You know how things sometimes just don't add up, signaling to us right away that something's just not right? Or that someone is not exactly telling the truth? You don't need to be trained as a journalist to figure it out when it happens. All you need is common sense.
When it comes to detecting B.S., almost everything I know comes from parenting: my wife and I have four kids, with ages ranging from elementary school all the way to college. They keep us on our toes and keep our B.S. detectors quite keen. B.S. detectors usually come with adulthood.
But there are two adults in the great state of Arizona -- public officials no less -- who either don't have B.S. detectors or simply decided not to use them one day last week.
What they did in their official capacity boggles the mind. Theirs is not an errant off the cuff comment, or the trap of a "gotcha" interview, which I've fallen prey to myself. No, what they did cannot be explained away that easily. These two public servants, representatives of the people of Arizona, apparently read, studied and then proceeded to disseminate hate-filled B.S. right into the official record of the Arizona State Senate.
Senate President Russell Pearce and Senator Lori Klein claim they got a letter from a constituent named Tony Hill, a substitute teacher in Glendale, Arizona. Klein read Hill's letter into the Senate record. The letter is plainly dubious, filled with accusations all too familiar to those of us who are used to hearing attacks against Latinos veiled in disguise as part of a legitimate "debate" about our nation's broken immigration system.
Those attacks usually go something like this: "Hispanics are lazy and dumb. They're a lower species that want to take over America and destroy our way of life." When taken to the extreme, those attacks can get barbaric and ugly; just over two weeks ago, another fine public servant -- Kansas State Representative Virgil Peck -- "joked" about shooting illegal aliens "like hogs."
Most of us know from even a cursory review of our nation's history that these same types of attacks were leveled against Germans, the Irish, Jews, the Chinese, Italians and just about every other immigrant group that has come to America.
But back to Pearce and Klein. Maybe they haven't read that part of our history because when they got a letter from a substitute teacher saying those types of things, they bought it hook, line and sinker. And then they disseminated it, read it on the floor of the Senate and into the official record, as though it were fact.
Here is what substitute teacher Hill wrote about his experience teaching history to Glendale 8th graders: he said his students refused to recite the Pledge of Allegiance and claimed those students said, "We are Mexicans and Americans stole our land." Hill goes on and says that when he asked the students to stop speaking Spanish in class, they told him, "Americans better learn Spanish and their customs because they are taking the land back..."
Hill seemed bent on describing his Latino students as untamed and out of control. He says they refused to open their textbook, tore out pages, and threw them at each other. And then he added, "most of the Hispanic students do not want to be educated, but rather be gang members and gangsters."
Sound familiar? It's a perfect match to the Hispanic stereotype, the caricature, which is pushed all too often. There's only one problem: the children and the school claim none of it is true. According to District spokesman Jim Cummings, "Based on our conversations with students, based on our conversation with the teacher involved, we simply believe what he said is extremely exaggerated and not reflective of what our school is all about."
So where did Tony Hill get this story? The teacher, who hopes to get a job at a community college and now regrets sending the letter, told the Arizona Republic, "It just upset me that this was what's occurring... to see this disregard for America and their hatred towards it and their entitlement."
Tony Hill no doubt has some legitimate complaints about the problems caused by our inoperative immigration system, especially as a resident of a border state. But his diatribe laced with accusations against 8th grade children is shameful. Sadly, comments like Hill's have been and probably always will be a part of our collective struggle to grow and get along as a nation of immigrants.
The real danger isn't what Hill wrote, or even what he believes. No, the danger is how it went unchecked and was then read into the official record by two state senators who should, one would hope, know better.
In a TV interview, Senator Klein decided to double down. She stood by her actions and then went after the largest national Hispanic civil rights and advocacy organization in the United States. "We have an organization here called La Raza, which is a far-leftist racist organization that is inciting young Hispanics to act out, not say the Pledge, spit on America, and say it's our right to take America back, and this is really creating a problem here," Klein said. She said that, "this kind of behavior... [is] not acceptable from any race" and that she's received, "countless emails from other educators, saying that they've also had this experience."
"I've seen a lot of things like this, it's not that out of the ordinary," Anti-Defamation League regional director Bill Straus told the Phoenix ABC affiliate KNXV. "What is out of the ordinary is that it gets the credibility of a state senator reading it word-for-word on the floor of the Senate. It's a disgrace." It certainly is.
The school district has now launched an inquiry into Hill. I can only hope that the inquiry also extends to examining the broken B.S. detectors and the judgment of Senators Pearce and Klein.
Follow Rick Sanchez on Twitter: www.twitter.com/RickSanchezTV
James Peron: Drug Warriors Gun Down Young Father
STOP THE PRESSES!
Raise each up!
So sad to read many of the comments here, today. How can others respect us and our country if we don't do the same for them?
Come to our parent conferences, family math night, family reading night, etc. Highest percentage? Our ELL families! And we had excellent turnout for the entire school, too. And, often my children taught their families what they were learning in school, too, and so proud when family members learned with them.
Parental effort to make certain their children were learning, behaving properly, working hard, asking questions when unsure, enjoying school and learning was outstanding. This was an "at risk school" with 30% turnover per year and 78%+ free/reduced breakfast/lunch.
My point? We have the opportunity to help children and families become even more valuable assets, good citizens (even without the paperwork), caring people. But, if we don't see worth in them, how can they? I hope none of you ever have to face/hear some of the vitriol spewed in this post. I never want a child to.
My point? To thank you and your husband on behalf of the countless thousands you've taught. We may not ever get to thank you in person, but we sure do appreciate what you've given us.
A shout to Mrs. Pangborn, Mr. Frankel, Mr. Pembleton, Mr. J Clifton Smith and the wonderful hundreds of others I had the pleasure of learning from.
Until she can produce proof that her constituents are writing to her complaining about Latinos, and her assertions about LaRaza teaching children to be disruptive, then I will hold on to my doubt.
I only have two children, but my BS meter works....I live in Alaska....it's kept in prime condition.
The bottom line is that some mentalities look at one letter (like the one that complained about the labor mural in Maine) and turn it into a trend in their minds. I think the right wing plays on this intellectual laziness to get its spooky agenda passed.
BTW, my condolences about Alaska: "A winter where the sun never rises and a summer where the sun never sets will addle the brain of any man." (from "A Little Night Music") Sounds like you've got it together.
I came to Alaska with my late husband and it's not hard to keep your brain from being addled. All it requires it that you read during the dark times and when the sun shines..get out and enjoy...but I will say that these "pioneers" (we call them old timers) are unique. I also think that's the reason they came here in the first place. Their "uniqueness" didn't have the higher elevated thought processes and they needed a place to go where they would be thought of as intelligent.
You passed a law in '86 making it illegal to hire an illegal. This was critically important, because they were coming here for the jobs. Then, you (i.e. Reagan) didn't enforce it. You didn't enforce this law because that would mean penalizing people you cared about: Republican farm and factory owners. BECAUSE you didn't enforce the law, BECAUSE you chose short-term profits over long-term gains, they came here in droves, and now they have been here for 20-30 years. NOW you are pulling out the racism card and saying that is THEIR fault, for being illegal immigrants. NOW that you've made a busload of money off of them, off of their slave-wages, you want them deported.
YOU'RE a HYPOCRIT. You hired these people knowing they were illegal cuz you saw a chance to make a buck, and now you want them tossed back over the border, now that that quick buck has vanished. For those of us with a conscience: it's just not that easy. They are here, they are going to stay here, and you are going to call them neighbor. Just keep that in mind the NEXT time you want to make a quick buck exploiting immigrant labor.
Instead look at politics.
Look at all the Cubans who have easily been able to migrate here over the years on rafts.
Look at all the Haitians that have been turned back.
Both desperate, willing to die on a raft to get here.
Why were there policies in place to accept one with open arms, and another "Go back where you came from" policy for the other?
It was about politics.
Just like this.
There are many valuable votes to be gained by pandering to close-minded fearful xenophobics. And there is, and unfortunately shall continue to be, an abundance of such religious "American" voters.
"Americans" singlehandedly made this land great. YEAH RIGHT.
I hope the sarcastic bits of what I wrote was obvious.
But in short: let these ignorant " 'Merkans" read letters of how "far'nurs" hate 'Mairka.
They are preaching to their choirs. Take an hour and listen to Limbaugh, O'reilly, or Savage.
Then imagine that there actually exists some bleached monochromatic sheep who listen to and believe it.
Then realize: they vote, and there must (sadly) be a lot of them for Faux Noise to be doing so well.
It is nothing "racist," although I'm Black and in my school system I remember that teachers thought it was okay to talk badly about "Mexicans," instead it has more to do with politics.
Let us say it plainly: Republican politicians. Now rinse and spit.
America for Americans of all ethnicities!!! Except "'Mericans'"
Why can't you f'ing Americans ever pull your collective heads out of your collective asses and work together anymore to actually come to PERMANENT decisions (rather than decisions that get reversed when the government changes hands from one party to another). And actually solve your problems?