Raoul Lowery Contreras
Minorities will be the first to die in Bush's "oil wars"?
http://www.NewsAndOpinion.com | "Our organization along with many others in Chicano communities throughout the U.S. are deeply concerned that young poor Chicanos will once again be the first (as historically has been the case) to be called, and die in Bush's "oil wars."
"It is our position that you, and members of the Hispanic Caucus have the primary responsibility (while there is still time and before our young people begin to die) to go on record to defeat President Bush's insane war proposals, and voice the strong public opposition that is been raised by a majority of our people in Mexican-American communities. (signed) Sincerely, Herman Baca. Chicano Committee on Civil Rights."
So writes a Chicano activist. Notice that he claims that a "majority of our people in the Mexican American communities" strongly oppose the current policy of isolating and, if necessary, attacking Iraq to preempt any use of its weapons of mass destruction against us and the rest of civilization.
Baca and the tiny group he represents are wrong. First, there are no "young poor Chicanos" in our military, especially in our Marines. They may have come from poor families (didn't most of us?). There is also the fact that all of the military, not just the Marines, are volunteers. Apparently, Baca thinks that there will be a new draft of "young, poor Chicanos."
Calling President Bush's proposals "insane" is beyond rhetoric; it is downright tactless and inane. Baca, however, is not alone. Every Democratic Hispanic congressman voted against the Iraq resolution. The leftwing of the Democratic Party aligned, once again, with the Chicanos among us are isolated by events and history. They are most often wrong on questions of foreign policy, insult their constituents, and dishonor our fighting men.
In the American Civil War, former Mexican citizens fought on both sides, but played a major role in Union victories in the West. They led troops into battle in the Spanish American War and served with great distinction, though many Americans thought they would turn on the United States instead of fighting the Spaniards. They fought in World War One, in the Dominican Republic and Haiti; won tremendous glory in World War II and Korea and fought with great distinction in Vietnam and the Gulf War.
Herman Baca and the Congressional Hispanic Caucus are not new, but are ignored, not honored. They never ask the people actually involved. Have they noted that there have been no loud protests from the thousands of Iraqi refuges living in the United State about the Bush policy and the votes in congress? In fact, in Phoenix, Iraqi refugees demonstrated in support of Bush's resolution. These people know what must be done and they have relatives in Iraq. They know that civilization is in danger, even if the Democratic Hispanic Caucus and others in the Democratic Party don't know that.
"I question the notion that we must speak with one voice, because it is the collection of voices that grant us our strength," says Congresswoman Susan Davis (D-CA) attempting to defend the righteousness of her leftwing position. What collection of voices? Not Iraqi-Americans; not American fighting men, including Latinos in the service; not the majority of Americans - just the perpetual cache of leftwingers.
More importantly, the petulant little people like Baca, and elected people like Susan Davis, must cause former Democrat Presidents Harry Truman and Franklin D. Roosevelt to turn over in their graves. It was these Presidents who expected and got a unified voice in foreign affairs, a bipartisan foreign policy, if you will.
It was Republican United States Senator Arthur Vandenberg who led the way in presenting this idea: Partisanship about foreign policy stops at the water's edge.
Which of Senator Vandenberg or Susan Davis will American historians honor in the future? Will the Mexican American, Hispanic, community honor Herman Baca and the Hispanic Congressional Caucus, and their silly and disgraceful babble? No, the community will honor its Marines and soldiers when they run through the "elite" Iraqi Republican Guard.
How do I know this? Because our community knows right from
wrong and has always honored those among us who realize that
a fight for America, is a fight for Western Civilization.
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JWR contributor Raoul Lowery Contreras is a columnist, radio talk-show host, and author of "The New American Majority, Hispanics, Republicans & George W. Bush" and "A Hispanic view: American politics and the politics of immigration."
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