Story By Felix Alvarado

Sometimes there is something sinister when you look at data.  Going back to Willie Velasquez, many have tried to convince Latinos to vote.  Nothing has worked.  As a group, we still do not vote.  You may tell yourself, “Here we go, not again, I have heard this song before.” Me too.  Many times. I think I have heard all excuses for not voting.  When was the last time you said, “My vote does not count?”

The data tells us that in 2012 compared to 2016, almost 7 % more people voted in the presidential election.  Obama was running in 2012 and Hillary Clinton in 2016.  So, did the reason so many of you did not vote was that Hillary was a female or White?  The vote is gender and race-neutral.  Many of you neglected to vote in 2016. Look around you, in your neighborhood, your family, they are the victims of your neglect.  The saying goes, “Elections have consequences.” The consequences are all around you. 

Before we look at Black Lives Matter, we need to review a little history.  

African Americans have been the target of White violence and atrocities since the end of slavery.  The most glaring example of how evil people can be was on May 31 and June 1, 1921, when mobs of Whites attacked an African American neighborhood in Tulsa, OK.  Nobody knows how many were killed or injured.  The affluent area was destroyed.  No one was punished for the massacre. This is one of the many examples of atrocities committed by Whites against African Americans.  Somehow the perpetrators got away clean no punishment. 

Fast forward to today, and we can see why there is such a rapid emotional response from the African American community when an atrocity against an African American is committed.  African Americans are acutely aware of this history.    The history gets passed on from generation to generation.  Silence is not a good response.

Mexican Americans have likewise been the victims of White violence and atrocities in Texas.  The brutal killing of Mexican Americans by Texas Rangers is well documented. Jan 28, 1918, stands out as one of the worst massacres of Mexican Americans by Texas Rangers.  Fifteen men and two children were murdered in cold blood as was the standard, no one charged with a crime.  

 Mexican Americans were hampered in the fight for equal justice and social equality by well-placed Mexican Americans. The latter preferred to protect their social status rather than equality for Mexican Americans.  When the word Hispanics appeared in our lexicon, the Mexican American elite quickly identified themselves as Hispanic.  No more would they be called, wetback, etc. etc. You could say that we were our own worst enemies.  

All these acts of violence against African Americans and Mexican Americans are domestic violence.  We have the right to demand that the police and sheriff protect those exercising their free speech rights.  If elected officials do not enforce the laws they are sworn to uphold; then they need to be voted out of office.

I have heard “Law and Order” used many times.  There are at least a billion laws in America.  Which laws are going to be enforced? The militia in Kenosha, Portland, Weatherford, Granbury they have no law enforcement power.  They are vigilante groups looking to create chaos.  By attacking peaceful demonstrators, they commit acts of Domestic Violence.

Another name for law and order is Police State. When federal troops were sent to Kenosha, they were part of the police state. When militia is used as law enforcement officials, they become part of the police state.  We pay all law enforcement officers to protect us, not to be the front for vigilante thugs.  

I understand that some want to destroy statues of Columbus.  Crazy since we are children of Columbus. You cannot erase the Spanish blood in our vein.  Only indigenous Maya and Inca can claim not to have any Spanish blood.  The rest of us, well, if it were not for Columbus, we mestizos would not be here.  Columbus had nothing to do with the demise of the Native Americans.  Native Americans were pushed into reservations by Americans that were spreading west, hungry for land and gold.  It was America’s “Manifest Destiny.”

If all of you that did not vote had voted, the outcome would have been different.  Look at all the violence.  Look and see how Trump encourages his followers to commit to more or less commit acts of violence.  Listen to this carefully:  You cannot change Trump.  The only thing that you can do is change Trump. 

Yes.  There is a case for voting.  Because we are all lumped together as what some like to be called “Hispanic.” There is no differentiation between those of us that are multigeneration Americans or those of first or second generations.  Being involved in civic organizations means a lot in America.  Be a role model.  The best role model that you can be is a voter.  

Note:  In Spain, the word Hispanic is used to identify those countries that once were part of the Spanish Empire.  The origin of the term Hispanic goes back to Roman times.  The Romans called the Iberian Peninsula Hispania.  Hispanic is not a race.  We are all Hispanic since we all are from a country that once was part of the Spanish Empire.