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Mary Becker hit Saturday”s column out of the park. I have not read or heard a better analysis of what happened and what should have happened at Live Oak High School in Morgan Hill. Five students were sent home for wearing T-shirts showing the American flag on Cinco de Mayo.
My father crossed the border from Mexico with a friend in 1922 at the age of 15. They hopped trains and went from state to state working their way across this great country. He eventually got a work visa and in 1943 became a citizen. He worked at the Richmond shipyard as a welder during World War II, while my mother worked at Rheem Manufacturing making artillery shells. My dad”s last job was as a boilermaker at Standard Oil Company in Richmond. I served in the Marine Corps and retired from the U.S. Postal Service, my last position as Postmaster of the Clearlake Post Office.
My parents taught me to respect and love our country. They also taught me to be proud of our Mexican heritage. We are a hard-working people that have contributed to this country with our blood, sweat and tears just like all immigrants that have come to this country, which brings me to Ms. Becker”s column. I cannot add anything to it; she said it all. If you have not read her Northern Lights column in Saturday”s paper I suggest you do. As I said, I am proud of my heritage, but my flag is the red, white and blue. By the way, Sept. 16 is celebrated as Independence Day in Mexico.
Tony Velasquez
Lucerne
