Monday, April 10, 2006
Another brick in the wall of shame surrounding the Pomona Valley, that place I spent some teenaged years.
Today's sad news via rockandrap confidential:
Eighth grader Anthony Soltero shot himself through the head
on Thursday, March 30, after the assistant principal at De
Anza Middle School told him that he was going to prison for
three years because of his involvement as an organizer of
the April 28 school walk-outs to protest the anti-immigrant
legislation in Washington. The vice principal also forbade
Anthony from attending graduation activities and threatened
to fine his mother for Anthonys truancy and participation in
the student protests.
Anthony was learning about the importance of civic duties and
rights in his eighth grade class. Ironically, he died because
the vice principal at his school threatened him for speaking
out and exercising those rights, Ms. Corales said today. I
want to speak out to other parents, whose children are
attending the continuing protests this week. We have to let
the schools know that they cant punish our children for
exercising their rights.
Anthonys death is likely the first fatality arising from
the protests against the immigration legislation being
considered in Washington, D.C. Anthony, who was a very
good student at De Anza Middle School in the Ontario-
Montclair School District, believed in justice and was
passionate about the immigration issue. He is survived
by his mother, Louise Corales, his father, a younger
sister, and a baby brother.
Ms. Corales will speak to the community after mass on Sunday,
April 9, 2006 at 12:00 p.m. at Our Lady of Guadalupe Church.
She will ask for a prayer for Anthony, whose funeral and
burial are scheduled for Monday, April 10 in Long Beach,
where he was born.
CONTACT: R. SAMUEL PAZ
(310) 410-2981
(310) 989-6815
This is just to let you know it seems to me that only time has passed and many things haven't really changed there.
Back in the ancient of days, I went to school in a neighboring town. I went to the school that Frank Zappa pulled his brother from. Keep in mind that among other things, this was a school that had really right wing people like Mr. Walter Knotts come by to deliver school pep talks to us in the auditorium. I always liked the history teacher who would get up, hold his nose, and walk out on those types of lectures in absolute disgust. Students were obliged to remain. And those who did not attend these lectures had their absence noted and they were punished by the school administration. Occasionally, Mr. Knotts' place of business would be referred to as "Knottsiberry Farm" as a sly commentary on the political leanings he would express in his talks to us kids. But that joke was never used and likely never heard by the people who had invited him there to speak.
Those were the ancient years of my youth. And during that time, honest to God, once at a thrift store in a neighboring town, I had come across a set of white satin papa-mama-baby klan outfits complete with blood-red crosses and pointed matching hoods. Just three fluttering white satin ribbons pinned to the wall of shame. ¶ 4/10/2006 06:57:00 AM
Today's sad news via rockandrap confidential:
Eighth grader Anthony Soltero shot himself through the head
on Thursday, March 30, after the assistant principal at De
Anza Middle School told him that he was going to prison for
three years because of his involvement as an organizer of
the April 28 school walk-outs to protest the anti-immigrant
legislation in Washington. The vice principal also forbade
Anthony from attending graduation activities and threatened
to fine his mother for Anthonys truancy and participation in
the student protests.
Anthony was learning about the importance of civic duties and
rights in his eighth grade class. Ironically, he died because
the vice principal at his school threatened him for speaking
out and exercising those rights, Ms. Corales said today. I
want to speak out to other parents, whose children are
attending the continuing protests this week. We have to let
the schools know that they cant punish our children for
exercising their rights.
Anthonys death is likely the first fatality arising from
the protests against the immigration legislation being
considered in Washington, D.C. Anthony, who was a very
good student at De Anza Middle School in the Ontario-
Montclair School District, believed in justice and was
passionate about the immigration issue. He is survived
by his mother, Louise Corales, his father, a younger
sister, and a baby brother.
Ms. Corales will speak to the community after mass on Sunday,
April 9, 2006 at 12:00 p.m. at Our Lady of Guadalupe Church.
She will ask for a prayer for Anthony, whose funeral and
burial are scheduled for Monday, April 10 in Long Beach,
where he was born.
CONTACT: R. SAMUEL PAZ
(310) 410-2981
(310) 989-6815
This is just to let you know it seems to me that only time has passed and many things haven't really changed there.
Back in the ancient of days, I went to school in a neighboring town. I went to the school that Frank Zappa pulled his brother from. Keep in mind that among other things, this was a school that had really right wing people like Mr. Walter Knotts come by to deliver school pep talks to us in the auditorium. I always liked the history teacher who would get up, hold his nose, and walk out on those types of lectures in absolute disgust. Students were obliged to remain. And those who did not attend these lectures had their absence noted and they were punished by the school administration. Occasionally, Mr. Knotts' place of business would be referred to as "Knottsiberry Farm" as a sly commentary on the political leanings he would express in his talks to us kids. But that joke was never used and likely never heard by the people who had invited him there to speak.
Those were the ancient years of my youth. And during that time, honest to God, once at a thrift store in a neighboring town, I had come across a set of white satin papa-mama-baby klan outfits complete with blood-red crosses and pointed matching hoods. Just three fluttering white satin ribbons pinned to the wall of shame. ¶ 4/10/2006 06:57:00 AM
