Murder Of A Young Immigrant

When 17 year old Russian immigrant, Anna E. Svidersky, whose family emmigrated in 2001, sought money for college she decided that a job working at a fast food establishment such as McDonald's was a great way to go. She was a well loved employee, a joyful and hard working employee, and well loved at her high school.

Minutes earlier, a 28 year old paranoid schizophrenic, former mental patient who has a criminal history as a sex offender, David Sullivan, grabbed a kitchen butcher knife and put it in a bag and left his home. Sullivan wandered more than a mile down the road and entered a Vancouver, Washington, McDonald's and while Anna Svidersky was cleaning tables in the restaurant was stabbed to death by Sullivan in a completely unprovoked attack. No one at this McDonald's had ever remembered Sullivan ever being at this location ever before. It was simply a random act of violence against an immigrant.

Like all popular places such as shopping malls or other open places, the possibility of being a victim of a random act of violence is always possible. No place is hardly any more dangerous than other places, but nationwide at least 88 customers and employees of McDonald's have found themselves to be victims of sometimes random violence. Yesterday in Downtown, Portland, a "drive by" shooting took place. A Trimet bus rider was killed some time ago by a random bullet fired from blocks away. Violent robberies at banks and other areas take lives every year in the U.S.

There is no reason to believe that Anna Svidersky was targeted for being an immigrant. The violence was totally random. And there is no way that places of business can be totally safe against such random acts of violence.

But immigrants come to America for a better life, and like all Americans sometimes face a untimely death from random violence. 142 immigrants to the U.S. have lost their lives in the Iraq War. Hundreds more have been wounded in active duty there. But the family of Anna Svidersky came to America to seek a better life for their children. Who could have ever foreseen that this young life would be lost to a random act of violence and end the way it did?

Antiimmigrant right wing activists argue that a "Berlin Wall" should be built around the U.S. border to keep immigrants out. But the fact is that most of the immigrants to this country come here to be decent and productive citizens of the U.S. It is sometimes from lifelong citizens that these immigrants face violence or death. Some of the wrong people living in America are some of our very own citizens.

Sunday Morning Update: Some notable quotes have emeged from this very sad random murder of the 17 year old Russian immigrant girl. Sullivan offered a comment to police that he should have "stayed home" with his "stuffed animals", and that he did a very "evil" thing. He has a childlike mentality that landed him in past trouble with the law for licking a small girl in a grocery store, and for attempting to abduct a 12 year old once before.

By comparison the blog of Anna Svidersky, many, many comments from shocked friends express their deep sorrow. One of Anna's most notable quotes was when she expressed an opinion on her hero: "The Lord Jesus Christ. Everyone Else Will Let You Down". After the fall of the officially atheist Soviet Union, many Russians found a new hope in faith and interest in religion. With many Russians only earning around $60 a month, far worse than even Mexico's wages, this faith in God offered an important new hope anchor.

At least one young male co-worker is still too upset to immediately return to work at the Vancouver McDonald's.