Posted on 05/15/2005 9:02:34 AM PDT by LouAvul
BALDWIN PARK, Calif. (AP) - A 12-year-old piece of public art has sparked a protest by a group that opposes illegal immigration.
The 20-foot-high arch has inscriptions that read, "It was better before they came" and "This land was Mexican once, was Indian always and is, and will be again."
It has angered members of Save Our State, a 7-month-old organization based in Ventura, which organized a protest Saturday that gained attention when it was announced on a local radio station.
"I find it incredibly offensive," said Joseph Turner, the group's executive director. He said the quotation "is seditious in nature. It essentially talks about returning this land to Mexico."
Turner said he wants the offending quotations removed before the Fourth of July.
The artwork, called "Danza Indigenas," was created by artist Judy Baca and commissioned by the city.
She said the structure is a "layered history piece" that honors American Indians, immigrants and others who have lived over the centuries on the land now known as Baldwin Park.
Baca said that Save Our State's complaint over one of the quotes was misguided.
"It was better before they came" was uttered by someone Baca described as "a white man from Arkansas, a civic leader" who was complaining about the arrival of Mexican Americans after World War II.
"When it went on the arch, its ambiguity became profound," she said. "The 'they' could be any 'they.'"
The protest turned into a heated two-hour rally with protesters on both sides taunting each other and arguing face-to-face before police arrived.
(Excerpt) Read more at sacbee.com ...
With the invasion in progress and groups working to take CA back into Mexican possession I would not want tax dollars spent to propogandize the region.
Somehow I think this is a group of White people protesting. Nobody cares about White people being offended. White people are like the Republican party we dont stick together and vote in blocs , so nobody gives a damn what we think or what offends us. If we started sticking together they would call us Klansmen. As a matter of fact I am surprised these folks havent been called that yet.
Obviously, this 'artist' has never been to mexico. The artist hasn't walked past open sewers flowing down the middle of the street, hasn't seen how Mexicans discriminate against Indians, can't see the corruption of the gov't, the poverty and desperation, dirt, filth and lawlessness.
Something in the Latin culture is the anti-thesis for progress. 50 years ago Kuwait, Vietnam, Korea, Taiwan, Malaysia, China and India shared the same squalid standard of living Mexico enjoys today. Today, Kuwait, Vietnam, Korea, Taiwan, Malaysia, China and India have modern sewers, growing industries, electrical power and communications. Mexico hasn't really changed all that much; and I doubt they will in our lifetime.
Why won't they change? Because Kuwait, Vietnam, Korea, Taiwan, Malaysia, China and India had the internal fortitude to stand up and recognize the problem and take responsibility to fix it. Mexico, on the other hand holds their hand out and says "You are rich, it's your responsibility to help me". This is nothing new, it's the lazy way out; to place responsibility for your circumstances at the feet of someone else has become the Mexican way; and they are proud of this.
Application for a pair of small, linear shaped charges -- or a tractor with a long, strong chain...
"...The artwork was commissioned by the city..."
This must be one of those budget items that they just couldn't cut.
I'm a bit confused on this.
Are they claiming it's Mexican land or Indian land or that the two are one and the same?
Are they saying that Mexico is entitled to possess Indian land? If so, why? Why is Mexico so privileged?
If Mexico retakes this land, do they have plans to return it to the Indians?
I was there. It was not a protest it was a riot.
EYE Witness Report (not me)
5/15/05
I was at the Baldwin Park (California) Protest (on May 14, 2005).
We were outnumbered! Maybe 5 to 1 or more. They were more than several hundred. We were 40.
You know the type of crowd we were up against. The usual profanity was spouted. A man grabbed his crotch. A mob, lawlessness. Hatred. Mexican flags. We were called racists and Nazis. They spewed hatred.
The good news is that our side had brave Hispanic Americans who stood with us. I think our side was probably more than 1/3 or our American Hispanic citizens! They were awesome!
Upon being at the protest for under one hour, a 66 year old American citizen was hit in the forehead with a filled, unmarked water bottle. We were standing behind a line of police when the bottle hit her. The police say there is a video but that you can't see where the bottle came from.
The injured 66 year old woman is in Queen of Valley Hospital.
Her cat scan revealed she has some type of blood leakage from the brain. She has been admitted to ICU. She is alert and talking.
The Baldwin Park Police were notified. They sent an officer to ICU to make out a report.
I would like this to be anonymous should you decide to put it on American patrol.com
The 66 year old is a Minutewoman. She spent nearly one month at the Arizona border and returned home recently safe and sound. Now, when she was on the street peacefully assembled, she has sustained a head injury - in under one hour upon having arrived.
I could not leave when the injured woman went to the hospital because we had been ringed in by several hundred protesters. The police stood guard around us 40 or so American citizens. As the rally drew to its appointed close, the word came in that 200 protesters more were on the way. The police escorted the citizens to the police station. Where we waited until the police could evacuate the Latino protesters.
Then police vans took each of us to our cars. We were parked in a nearby school parking lot guarded by police. The police closed the streets by the school and had us leave by the side street.
Name withheld
Typical.
US Marine, took charge did a great job. We were evacuated out to the police station and driven out in police vans.
Profound ambiguity? Sheesh
Russian Immigrant, opposed socialism in Russia, now helping us out.
I agree. The media reporting is a joke.
ping
Ventura County Ping!
One of Ventura's citizens is driving this.
(Let me know if you want on/off the Ventura County Ping list)
Good job!
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