Dead soldier's father advises Latinos not to join US Army

[Say_What]

<clips>

MEXICO CITY: "Our children must come home, and not keep dying in this absurd military occupation," says Mexican Fernando Suarez, whose son, a US citizen, was killed in Iraq in the first days of the war.

"I'm in Iraq to express support for the people and to tell the soldiers from the United States, and especially the Latinos, to return home, to stop this military madness," Suarez said on Wednesday.

Suarez says that "young Latinos shouldn't enlist in the US army, which hooks them with promises and lies. Their place is in schools and universities." "My son let himself be fooled. That's how he joined an army that killed him, that deprived him of the best of life. This must not happen to others. We must say it loud, we must shout it!"

The 48-year-old Mexican, who emigrated to the United States in the mid-1990s without proper migration documents, lost his only son, Jeszs, in March. The soldier, 20, stepped on a landmine just days after arriving in Iraq as a member of the invading forces.


http://www.dawn.com/2003/12/06/int18.htm

[The Backlash Cometh]

1. You know, this kind of thinking must be cultural.

There is something about being caught in the middle that gives you a very sharp perspective. My sentiments are exactly in line with his. When you know you're being used as cannon fodder, why bother?

[peacetalksforall]

2. Don't they call America the classless society?

Not true!

Woe be to Latinos if this catches on. If you think the attacks on anti-war 'libraalls' is unjust, wait for their war on Latinos.

You can be sure they are already refining propaganda to bring out 'adoring' and 'patriotic' Latinos who will help call this man a traitor.

[The Backlash Cometh]

3. Don't be so sure, don't be so sure.

*

[wtmusic]

4. More power to him

he's got an uphill battle ahead

[Malva Zebrina]

5. Pity for this father

I feel so sorry for this father. It is not the first time he has gone public in his grieving and his angst. I think he is right about Latinos (and it goes for all of them that joined in order to get the benefits promised to them)--they belong in schools and universities and not as cheap fodder to be used at the pleasure of the rich little, priveledged boys like the great, strutting, photo-op king, smirking, laughing, sobbing and sniffling like a slob for the camera around the "troops", adolescent prep school, frat boy, failed business boy, forever striving to outdo his dad,our AWOL commander in chief, stolen presidency,Mr. George Bush. (and his frump)

Why is it that the cost of an education is so prohibitive to those in the lower income bracket? Why is it that people must toil so hard, well into their sixties just to pay for their kids education? Why is it that we no longer hear of kids "working their way through college"? Because it is no longer applicable--anything they make will not pay for their college education any longer. Now they must be in debt for ten years after they graduate if they use a student loan. I remember a time when NYC residents could attend City College for free (1960's)--and it was a good, standing college, indeed. Gone forever and not to be available, I am afraid, for any young persons who are of modest means, any longer, anywhere at all in the US. How is it that it was available then, and now has reached, unreachable proportions for many young people eager to get an education? What changed?

[enough]

6. enlisted for US citizenship

snip>

Like many of the 120,000 soldiers of Latin American descent who are in the US army, Suarez's son enlisted, motivated by the offer of US citizenship and access to university scholarships and credits.

snip>

The Mexican activist, who after his son died said he regretted having emigrated to the United States, denounced the Bush government for pegging him as mad and ungrateful just because he is part of the anti-war campaign. "I tell them here that the people of the United States don't want the occupation of Iraq, that this is entirely the responsibility of a lying government that is headed by an illegitimate president who has turned a handful of inexperienced soldiers into victims and assassins."

[TeeYiYi]

7. AlJazeera did an editorial cartoon . . .

. . . that was later banned and forced to be pulled from their site by the US. (I'm not sure why they caved to US pressure.)

The cartoon showed Mexican illegals going through an underground tunnel in Mexico and emerging out the other end in Iraq with US military uniforms on.

If I can find a copy or a link, I'll post it.

TYY

[TeeYiYi]

8. Here's a link to the banned cartoons . . .

My memory was flawed. I guess they are already in the US heading down into a subway with a sign over it saying "US Immigration Applicants".


http://www.thememoryhole.org/media/jazeera-cartoons.htm

TYY

[Say_What]

9. Great cartoon

Thanks for posting. I took the liberty of posting it here. :-)