Posted on 06/26/2005 8:49:29 AM PDT by SmithL
BALDWIN PARK - About 60 anti-illegal immigrant activists demonstrating against a public art piece they say is unpatriotic were met with about 600 dancing, chanting and drum-beating opponents.
The peaceful face-off Saturday was sparked by a 12-year-old arch at the Baldwin Park Metrolink station, entitled "Danza Indigenas."
It was the second protest by the Ventura County-based group Save Our State of the archway in the last two months. Save Our State wants the inscription removed, alleging that the engravings are anti-American. In particular, they have focused on the phrases, "It was better before they came" and "This land was Mexican once, was Indian and always is, and will be again."
Save Our State supporter Henry Dias of San Dimas said the artwork represents a "full-scale soft invasion" of California by immigrants from Mexico. "Racist speech should never be paid for with tax dollars," he said. The group says the phrase, "It was better before they came" is meant as a slur against whites.
Artist Judith Baca, who created the work, has said the words actually were taken from gibes hurled at Mexican immigrants who moved to the area after World War II. She joined the counter-protest Saturday.
Mayor Manuel Lozano said Baldwin Park, which is nearly 80 percent Hispanic, wants to keep the arches.
Save Our State members have been busy with protests in recent weeks. Last weekend the group protested at the Home Depot in Alhambra, where many undocumented immigrants wait for work. At that protest, they were also outnumbered by opponents.
Alvardo Maldonado of San Gabriel Valley Neighbors for Peace and Justice, which helped organize the counter-demonstration, said Save Our State members use immigration to distract from other problems the nation faces.
"We're in a semi-recession and spending hundreds of billions of dollars on an unjust war in Iraq," he said.
Save Our State leader, 29-year-old Joseph Turner, said he wasn't bothered by being outnumbered, because his group's presence required costly police protection.
"Our aim is to make this painful. We want this to become expensive so that people will take notice," he said.
And if so, you'll have to flee it again because it'll turn into the same kind of corrupt economic sinkhole that you risked your lives to get out of to come here.
With all the illegal money going to Mexico my just pay for the "unjust" war.
My thoughts they want to work send them to Iraq.
Not back to mexico and pay them in dinars.
Our Co-Presidents Bush and Fox agree.
Bump, and re-bump to that.
Is Fox a compassionate conservative, too?
Contrary to this ignorant fools contention. California was "discovered "by the Spainards. Cabrillo/Balboa/Sierra etc. There were NO MEXICANs living in the area now known as California. There were indeginous INDIANS (weird they called them Indians). Anyway. California became part of NEW SPAIN (now Mexico). <p. These people are so stupid they can't even comprehend a cursory historical fact. CALIFORNIA was NEVER inhabited by MEXICANs.
In fact, California was only under the technical govt control of Mexico for about 25 years, and they never exerted any real control of the territory from Mexico City. The "Californios" NEVER considered themselves "Mexicans" for one single day.
Thank You.!!! That's the point I was trying to make.
No problema. I should post the timeline some day.
Soon I hope.
my advice to native born americans in california..
leave, take your wealth and taxes and leave.
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It was the second protest by the Ventura County-based group Save Our State of the archway in the last two months. Save Our State wants the inscription removed, alleging that the engravings are anti-American.In particular, they have focused on the phrases, "It was better before they came" and "This land was Mexican once, was Indian and always is, and will be again."
It is far too late to rescue California from the treason that has befallen it. When you have a crooked judiciary, crooked state representatives and a Governor who tries to play both ends against the middle - you're finished.
In every state Mexicans are rising up and taking control. In my own area, they have a spokeswoman who stands up and tells the American citizens to shut up. Our newspaper is on their side and says the same thing, as well at the Catholic Churches. Our county representatives are so frightened, they go into hiding every other week. We have lost our country and California will be the first to go; like dominos, the rest will follow.
ping
Many have done this already, but for those of us who have been here all our lives, whose entire families are here, whose jobs can't be transferrred, whose homes are here, it's almost impossible.
If our federal government doesn't take some positive action to remedy this INVASION and enforce the laws, it will lead to violence. People don't take kindly to being forced to endure an invasion from the third world and being forced to pay for it too.
Sad bump.
Protect our borders and coastlines from all foreign invaders!
Be Ever Vigilant!
Minutemen Patriots ~ Bump!
Why is anybody even bothering to complain about this racist statue? Just get rid of it in the middle of the night and it is GONE! Our cowardly politicians certainly aren't going to do it for us.
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