Letters on school success, the flag-wearing students at Live Oak and the hotel complex in Gilroy

* Solorsano science success great news
– what about other schools?
* Organizations like La Raza, MEChA poisoning race relations in
U.S.
* Chastising the Live Oak Five for wearing colors is
un-American
* Is approving a new hotel complex development really good for
Gilroy?
Solorsano science success great news – what about other schools?

Dear Editor,

It is refreshing, no exhilarating, to read wonderful news in the Dispatch (Friday May 14) about a very successful Gilroy public school. Congratulations to Ascencion Solorsano students Brent Butler, Peter Peddie, and Lucas Miller – all on their way to Los Angeles to compete in the state science fair. Solorsano took home three first-place awards, seven first awards, 20 specialty awards and 14 category awards at the county’s Synopsys Silicon Valley Science and Technology Championships.

The 52 science students who competed, the science department that mentored and encouraged, the administration that backed all these successful endeavors and winners deserve profound congratulations. With students and teachers like these, it should not be surprising that judges at the competition named Solorsano an outstanding middle school for the fourth year in a row.  

Yet amid these marvelous accomplishments rests some sobering news. Why was Solorsano the only Gilroy school to even participate in the March science fair?  Fifty-two science students and forty-one projects came out of Solorsano. None from any other schools?

I often hear students referred to as the “leaders of tomorrow.” I’ve always considered those sentiments not much more than time-worn cliches. But for those students who garnered awards and those who competed in the competition, certainly leadership, influence, and professional fulfillment will be theirs.

These students do, indeed, represent the leaders of tomorrow in every good sense of the words. When students at Live Oak High School in Morgan Hill, who probably couldn’t tell you what the Federalist Papers are or whose eyes glaze over if asked to name three Supreme Court justices, shout “Free speech and patriotism,” and when a profanity-laced broadcast comes from one of our town’s assistant principals, it is that much more remarkable to realize the great work being done in science at one of our middle schools.  

Science IS the future. Understanding the exciting truths and developments in science IS “where it’s at.” Dozens of students and dozens of teachers at Solorsano Middle School understand that, honor that, and perpetuate that. The leaders of tomorrow are studying science today, and they are studying hard, and they are studying at Solorsano Middle School. The leaders of today are teaching them. 

Ted Brett, Gilroy    

The Golden Quill is awarded occasionally for a well-written letter.

Organizations like La Raza, MEChA poisoning race relations in U.S.

Dear Editor,

We have been witness to the fruit of the failed experiment called multi-culturalism in Morgan Hill recently. The United States was successful for many years taking in immigrants from all over the world. The immigrants adopted the U.S. as their new country and culture.

Yes, people from different countries would have festivals with people from their former countries to celebrate their culture, but never would they demand their former flag be saluted or flown in their new homeland as it would be an insult to their hosts. The United States was an amazing melting pot of many cultures. In the last 30 or so years, left-leaning academics gave rise to discontent and a victim mentality in various ethnicities in the public schools and universities. By telling various minorities that they are victims and are being taken advantage of by one or another group, division, resentment and balkanization resulted.

I believe those who are here legally should assimilate as Americans and should show loyalty only to this nation and its flag. To do otherwise will only drive a wedge between us. Frankly, I don’t care where you are from. Like Dr. Martin Luther King so memorably stated, “I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.”

Sadly, ethnic leaders have all but abandoned that dream and bought into to the destructive multi-cultural movement. La Raza, (The Race) overemphasizes the self importance of the Mexican race which is very divisive and racist. MEChA, Movimiento Estudiantil Chicano de Aztlán is another movement in the Hispanic community that believes in reconquista or conquering the land of Aztlan which includes most of the western United States.

If you want to see yourself, go to their website: http://www.nationalmecha.org/about.html. Interestingly, there is a MEChA club on the campus of Live Oak High School in Morgan Hill. MEChA wants to end “capitalism” and “imperialism” in the United States. This is a racist and seditious organization.

These organizations have no place in our public schools and instead emphasis on civics and the greatness of the United States should be taught and celebrated. If it wasn’t great, why does everyone want to come here? As long as these separatist movements exist and are tolerated by and embraced by ethnics, we will never achieve the dream of Martin Luther King.

Mark A. Zappa, Gilroy

Chastising the Live Oak Five for wearing colors is un-American

Dear Editor,

In a letter to the editor published on May 7, I was “blown away” to see fellow citizen, Shawn M. Weymouth, compare the Live Oak five with murderers. I am of course speaking of those dastardly Live Oak High School teens that had the audacity to wear American flag t-shirts on Cinco de Mayo.   

In a column on May 11 I read that Lisa Pampuch pronounced her usual collectivist ideology by proclaiming that Live Oak High Assistance Principal Miguel Rodriguez had been adjudged unfairly by the national media. It was a completely understandable mistake that he had ‘inadvertently triggered the uproar”. 

She also gives us assurances that he was forced into making his decision to reprimand the “colors” the boys were wearing because he had been solely left to operate in a “legal gray area.” What legal grey area one wonders?

The fact is that Cinco de Mayo, doesn’t even rate holiday status in Mexico. Most people you query in the states believe it to be Mexico’s independence from Spain. Not true. 

In actuality it is celebrated in the single state of Puebla, Mexico in remembrance of a battle fought by Puebla’s own militia in 1862. They temporarily defeated 6,500 French soldiers who were on an imperialistic quest ordered by Napoleon. What it accomplished was to irritate France’s Emperor enough to use the incident as an excuse to order an additional 30,000 troops to Mexico who then put down this small state rebellion and continued their march all the way to Mexico City, where the French remained in control for three additional years. It is noteworthy to point out that it was with the help and assistance of the United States that Mexico was ultimately able to expel the French in 1867.

I would suggest to both Ms. Weymounth and Ms. Pampuch that perhaps they failed to consider the fact that the United States is currently involved in military actions of great import in the Middle East. Recent verifiable poll results suggest that most Americans support our troops, particularly those in harm’s way. Military families and those who support America and her troops tend to show their support on a 24-7-365 day basis. Most of course, accomplish these acts of patriotism by displays of our “colors” that involve flying old Glory, sporting lapel pins, hats, bandanas and yes, even t-shirts. At last check, this old American tradition has been wholeheartedly embraced for the past 234 years.

Considering the scurrilous, recreant comments contained in each of the op-ed pieces brings to mind a quote by one of America’s greatest statesmen, Thomas Jefferson who said, “The man who reads nothing at all is better educated than the man who reads nothing but newspapers.”  

Take heart; perhaps in the future you might consider the use of a little time to do a truth check, it’s a stunner to realize the manner in which things are reported in the media hasn’t changed all that much since 1773. All things considered, perhaps we should try a little harder.

Marc Juliano, San Jose

Is approving a new hotel complex development really good for Gilroy?

Dear Editor,

Another great idea by the planning commission and city council to okay the proposed hotel project. This new hotel development would be right next to the Best Western Forest Park Inn and attached sit-down restaurant. There are also three fast-food “joints” within a mile of the complex and several sit-down restaurants.

How much of the projected $600,000 in transient occupancy tax takes into account the loss the city will realize from the transient occupancy tax already received from existing hotels? The statement that this project will be a “jump start to construction in Gilroy” sounds great but is just speculation on the part of the developer’s project manager. As usual the our “esteemed” elected officials are not looking at the long-term effects of this development just as they did when they approved the Big Box Wal-Mart.

Barbara Guerrero, Gilroy