"Let's git us some Mexicans!"

"Remember, women and children are only
worth two points."

- Dialogue on a cartoon published in an Oregon high school student newspaper
(April 15, 2005) -

by
Ernesto Cienfuegos
La Voz de Aztlan

Los Angeles, Alta California - April 20, 2005 - A pro-Minutemen vigilante cartoon advocating the killing of Mexican immigrants, including women and children, that was published in the Oregon City High School student newspaper "The Elevator", continues to anger Mexican-Americans in the state of Oregon and across the nation. There is now a large number of parents of Mexican-American students at the school that are asking for the "firing" of the newspaper teacher advisor that approved the "criminal" cartoon for publication. There have been a series of parent meetings with school Principal Carol Kemhus and Superintendent Roger Rada concerning the matter and another meeting has been scheduled for tonight.

The vicious cartoon, shown at the bottom of the page, shows two vigilantes with Minutemen t-shirts on the Mexico/Arizona border. One of the vigilantes says to another, who is armed with a rifle, "Let's git us some Mexicans!". The armed vigilante answers, "Remember, women and children are only worth two points." There is no question what the cartoon intends to communicate. The teacher who approved the cartoon for publication should be dismissed immediately. The school and district administration has refused to release the name of the teacher after La Voz de Aztlan telephoned the principal and superintendent this morning.

The lives of Mexican-Americans and Mexican immigrants are being increasingly placed in jeopardy by anti-Mexican propaganda in the printed media and by the constant alarmist rhetoric heard on national radio networks. This situation should initiate a massive response by all Mexicans, both here and in Mexico. We should not just be "sitting ducks" for vile bigots who want to kill us.

The constant hate talk against Mexicans by radio jockeys like Sean Hannity, Roger Hedgecock, Al Rantel, John and Ken, Bill Handle, Bill O'reilly, and many others has already resulted in a series of vicious hate crimes against Mexicans. The latest occurred on Sunday when a Mexican flower girl, Pasquala Hernandez, was kidnapped by three Anglos from a corner in Wheaton, Maryland. She has not been located as of today. The state of Maryland also saw the decapitation of three Mexican children in the month of May 2004. In Fremont, California in the month of February 2004, a Mexican mother and daughter were bludgeon to death on the street by what witnesses described as an Anglo. Yet another recent case occurred last September in Columbus, Ohio when ten Mexican immigrants from Leon, Guanajuato were burned to death when arsonists set their rented apartment building on fire in the early morning hours. None of these cases, nor many others in prior years, have been solved by police authorities.

Hate rhetoric against Mexicans broadcasted across the USA by racist radio jockeys (and cartoons like the one published in the Oregon City High School newspaper) lead to hate crimes against Mexicans. We must act before the situation gets any worse. One strategy is to boycott the products and services that are advertised on the anti-Mexican radio talk shows. We must gather a list of the advertisers and their contact information. We should than inform them that we will boycott their services and products if they continue to support anti-Mexican radio programming. As Mexican-Americans, we have immense purchasing power that we should learn to direct intelligently.

These radio talk bigots are also lending direct service to the vile border vigilantes. Sean Hannity for example has interviewed, on his program, the vile Minuteman vigilante Chris Simcox on six separate occasions but has never allowed any Mexican-Americans with an opposing view. Yesterday, he broadcasted from the US/Mexico border and defended the actions of the vigilantes. In addition, Al Rantel of KABC radio in Los Angeles, recently undertook a money raising campaign for Chris Simcox and the vigilantes utilizing the ABC radio station. Al Rantel, by the way, is an out of the closet homosexual and a practicing sodomite. With the millions of Mexicans in Los Angeles, it should be an easy matter to kick the sodomite off the air for being a hate monger.

With the increasing hostile political atmosphere that hate radio is creating against Mexicans across the USA, it is easy to understand why the vicious cartoon, at the bottom of the page, was published in a student newspaper at an Oregon state public high school. We are not condemning the two junior bigots that created the cartoon. We are, however, condemning the teacher advisor of "The Elevator" who approved the vile cartoon for publication and the school district administration that is supporting and protecting the teacher. This teacher must be fired! La Voz de Aztlan is asking our readership to contact the school and district administration and urge them to dismiss the teacher immediately. Below is contact information:

Principal Carol Kemhus
Oregon City High School
19761 S. Beavercreek Rd.
Oregon City, OR 97045
E-mail: carol.kemhus@orecity.k12.or.us
Phone: 503-785-8900

Superintendent Roger Rada
E-mail: roger.rada@orecity.k12.or.us
Phone: 503-785-8430

Safety Hotline: 503-785-8817 This safety hotline is for all parents, staff, and students to report any incident they feel the school should know about. Please feel free to call anonymously.

School Governing Board:

Daniel Holladay
occommish@aol.com
(503)710-0371

Mark Westermann
westerm@comcast.net
(503)730-5050

Roger Cone, Vice Chairperson
cone@ohsu.edu
(503) 631-8482

Michele Beneville
mbbeneville@comcast.net
(503) 557-7535

Carol Sturman
redplant@spiritone.com
(503) 819-4484

Gene Trone, Chairperson
genetrone@juno.com
(503)869-6660

Tom Hurt
trhurt@gmail.com
(503)655-5401