FrontPage Stories

Proxy Soldiers in Bush’s War

Mexico Fiercely Opposes the Iraq War, But Mexicans Are Dying There Every Week

By John Ross

“She died on Friday thinking about coming home to eat beans and carnitas”

Father of Sgt. Isela Rubacalva

Mexico City - When Lance Corporal Juan Lopez Rangel was killed in a firefight near the rebel city of Fallujah in Al Anbar province just west of Baghdad on June 21st, his grieving parents, who now live in a small Georgia town, were determined to bury the proud marine in his hometown of San Luis de la Paz, Guanajuato Mexico, a dusty crossroads in the shadow of the desolate Sierra Gorda where the only action after dark are the all-night funeral parlors and from which Juan Lopez and his family escaped when he was 15 for a new life.

Fernando Suarez del Solar, center, carrying the casket of his son Marine Corps Lance Cpl. Jesus Suarez del Solar. Friday, April 11, 2003. Del Solar was killed in Iraq on March 27th. Photo from America First, Incorporated, website.

Juan’s funeral set for Mexico over the July 4th weekend—U.S. Independence Day—would include plenty of patriotic fanfare—U.S. patriotic fanfare. After negotiations with Mexican authorities over protocols, it was agreed that a four member U.S. Marine Corps Honor Guard carrying ceremonial weapons could accompany the interment—a 21-gun salute with M-16s was nixed by the Mexican military.

The U.S. marines paraded solemnly through the empty streets of San Luis de la Paz, stopping in front of the old house on Zaragoza Street where Juan had been born and where now he was being mourned. “Your son was a hero in our country” the marine spokesman told Juan’s parents, presenting Francisco Lopez and Delfina Rangel with a neatly folded U.S. flag. Then with the pallbearers in place and the U.S. Marine Corps leading the way, the final procession set out for the town cemetery.

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Alianza de minorías en Estados Unidos
La nueva lucha por los derechos civiles
Por David Bacon
OAKLAND, CA - Para el presidente George W. Bush, la única alternativa que tienen los mexicanos para evitar el mortal cruce de la frontera es convertirse en trabajadores “huéspedes”: jornaleros con contratos temporales. Los migrantes que ya viven en Estados Unidos, aunque sin visa, entre 8 y 14 millones, deben hacer lo mismo si quieren obtener la residencia.

Kerry Outlines the Fundamental Choice Facing Voters in This Election
Where President has Led for Special Interests and the Few, Kerry Pledges to Stand Up for Middle-Class Families and Values
New York – Democratic presidential nominee John Kerry Tuesday laid out the fundamental choice facing voters in the 2004 election between four more years of an administration that puts the narrow interests of the few ahead of the interests of most Americans or new leadership that will serve as a champion for the middle class and those struggling to join it.

Kerry Habla de la Decisión Fundamental que Enfrentan los Votantes en Estas Elecciones
Mientras el Presidente ha Sido un Líder para los Intereses Especiales y para Beneficio de Pocos, Kerry Promete Defender a la Clase Media y sus Valores
New York – El candidato Demócrata a la presidencia John Kerry dió a conocer hoy detalladamente la decisión que enfrentan los votantes en la elección del 2004, entre cuatro años más de una administración que pone como prioridad a los intereses de pocos por encima de los intereses de la mayoría de los estadounidenses o un nuevo liderazgo que luchará a favor de la clase media y de quienes luchan por pertenecer a ésta.

Census Report: More Hispanics Are Living in Poverty, Uninsured; Latinos Only Group with Falling Average Incomes
Washington, D.C. -- The Census Bureau today released new estimates of the number of Americans living in poverty, average incomes, and the number of uninsured. The report shows that last year the number of Americans living in poverty increased by 1.4 million and the number of uninsured Americans increased by 1.4 million. That is the third straight year of increases for both categories.

Stories

LA GUELAGUETZA, EL PODER DE LA TRADICION
La presentación de la Guelaguetza, tradicional celebración oaxaqueña de bailes y música, atrajo a casi mil personas en el Valle Central de California.
Por Eduardo Stanley
FRESNO, CA -- Los 40 danzantes y 30 músicos que llegaron desde Los Angeles, sumados a grupos de bailes y banda musical locales, mantuvieron la atención de la audiencia durante la presentación de La Guelaguetza, auspiciada por el Frente Indígena Oaxaqueño Binacional (FIOB) el domingo 15 de agosto en el Teatro Warnors de Fresno.

México del Norte
Jorge Mújica
Patriotas expatriados
Ahora resulta que, después de todo, los que tienen miedo de que los migrantes decidan el resultado de las elecciones presidenciales puede que tengan razón.

Venezuela: Divided Country, Biased Media
By Pilar Marrero
For a couple of days after Venezuela’s referendum had reaffirmed Hugo Chavez in the presidency of that country-which happens to be where I was born and raised- I dreaded calling home to Caracas and having ‘the conversation’ with my mom and brother.

Sweetwater High Gets a Fast Start Toward New Track and Field
24-hour fundraiser coincides with alumna Gail Devers’ run in the Olympics
They ran in the hot afternoon, they ran under the lights in the dead of night, they ran in the morning sun—step after step, lap after lap. Some jogged with family members. Others ran with teacher colleagues. Still others ran or walked alone at their own unique pace, step after step, lap after lap.

LA COLUMNA VERTEBRAL
Por Ricardo J. Galarza
¿Qué fue de la reforma migratoria?
A fines del año pasado, de un momento a otro, todo el mundo se encontró hablando de la necesidad de una reforma migratoria para solucionar la situación de los 12 millones de inmigrantes indocumentados que residen en los Estados Unidos.

A Limited Number of Openings for Head Start’s Free Child Care & Pre-School Services Now Available!
Neighborhood House Association - Head Start Program has a limited number of openings in San Diego, La Mesa, Escondido, East County, South Bay and other areas of San Diego County for FREE Child Care/ Pre-School and Family Services. Head Start is recruiting low-income families, special needs families and families with foster children from 6 weeks to 5 years old who can benefit from these services. Call now to apply.

Free and Reduced-Price Meal Programs
Eligible Students May Get a Break on Lunch
San Diego City Schools offers free and reduced-price meals to eligible students under the federal government’s National School Lunch and School Breakfast programs.

Registration and Health Information for Students in San Diego City Schools
District-wide school registration for students who are new to the district or attending a different district school than last year began on Tuesday, August 24 at the new school to be attended.

La Palabra De Un Médico:
Pregúntele a su Médico Acerca de la Diabetes
Por Arnel Reyes, MD
Verdadero o Falso: Dejar de consumir dulces y azúcares le ayudará a prevenir la diabetes.

Notas de la ciudad de Tijuana
Por: Paco Zavala
Con el advenimiento de las festividades correspondientes a las Fiestas Patrias las cuales se avecinan para el próximo mes de septiembre todas las dependencias encargadas de la organización de éstas, están involucradas en su organización para que luzcan de la mejor manera que se pueda esperar.

Editorials

Editorial:
Non-Citizen Drivers License Bill Avoids Confronting Real Problem
Though State Senator Gilbert A. Cedillo means well in attempting to have his SB 1160 passed, which on the surface would authorize the State to issue a California Drivers license to undocumented workers, La Prensa San Diego must disagree with the premise of the bill. The problem of the undocumented workers has been with us since the original “Braceros” were induced to illegally cross the U.S./Mexican Border to provide a source of cheap labor for the Agriculture sector. Primary and secondary industries took note of the financial growth of the Agricultural segment of our society and joined to exploit a cheap source of labor. The exploitation of the workers from Mexico and other Latin American countries disturbed the native born Mexican American citizens and they joined in the struggle to have America stop the near enslavement of the Mexican/Latino workers.

Commentary:
Retribution
By Andrés Lozano
What goes around comes around. Nowadays John F. Kerry must be brooding upon the meaning of this dictum. Kerry’s campaign is stalled by the weight of his own past doings and sayings, in sum: contradictions. It is coming clear that JFK was enshrined as an authentic hero, an icon during three plus decades based on flimsy, bogus or at least heavily inflated deeds. Thus, Kerry’s four months of heroic service in Viet Nam and sundry medals obtained are at best an apparent fabrication proving the medals tinhorn. This is a bad omen for his campaign. Worst, though, is the fact that his congressional testimony at the time puts him now squarely as a liar or as a war criminal, a potential perjurer in both instances.

Comentario:
Retribución
Por Andrés Lozano
El que la hace la paga. Hoy en día John F. Kerry debe rumiar sobre el significado de este viejo adagio. La campaña de Kerry está empantanada bajo el peso de sus dichos y hechos pasados. Queda claro que JFK fue convertido en héroe durante tres décadas sobradas sobre hechos endebles, falsos o al menos muy inflados. Por ello, los cuatro meses de heróico servicio en Viet Nam y las medallas surtidas que obtuvo son, en el mejor de los casos, un cuento o de plano las medallas son balines. Este es un mal presagio para su campaña. Peor aún es el hecho que su testimonio en el Congreso en aquella época lo muestra como embustero o criminal de guerra, perjuro en potencia en ambas instancias.

Comentario
La difamación del “Swift Boat”
Por Humberto Caspa, Ph.D
Recientemente el Presidente Bush criticó pero no censuró al grupo de ex combatientes “Swift Boat” por sus anuncios televisivos en contra del candidato demócrata John Kerry. La versión de este grupo trata de distorsionar los hechos acaecidos en la Guerra de Vietnam, donde Kerry adquirió condecoraciones militares por su heroísmo en una contienda contra efectivos sudvietnamitas. Como la campaña política de Bush está centrada en el tema del terrorismo y el cuestionamiento a la capacidad resolutiva de Kerry en problemas de seguridad, la aparición del grupo “Swift Boat” encajó como anillo a dedo. Es más, el mensaje difamatorio de este grupo sirvió como preámbulo a la convención Republicana, que se celebrará muy pronto.

Commentary:
GOP’s RAINBOW COALITION IS FOR REAL
By Earl Ofari Hutchinson
Civil rights leaders and black Democrats mercilessly ridicule the Republicans for their plans to parade black gospel choirs, mariachi strollers and American Indian dance groups across the stage at the Republican National Convention in 2000. They call it a cheap publicity stunt to woo black and Latino voters. They’re wrong.

The Public Forum . . . El Foro Publico
Attacks on Kerry’s War Record Wrong
William Rood, of the Chicago Tribune and the commander of a Navy swift boat who served alongside Sen. John Kerry during the Vietnam War, reported on Aug. 22 that attacks challenging Kerry’s integrity and war record are wrong and smear the reputations of veterans who served with Kerry. Rood’s eyewitnesses account of Kerry’s Vietnam service is another link in the chain of evidence that Bush is running a smear campaign to tarnish Kerry’s heroic service.

Etc. Etc. Etc.
Entertainment, Reviews, Sporting news, and other tid bits

“Tan solo pido que me escuchen”
Pepe Aguilar lanza nueva producción discográfica
Por Jose Daniel Bort
Con apenas 34 años, ya tiene una carrera privilegiada en la música. El hijo de Antonio Aguilar es reconocido en la industria por su propio haber, con un sonido musical muy peculiar que fusiona la música tradicional mexicana, el pop y rock and roll. Pepe Aguilar ha tenido un éxito indiscutible, pero nunca como lo que ha logrado con “Miedo”.

Proponiendo un arte de concepto
Kevin Johansen tiene mucho chance de ser el gran ganador de los grammys
Por Jose Daniel Bort
Sus fans en Argentina lo llaman “el piojo”, pero en escena se ve como de dos metros. Su propuesta musical es riquísima en “notas entrañas” (disonancias, novenas jazzísticas, pasos de tresillos a corcheas, cambios abruptos de ritmo) todas esas cosas que los encargados del Marketing de los discos dicen “no, no, no” cuando quieren popularizar a un cantante. Le tomó veinte anos a Kevin llegar adonde esta, y el no va aceptar hacerlo de ningún otro modo.

Un Extraordinario Concierto para Beneficio del Hospital de Salud Mental Presentará Eugenia León en Tijuana
Por: Paco Zavala
Con el fín de recaudar fondos vastos y suficientes para la contrucción del Hospital de Salud Mental de Tijuana, el Patronato Proconstrucción del citado nosocomio está invitando a la población que se sume al esfuerzo de realizar ésta magna obra, asistiendo al gran concierto que presentará la estupenda cantante, Eugenia León, el próximo sábado 11 de septiembre de 2004, en el Teatro del Centro Cultural Tijuana.

Bearfoot Makes Summergrass Festival a Learning Experience
By John Philip Wyllie
While Mariachi bands are springing up in schools everywhere from Oceanside to San Ysidro, only a handful of local students have ever been taught to play another traditional type of music: bluegrass. Eleven year old violinist, Dalia Miguel, from Vista’s Olive Elementary School is one of them. Mi-guel was one of about 30 students to take advantage of an extraordinary opportunity last weekend at the Second Annual Summergrass Bluegrass Festival held at the Antique Gas and Steam Engine Museum in Vista.

Museum of Contemporary Art Presents Chicano Film Festival, Trolley Dancing, and Pocket at TNT
On Thursday, September 2nd at 7 pm, the Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego hosts TNT (Thursday Night Thing), an ongoing program of events taking place downtown on the first Thursday of each month. September’s TNT celebrates Chicano Now and the opening of Cerca Series: Gad Shanaan Design with a Q&A by the designer, dance performances, an outdoor Chicano film festival, and live music by San Diego locals, Pocket.

LATINO LOOP
Latino Loop invites you to enter for a chance to win the latest CD releases from cool artists such as Los Lonely Boys, Robi Draco Rosa, Julio Iglesias, Maria Mena, Rosa Passos, and David Sanchez. To check out music from these artists and to enter, click here http://www.sonymusic.com/contests/latinoloop/

Ortiz Optimistic About Aztec Football
By John Philip Wyllie
With most of its stifling 2003 defense still intact and an offense that will be bolstered by the return of sophomore running back Lynell Hamilton, optimism is running high for the San Diego State Aztecs Football Team. The season home opener against Idaho State (which includes the annual KGB Sky Show) is set for Saturday September 4 and veteran wide receiver, Robert Ortiz and his teammates are feeling the excitement build.

Bullfight World
By Lyn Sherwood
JUDGING CONTROVERSY ERUPTS IN SPAIN
The plaza judge, or in Spain, the presidente, is the ultimate authority in the bullring. It is he who changes the acts, awards any ears, and enforces the authority of the official regulations governing bullfighting. He can impose fines on toreros for violating those regulations or his orders, or for demonstrating disrespect for his authority. He can even order that any torero or spectator be arrested and thrown into the slammer.

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