Really Irrelevant

As I read the Independent‘s coverage of the June 4 Soledad Street murder, I was disturbed by the emphasis on the fact that the apartment complex is a Housing Authority of the City of Santa Barbara property. While this is true, and the coverage did not reflect poorly on the Housing Authority, I felt that including this information carried implications of class and race regarding the perpetrator and the victim.

I’m sure this was not the intention of the Independent, but I have to wonder, if the apartment were in a high end development, would the building owner have been identified in the article? Domestic violence cuts across race and class. It is not limited to low-income families.

I knew Lilia Munoz. She was a hard-working, loving mother who was striving to build a better life for her family. As coverage of this story continues to unfold, that is what is important to know about her. Her address is beside the point.