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I don't want my "latinidad" to be associated with latinos like Alberto Gonzales

By liza
Created 19 Apr 2007 - 11:59am

Image found at Wikipedia [1]

I have always been baffled by the inclusiveness and diversity of the Bush administration. I could have never fathomed a black woman Secretary of State under any Democratic presidency, yet thanks to George Bush, Condoleeza Rice is not just that, but she's also one of the most powerful women in the world [2].

The same goes with the concept of a latino working as U. S. Attorney General, but here I am watching Alberto Gonzales trying to weasel his way out of the Judiciary Commitee hearing on the recent firing of eight U.S. Attorneys.

Gonzales ...

Rice ...

It's amazing what people will do for power.

It's kind of taboo for a minority to denounce another one. We're not supposed to that. We're supposed to present a united front against oppression. You know, because we're all supposed to be one consciousness and not act out of free agency and will.

Yahhh. Riiiiight.

As much as I get irritated with the thought of Al Sharpton (I can't forget the Tawana Brawley case), I have always admired how he has been kind of a lone ranger in his campaign against the black profiteers of gangster rap. Gotta love him for saying, "They're calling people in the 'hood 'ho's' and 'bitches' ... and they're saying 'yes ma'am' to the people in the Hamptons." [3]

Which is why I ask : Where are the latino leaders denouncing Alberto Gonzales? Where's Antonio Villaraigosas or José Serrano denouncing this motherfucker? Where is the National Hispanic Caucus denouncing Gonzales' torture memos, his stand on Guantanamo, or on the current hearings?

Here's the list of the National Hispanic Caucus [4] :

Officers
* Chair: Joe Baca (CA-43) (D)
* 1st Vice Chair Raul Grijalva (AZ-7) (D)
* 2nd Vice Chair Charles A. Gonzalez (TX-20) (D)
* Whip Lucille Roybal-Allard (CA-34) (D)

Membership
* Xavier Becerra (CA-31) (D)
* Dennis Cardoza (CA-18) (D)
* Jim Costa (CA-20) (D)
* Henry Cuellar (TX-28) (D)
* Charles A. Gonzalez (TX-20) (D)
* Gene Green (TX-29) (D)
* Luis V. Gutierrez (IL-4) (D)
* Rubén Hinojosa (TX-15) (D)
* Senator Bob Menendez (NJ-D)
* Solomon Ortiz (TX-27) (D)
* Ed Pastor (AZ-4) (D)
* Silvestre Reyes (TX-16) (D)
* John Salazar (CO-3) (D)
* José Serrano (NY-16) (D)
* Hilda Solis (CA-32) (D)
* Nydia Velázquez (NY-12) (D)

Past
* Loretta Sanchez (CA-47) (D)
(Resigned on January 31, 2007)

* Linda T. Sánchez (CA-39) (D)
(Suspended her membership on April 12, 2007)

How come the American Freedom Agenda can ask Bush to fire Alberto Gonzales [5], but there's nary a comment or press release posted by the CHC? [6]

It's just disheartening.

Some of the most atrocious abuses of power that I know of have been in América Latina. We can't deny Chiapas and Oaxaca. We can't deny Sendero Luminoso. We can't deny Cerro Maravilla. We can't deny the slave trade of Haiti and the Dominican Republic. We can't deny the thousands of desaparecidos in Argentina, Chile, Paraguay and Uruguay. We can't deny all these abuses of power have happened all over América at the hands of tens of thousands of "Albertos Gonzales" --and yes, I am including Cuba as well.

Latinos in the United States have to start growing cojones and standing for what is right. Especially the elected Latino Democrats I have mentioned in this post.

Alberto Gonzales latinidad ought not make him untouchable. He is an enemy of democracy, a power-hungry psycophant that will justify torture and murder as part of his job as the United States top law enforcer.

It's time for high profile latinos in the Democratic Party to start taking Gonzales to task and target as the enemy of democracy and freedom that he is.



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