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Wednesday, April 21, 2010

Pres. OBAMA: Hate Groups - Where Were Those Groups During the "W" Reign?!!

I posted the following data to my facebook wall tonight as a means to let people know how stupid, ignorant and dangerous ones actions and words can be. I am not sure how many of my FB friends will grasp the idea behind my posting, not sure I really care; but if they want to debate it, I welcome them with open arms. My goal really was to wake some people up - for them to see what their actions and words can lead to, that they should think twice about what they do and to be accountable for it. I also hope that maybe I can get some of my FB friends to delete their membership into any of these hate groups and to view things a little differently because things now really are no worse than when "W" reigned. Our economy started to collapse during his reign and got really bad by 2007, our freedom was attacked (9/11), our freedoms were truly dimished (Patriot Act). BUT immediately following a Republican reign over the White House and a Black, Democratic President having been overwhelmingly elected, it is only Pres. Obama whom gets treated like a commie, a thief, an illegal alien, a socialist. Please spare me, people. Anyway, below is what I posted, plus, I am including the web site (they speak of the groups who are wanting Pres. Obama to die) which I was referring to via a link (its URL): http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=433x272508

...i never, never, liked the previously 'selected' president "W", but i never wished for his death. bailouts occurred (started) during his reign, the 'patriot act' occurred under his reign, 9/11 occurred during his reign, big government was at its peak during his reign - not many good came out of his reign. hate groups, grassroots mov...ement groups were NOWHERE TO BE FOUND during his reign like now. even if a hate group existed during those grueling 8 years, no way would my consicence and morals allow me to join - they only incite hatred and violence. at most, i did join the "impeach g.w.bush group". i find groups like the one referred to via the link below and ppl who follow them quite sad and disappointing. we should be better than that. as if ppl like timothy mcveigh need anymore reason to do stupid things. BTW, Timmy did not bomb the Murrah bldg thus killing 168 innocent ppl for any cause, purpose or incident...he was just a scared, lonely, hate-filled narcissistic thug. besides, if part of his m.o. was that he was mad over the davidian incident at waco...well, timmy, let me remind you that david koresh was a child molester, a rapist and his group was stockpiling. militias like the armed forces still fall under fed law that the President is their Commander in Chief. (FYI...i fully support the right to bear arms). BTW, you seriously cannot hate the govt and love the military. the military is part of govt as are policemen, firemen, postal carriers. it is not the structure or our laws but some ppl (politicians, poli-pundits, and radicals) who make the govt bad, and we can make it good but not with violence. violence makes this a sad world to reside in, and if my post makes you indignant, don't read them anymore. it is my right to post, afterall, i am not inciting violence. be creative and post on your own wall - just don't throw stones - no one lives in glass houses, never did-never will.

What's the dilly, yo?: We Can't Trace Abuelita's roots But We Know About La Llorona!

Lack of Latino Documentation was a topic of mine last week. It was titled, "Genealogy Quagmire: The Lack of Family Documentation Through-out The Years". I posted it to this very blog, and Sara made a good point in her comments to my story. She said, and I quote (verbatim as I C and P it):
'As an undergrad and grad student, I learned about this lack of documentation our Raza is guilty of and it is most unfortunate. After all, the best way to keep a people submissive and oppressed is by denying them their history. In all fairness to our ancestors, most were uneducated and could barely read and write (if at all). So keeping a diary or journal was virtually impossible. And they didn't have much in terms of material possessions or money. In contrast, most anglos kept inventories of what they owned, i.e. furniture, china, silver, livestock, heirlooms, etc. So now, the research is up to us. We can do the best we can to research and uncover our roots. Then, going forward, we need to document anything and everything for future generations.'
Okay, let me gently and respectfully dissect what Sara wrote via her comment.
  • They (Latinos) were uneducated: Yes, I totally agree. They could barely read and write (if at all). Keeping a diary would have been impossible, but as our raza was undergoing oppression equal to that of the blacks, why is it that blacks have so much history to review? Was it because officially blacks were counted as pieces of property by their respective slave owners thus they became part of the white-slave owners inventory roll? I would stand firm in saying that indeed, the inventory roll was indeed part of how blacks were able to trace their roots. By little or no credit to them (blacks), it was their dirty slave owners who ultimately proved to be the "keepers of the flame" for black history. Latinos were never officially referred to as slaves, not in the U.S. but they were subjected to the same awful treatment. Worse, yet, the only historical data we can investigate comes from limited sources out there who were mainly keeping track for economic reasons as well. Most often the labor farms/ranches. If one of us (Latinos) died, it was recorded for financial records so that the land owners could account for such a loss in order to retrieve monetary losses by our own government. A dead Latino was worth more dead than alive. Scarey thing is that little in that regard is much different now: we are worth more dead than alive. OR maybe not, and I do not mean it in a positive way either as currently - in death, Latinos more often than not leave little to no money behind, little to no insurance behind, and their surviving loved ones have to find the means with which to pay for funeral costs and such. It sets back each generation instead of helping us to progress.
  • They (Latinos) didn't have much in terms of material possessions or money: Yes, I also agree completely with that statement of Sara's. Our ancestors had little back then and when in a class war, the poor suffer tremendously and die quickly. I am sure that they went into survival mode, and they did what they could to stay alive and to them, keeping historical documents was the least of their worries. They put family first and lived in the here and now and had no time to worry about tomorrow and future generations. Family was important and it was top priority. There was no room for formal education when loved ones were going hungry and such. I firmly believe that such a way of living and thinking for Latinos back in the old days is why present-day Latinos are still not too keen on their children attending college. Too many still stress the importance of working versus higher education. Latino elders still encourage their young to stay home as long as possible. There is none of that kicking young ones out of the nest, per se, in this our Latino culture.

My overall view of documentation going forward:

1) That Latinos get educated and that it becomes a priority versus working. Working is good and it does indeed build character and everyone should partake in it, but we must not allow our education to become impeded by it.

2) Latinos should encourage their young to be more independent and self-reliant. To be ready to leave the nest for a better future. To not be afraid to venture out into the world.

3) That Latinos, although having gotten better at it in recent decades, keep better-detailed records of geneaological facts. When someone is born, write it down with as much detail as possible. Do not just assume that a government agency will have it documented for you because, although they will (they have to as part of the Constitution via the Census Law), they more than likely will screw up some details. I am finding that out as I currently research my own genealogical data. Names are misspelled, left off and the same is for dates, addresses and such. Government records are a joke.

4) That we present day Latinos celebrate our heritage by finding out as much of our past as we can so that we leave more behind for our future than what was left for us. That we forgive the past grievances done onto our ancestors which lead to them keeping limited to nil historical data. That we do better going forward with so much data available to us (i.e. Internet, libraries, newspapers, etc.) so that we can leave more than just stories of folklore.

That brings me to my final thought. Folklore: why is it that our raza can easily recount stories of la llorna, the chupacabra, la Lechuza, and other folkloric legends but when it pertains to stories regarding their own family legend(s), they know very little. Blacks often sang songs and told stories in code so that the white man did not know that they were remembering and mentally recording their roots. They did this to protect their legacy so that future generations would know of their history. Why then did this sort of witty tactic elude the Latino population. I wish we could go back and do things differently, but that is never to be so all we (Latinos) can do is move forward with pride in tact and to research and to remember as much of our past so that we do not repeat it and thustly so that we can achieve so much more success than our ancestors. That we not allow the cruel, harsh treatment of our ancestors to have been in vain. The best thing we (Latinos) can do for certain going forward is to encourage one another to obtain a formal education. I do not just mean high school, we must progress further than that in these days and not just settle for an undegrad education either. We must go even further now and do so by demanding of ourselves a graduate education. The best way to beat oppression is by being educated. An educated man is a powerful man, and he can no longer be oppressed.

Sunday, April 18, 2010

Genealogy Quagmire: The Lack of Family Documentation Through-out The Years.

I am pondering with the fact that through-out generations, Latinos seem to be the more lax people when it comes to documenting data and facts pertaining to family history. Lack of documentation in my own family is the reason why I wrote the post below. Finding where my family's roots began is the basis of my current geneaological project(s) and where my venture truly does begin.

I have recently begun a genealogical journey into finding out from where this Latina/Tejana’s roots stem. It is not easy starting the venture because I did not really know where to begin. I had no idea which web sites would provide the best data so I just gambled and started research via 3 different ones. Geni.com, My Heritage.com and the grand-daddy of ‘em all, Ancestry.com. Besides, since my start up data is so limited, it is basically like asking these 3 web sites...‘where does Dora’s history begin?’! Really, folks, I have almost nothing to start out with as far as family history goes. I realize that I am very fortunate in having the basic data which means I know whom my parents and grand-parents are, but the “history bus-ride” stops there. To add to the start up problems, I am not sure if my father’s name is what we always thought it was. His birth certificate shows a different name all together. Maybe it is not his b.c. - maybe it belongs to a sibling we never knew existed- maybe my father had a twin brother. That explanation would not be so difficult to grasp as my father and mother did give life to their own set of twins back in 1961. A boy and a girl. My baby brother did not survive very long and passed away from an illness just a couple of weeks later; however, my sister did survive that twin birth and I do thank God everyday for her because I could not imagine her not being part of the family – nor in my own life. I am thankful for each one of my other siblings as well. Each one special in his/her own right and serving a special purpose on this Earth.

Anyway, the quagmire which currently plagues my journey into getting our family history composed is further clogged by not knowing my father’s true birth date and birth place. I guess hiring an expert would be ideal right at this point of my research, but who can afford that during these bad financial times. I wish I had that kind of money, because let’s face it, folks, money can pretty much buy us anything. Being shy of being a millionaire myself by about $999,999.00, I must regress to doing things the old fashioned way…hard work + lots of time = sweat equity.

I do not know how much information I may be able to retrieve in the end nor what I will actually do with it all once I get it. Of course I will share it with my family - that's a given. I may find historical facts which will make me proud, and of course, I am prepping myself for any contrary data which might make me ashamed, mad or both. Whatever I find out is okay. I just want to know. It is already difficult having very limited knowledge of your family history dating back to more than one generation (beyond grandparents), but when there also exists questionable data beginning with one’s parent (i.e. my dad), well...that just wreaks. Unfortunately, that is the point where I find myself currently.

If I can just get past the initial data…information pertinent to my parents, especially my father, then I just know the rest will flow easily and steadily. I currently find myself unwilling to stop; I am unwaivering in my attempts to find out my family roots and such. Although there is much information out there on some family members and almost none on others, I am committed to bringing this genealogical project as close to fruition as possible even if it takes me months or years. It may be a never ending project, but at least I will have more data to pass onto future generations versus what limited data was left for me/us. It is indeed a challenge, but an interesting one – a true journey of life. Let the quagmire continue...

Friday, April 16, 2010

TRUE DEFINITIONS: Present day, so-called Grass-roots Movement Groups

The true meaning of certain groups who believe that they are the only true Patriots yet some prove too cowardly to say what they really mean!

BIRTHERS: Radicals who hate anyone not of Aryan descent. Deep down, these people truly admired Hitler (who was a so-called Christian himself) and secretly wish to become his followers of late. These birthers would also love to go back pre-1964 when they truly ruled the U.S. This group is the one I mostly have a problem with and refuse to take them serious or to justify their anger and violent behavior with a duplicated attack - verbal or otherwise. They are ignorant and we are supposed to disregard those types.

TRUTHERS: Honestly, they just want the truth behind the 9/11 attacks. They would like to see “W” and his cronies in the administration at the time be held accountable for questionable actions leading up to the attacks and then to the start of a needless war against a sovereign nation all in the name of “payback”. Yeah, right, “payback” – call it what it really was – control over oil and wealth for those who aided the admin! “W” and his cronies all need a good, old-fashioned “whoop ass”. To the likes of one ignorant Sarah Palin, “W”, Cheney, and their supporters…“how’s all that oil working out for ya?”!!!

TEA PARTY MOVEMENT: Pissed off Americans who are tired of huge government bail-outs of corporate America; the bail-outs which began during the “W” reign but have been more readily scrutinized under President Obama. Taxation without representation…sure I understand that. At least members of the TP Movement have their basic rights. Ask the LGBT community how they fair during these hard economic times? Ask the LGBT community how they pay exorbitant amount of taxes just so that people involved with the TP can vote to deny them their rights. Marriage is supposedly sacred. Yeah, right, hardly so. Most LGBT couples in a relationship stay together longer, are more committed to one another, more committed to the family and more likely to heed the meaning of the word fidelity. LGBT couples do not share the same rights and privileges as members of the TP Movement. If your spouse becomes ill, you have the right to make life-changing/life-saving decisions for him/her, but an LGBT couple is chastised and thrown out of the room. They pay taxes for such crude and neanderthal-like treatments. TP Movement, I see your point but do you have to be so ignorant, radical, loud and violent in trying to get your point across?!! (rhetorical). Bottom line, the TP Movement is as racist as the birthers are and worse. The TP blames too many taxes, bail-outs and health care as the reason behind their cause when in actuality they are like the birthers who are pissed off at the fact of a Black man in the White House. Surely they remember times being worse during the "W" reign. The TP Movement automatically reverts to screams of bloody-murder ala socialism. They don’t want to share their wealth with the less fortunate. I understand that. No one asked them to completely and totally finance and support the poor, they are just being asked to act like the Christians they claim to be and lend a hand. I hate involving Christianity (I firmly believe in a true separation of church and state) but since the TP Movement claims it to be part of their foundation, I too shall go to that "place". Oh, and providing health care for over 35 million Americans just pisses off the TP Movement. Are they scared that for once in this country that everyone will have equal treatment on the health care scale. That the minorities, the low class, the no class, the poor, the tired will be on the same level as them and that the elimination of such scum will be minimized because fewer have to die from lack of medical attention and affordability? (rhetorical). Jesus would be for health care and He is probably totally disappointed and pissed off at such negative actions by these people. Did they learn nothing from biblical teachings to treat others fair and equal? (r) I do not wear my limited Christian beliefs on my sleeve, but I d0 know right from wrong, and therefore I do not get irate at lending a hand to those less fortunate especially when my own home has been so greatly rewarded. Some of the TP Movement members go around all indignant of so-called socialism with one hand making a fist and the other hand guarding their money. Reminiscent of a three year-old as he goes around not wanting to play fair nor to share his toys while all the time reciting the words…“MINE, MINE, MINE!”

My friend said it best the other day…

~Tea (Party) is bitter these days, I will take Coffee (Party) - it's much sweeter!~

ARIZONA: LULAC Finds New Immigration Law Unconstitutional

April 15, 2010

Contact: Lizette Jenness Olmos, (202) 833-6130 ext. 16

The law will lead to more racial profiling and discrimination.

Washington, DC – The League of United Latin American Citizens, the nation's oldest and largest Hispanic civil rights organization, will sue to block an Arizona immigration bill as unconstitutional should Gov. Jan Brewer sign it into law.
“We are horrified," said LULAC National President Rosa Rosales. "This law opens the doors to racial profiling. It requires police officers, if they form a 'reasonable suspicion' that someone is an illegal immigrant, to determine the person’s immigration status.”
LULAC is opposed to an existing program known as 287(g) allows local police to enforce federal immigration laws, contending that it has been ineffective and subject to abuse. LULAC has always opposed involving local police in immigration matters because they do not have the resources or training to enforce immigration law.
First Lady Michelle Obama in a trip to Mexico today stressed that immigration reform is necessary and that more Democrats and Republicans should support its enactment.
“We're seeing children who are trying to cross the border just to reconnect with their parents, and their family members and their lives are at risk,” said Rosales. “A strong immigration reform policy would help alleviate some of those challenges.”
Until Congress passes an immigration reform bill, states will continue to take matters into their own hands and communities and families will remain separated.
LULAC is the largest and older Hispanic Organization in the United States. LULAC advances the economic condition, educational attainment, political influence, health and civil rights of Hispanic Americans through community-based programs operating at more than 700 LULAC councils nationwide. For more information on LULAC, visit www.lulac.org.