Shepard are the same issue as Proposition 8. It's a matter of love versus hate. Hate killed Satendar. Hate killed Matthew. And hate spawned Proposition 8. It is about hate and love. No more and no less.
For any of you who have/had a problem getting to the video here is a clickable link to view the video.