PHOENIX
(By Jon Garrido, Hispanic News, The Blue Dogs of the Democratic Party and
Americause) March 9, 2007 More
that 30 years ago a group of Hispanics working for the City of Tucson had a
daily ritual of eating lunch together usually in one of the many Mexican
restaurants in the downtown area.
We were all very young. We only had a couple of
years working for the City of Tucson being recently out of the University of
Arizona. We spoke usually about nothing in particular, just enjoying the hot sun,
great food and great camaraderie.
Two of my friends huddled together sharing with
each other how we all had to be "super Mexicans" to be promoted. I tried not to
listen. I just wanted to enjoy my food.
My two friends deep in conversation were both
agreeing with each other: We had to deal with an unusual situation: the city
manager was Hispanic.
One word from him and anything would happen at
the city. He was powerful, well liked and we all highly respected him.
Yet, most of our group believed to be
promoted, Hispanics had to be "super Mexicans" because we believed the
city manager feared being accused of nepotism.
Human nature has it unless something directly
has an personal impact, the subject is set aside for others to deal with.
This was the case with me for I had advanced up
the food chain at a rapid pace.
I would have continued being unengaged in my
friends' conversation but my friends were determined to interrupt me from eating
my lunch. To draw me into the conversation, they asked a pointed question, "How do we deal with this
superficial but real road block preventing promotions?"
I had no idea what the answer was so I said I had no idea.
Later that afternoon I walked to the
old Carnegie Library just down
the street on Stone Avenue and started roaming through the stacks looking for
something to catch my eye.
Miraculously, a book examining the tactics of radical community
organizer Saul D. Alinsky just popped out of the stacks. I did not recognized
this man's work but the book contents seem to provide a glimpse of a strategy we
could use.
The next day at lunch I was ready. I had already gone through the Alinsky book the night
before and told everyone at lunch, we needed to organize and organize we did.
We flipped to see who would be our leader
and my best friend won. I would lead after the first year. We carefully picked our battles
and it worked.
We became the
biggest Hispanic organization in Tucson starting with Hispanic city employees and then
adding county, state and then anyone.
We used the Alinsky
model of picking an issue we knew we could win. Alinsky pointed out this was key
to recruitment for each victory would double membership. The secret
behind Alinsky was picking the biggest issue we could win but never over
reaching an issue we knew we could not win. Failure had just the opposite
outcome in winning loss of membership.
From a few young "Turks,"
within two years, we grew into a 1,000 member organization.
The biggest success
was the City of Tucson implemented an Affirmative Action Office.
In those days, we
never considered anyone's politics. The only requirement was Hispanic.
That was a very long
time ago and up until now, Hispanic advancement into key positions has always
been part of the Hispanic strategy.
When John Ashcroft
resigned and Alberto Gonzales was appointed Attorney General of the United
States, all Hispanics were elated a Hispanic had been appointed to one of the
highest offices in the United States. It did not matter Gonzales was
Republican or Democrat. It was a sign we were moving up the food
chain.
I for one was more
elated than others for Alberto Gonzales has the same name as I.
My mother was a
Gonzales and when I bought a Maquilidora in Mexico, my Mexican permit required I
use my entire name so I became Jon Garrido Gonzales.
The jubilation of an
Hispanic Attorney General being Hispanic was a milestone but an Attorney General
with the Gonzales name was particularly gratifying for me.
On February 3, 2005, Alberto Gonzales was
sworn in as the United States Attorney General
with the appointment of
an Hispanic to advance the well being of Hispanics being a monumental milestone.
That was then but
today the Gonzales appointment rings hollow and high in a squandered opportunity.
Gonzales may be Hispanic but Gonzales has become the point man for Bush
Cheney Republicans. Gonzales is only Hispanic on the outside and in fact, is no
longer a member of the Kingdom of Conscience with the moral compass of doing the
right thing to help all Hispanics Democrat or Republican.
The Gonzales
appointment has become one of the greatest disappointments of modern times, not just
for Hispanics but even more important, for all Americans. Attorney General
Gonzales has categorically diminished the civil rights of all Americans and all
Hispanics living in the USA.
The Bush administrations assault
on
some
of
the
founding
principles
of
American
democracy
marches
onward
despite
the
Democratic
victory
in
the
2006
elections.
The
new
Democratic
majorities
in
Congress
can
block
the
sort
of
noxious
measures
the
Republican
majority
rubber-stamped.
But
preventing
new
assaults
on
civil
liberties
is
not
nearly
enough.
Five
years
of
presidential
overreaching
and
Congressional
collaboration
continue
to
exact
a
high
toll
in
human
lives,
Americas
global
reputation
and
the
architecture
of
democracy.
Brutality
toward
prisoners,
and
the
denial
of
their
human
rights,
have
been
institutionalized,
unlawful
spying
on
Americans
continues,
and
the
courts
are
being
closed
to
legal
challenges
of
these
practices.
Three
fundamental
tenets
of
America
diminished
by
Bush,
Cheney
and
Gonzales
need
to
restored:
Restore
Habeas
Corpus,
stop
illegal
spying,
and
ban
Torture.
Alberto Gonzales Attempts to Manipulate the Outcome of the 2006
Congressional Elections
The last straw was the firing of eight U.S. Attorneys, one of who is
Hispanic, to manipulate the outcome of the 2006 congressional elections. No
graver assault on the U.S. Constitution can take place enabling a democracy to
evolve into a dictatorship by stuffing ballot boxes to win elections.
The stakes in the 2006 elections were at the highest level determining the
direction of the United States. Had Attorney General Gonzales been successful in
directing the U.S. Attorneys prosecute the Democrats in eight states
manipulating election outcomes, the congress may still be in the hands of
Republicans enabling the Bush Administration to "stay the course" in Iraq and
further diminish the civil rights of all Americans.
Hispanic News, the
Blue Dogs of the Democratic Party and Americause call for the resignation of
Alberto Gonzales
Gonzales tried to manipulate the outcome of the
2006 congressional elections to enable the continuation of the Republican
majority in the Congress to support the further demise by George Bush of the
well being of the United States leading to continuation of the Iraq war and
plundering the financial resources of the United States to finance Bush and
Cheney's pursuit
of the arrogance of power so adeptly exemplified in the Libby trial.
Bush and Cheney are
the true axis of evil and Gonzales, Karl Rove and Libby did their bidding.
Gonzales is
particularly singled out and will go down in history as "ballot box stuffer
Gonzales," the attorney General who used the Justice Department to justify
plundering the civil rights of Americans and attempting to manipulate the
outcome of congressional elections.
Gonzales is
Hispanic. Being Hispanic no longer suffices. Hispanic is more than just
skin color. Hispanic
values are part of the Kingdom of Conscience that determines the moral compass
of everyone in the United States of America.
Gonzales has lost
his moral compass of helping all Hispanics Democrat of Republican. He instead has chosen to be the
point man for Bush and Cheney to represent the greed of corporate America at the
expense of middle America.
Gonzales is American Hispanics' greatest
disappointment.
The honorable thing
would be for Gonzales to commit hari-kari
and be gone. This will never happen for Gonzales has no shame or understanding
of the great miscarriage of the U.S. Constitution and the Kingdom of Conscience.
He simply has no
scruples.
All Hispanics should
shun his presence.
