Valley protesters speak out against Bush’s visit(Barf Alert!)

The Monitor ^ | February 06,2004 | Eric Garza

[SwinneySwitch]

EDINBURG — As George H.W. Bush took the stage, a group of about 75 students and community members stood along Miguel Nevarez Drive to protest the former president’s arrival at the university.

The event, sponsored by the University of Texas-Pan American’s Young Democrats group, saw students holding up signs that read "Like Father Like Son," "Bush Not Wanted" and "Go Away Bush." Another sign equated the former president’s head to a part of the male anatomy.

"He doesn’t have a very good record as a president or vice president," said Danny Garcia, co-president of the Young Democrats.

He was involved in arms trade with Nicaragua, drug trafficking with El Salvador and the Iran-Contra scandal. His human rights record isn’t too good either. When students were slaughtered in Tianamen Square he did nothing more than issue a public statement here in America that was meant for nothing more than domestic consumption."

Samuel Freeman, a political science professor at the university said it was Bush’s management of the Tianamen Square incident that prompted his decision to participate in the demonstration

"He has the audacity to come to a university to speak to students who as a president told China they could slaughter as many university students as necessary and there would be no sanctions imposed on them," Freeman said. "Any university campus he walks on he defiles."

Maricela de Leon, a UTPA student and member of the Young Democrats, said she was upset that the university gave students little notice of Bush’s appearance and made it difficult for students to attend the lecture. De Leon was at the event Thursday crouched beneath a palm tree helping fellow students make protest posters before joining the picket.

"They put up fliers and the only thing they said was it was sponsored by student leaders," de Leon said. "I’m a student leader and I’m not sponsoring this."

De Leon was also upset that so far, all the keynote speakers from The UTPA Foundation’s Outstanding Leadership Series have been conservative speakers.

"They’re all Republicans," de Leon said. "For some reason there’s only been Republicans that come and talk to our students. Why aren’t they being equal? It’s not fair. I’m a college student and I have to be out here instead of in there."

For some of the protesters, it was the current President Bush’s policies that were being picketed. Tom Gesswein, an Edinburg resident, was at the protest with his wife, Yolanda Gesswein. The couple said they are not able to protest W. Bush’s policies, so they decided to do the next best thing.

"We don’t have the opportunity to protest George W. Bush’s policies so we’ve opted to go to him through his father," Gesswein said. "He took office on the pretense of being ‘a uniter not a divider’ and since taking office he has divided us on a series of issues. We’re unhappy and we want to say something about it."

———

Eric Garza covers law enforcement, public safety and general assignments for The Monitor. You can reach him at (956) 683-4441.

[SwinneySwitch]

"De Leon was also upset that so far, all the keynote speakers from The UTPA Foundation’s Outstanding Leadership Series have been conservative speakers."

And your point is????

[SkiHatGuy]

"He doesn’t have a very good record as a president or vice president,"

GHWB was vice president? Either I've been out of it for awhile, or this Dem can't even get his facts straight. I'm not much of a bettor, but I'll take me and the points on this one.

[SkiHatGuy]

Whoops, I lost the bet. I've had too much wine tonight... My mistake.

[muawiyah]

It's the dope man; they got hit with a bad dose.

[socal_parrot]

OK, double or nothing...

Spell potato(e)

[Democratshavenobrains]

I'm sure Professor Freeman was just as mad at Clinton for his coddling of China lol

[onedoug]

Democrats hate whoever fights Communism.

[Terpfen]

He was Reagan's Veep, 85-89.

[FoxInSocks]

"Why aren’t they being equal? It’s not fair."

whaaaaaaaaa!!!

That's a fine argument -- if you're two years old.

[sauropod]

"He was involved in arms trade with Nicaragua, drug trafficking with El Salvador and the Iran-Contra scandal. His human rights record isn’t too good either. When students were slaughtered in Tianamen Square he did nothing more than issue a public statement here in America that was meant for nothing more than domestic consumption."

WTF???

[sauropod]

LOL!

[NYC GOP Chick]

I suppose this is a cautionary tale of what happens when children ingest too many illicit substances at such a young age...

[beckysueb]

These kids ought to be spanked and put to bed without any supper! Typical liberals.

[Liberty Valance]

LOL - This is in Hidalgo County (along the Rio Grande)and is 87% hispanic. One of the blue counties in that nat'l map. I lived there for 25 years. The county is overrun with personal injury lawyers and run by a corrupt dem political machine for decades. I got out 8 years ago :o)

[scorpion43]

Yeah I've lived down here all my life. I used to vote Democrat until Jimmy Carter. Just last week a Constable was sentenced to life without parole and two deputies were sentenced to 30 years without parole for running drugs. This is one of the things that gripes me. These people are supposed to uphold the law. How do you report drug dealers to these people if they are the ones running the drugs. Keep an eye on this area. The local Cameron County Sheriff will probably be the next one to go down. One Hidalgo Sheriff already went to Federal prison for aiding drug dealers.

[texastoo]

Yup, it is corrupt. Bill Clinton was down here 3 or 4 times during his 8 years. Hillary came down here separately 2 or 3 times.

[RightWingAtheist]