Latinos Against The War


By Javier Rodriguez H.

It’s obvious to me that the Latino political establishment continues in the path of moderation and pragmatism. On the struggle for peace, the war on Iraq and the savagery of the empire, the most important international issues of today, Latinos are mired engulfed with myopia and lack of leadership engulfing Latinos. Though there are exceptions it is expected of this generation. I have seen it and critiqued it for over fifteen years.


However lately the myopia has filtered heavily unto the mid level and activist base. There is hardly a push from down below. So the establishment which, if pushed, in conjunction with the ongoing momentum, the 43 member Congressional Black Caucus and the progressive sectors, could play a significant role in congress, state and local government, stays almost mute and at times even waves the flag. Others are just outright indifferent and aloof.

Last week, over 100,000 Americans attended 1,640 vigils in support of that wonderful Gringa mother Cindy Sheehan. Of course the vigils sent a powerful message for peace, a halt to the murderous criminal war, the continued slaughter of Iraqis as well as to the deaths of American soldiers. This persistent Gold Star Mother has galvanized the anti war movement giving the peace option a tremendous boost and she’s got George against the wall. However, here comes the but, not a single vigil took place in East LA, Boyle Heights or Lincoln Heights, etc.

Additionally, Sheehan and the vigils arrived on the heels of the spectacular revelations, the smoking gun if you will, brought on by the British Downey Street Memorandums. The DSMs clearly revealed President George W. Bush and his neo-con administration had decided to invade Iraq way before the UN inspectors had finalized the investigation on the “hidden” weapons of mass destruction. The high level intelligence memos clearly revealed the United States Congress and the people, with despicable assistance from the corporate media, had been duped. The reasons for going to war were all based on intentionally fabricated lies which legal experts now consider impeachable offenses. In that spirit, on the recent anniversary of the British memorandums, the anti war forces, which have now penetrated Congress with an Out of Iraq Caucus, led by LA’s fiery Congresswoman Maxine Waters, organized 300 Town Hall Teach In meetings throughout the United States. It was the beginning of the country’s movement to impeach Bush and the cabal. Again predictably, as far as I know, not a single one of these watershed events was held in any Latino enclave in the nation.

What does all this tells us?

Two and a half years ago I conceptualized Latinos Against the War. I presented the idea initially to Guillermo Bejarano –Director and founder of the progressive Latino website Aztlannet.com – and CSO Carlos Montes. I laid out the strategy in two pieces Titled “No en Nuestro Nombre” and “Where Are Latinos on Iraq?” published on January 15 and 23, 2003 in La Opinion and Eastern Group Publications respectively. And it took off. However five days after the founding meeting, Montes, the former 60’s Brown Beret leader whom I trusted, with the blessing and the backing of his left organization, don’t know the name except for their newspaper “Fight Back”, began a power struggle for control of that nascent movement. It was sectarianism and factionalism at its best. Consequently without a political strategy, the movement went into continuous activism, mostly quantitative. Initially with lots of media coverage, it mobilized 1000 demonstrators for its main debut. it was able to influence a couple of high schools, students, and teachers, and had minimal community participation.

Without a plan, It didn’t build pillars such as a massive petition to enroll tens of thousands into the movement. With the exception of Fernando Suarez it did not connect with Latino families who were losing their sons or daughters in the war. It did not penetrate sectors of Latino traditional power, meaning the political establishment, entertainment, the lawyers, progressive fundraisers, the church, etc. It did not purchase newspaper ads in the traditional and highly influential Latino media venues nor in the corporate media as the Hollywood actors, ANSWER, NION and Move.On were doing nation wide. Most important it did not build bases of voters, nor permanent alliances with community councils and political organizations and unions within the districts of our illustrious elected leaders, and did not approach the constituencies of important Latino organizations. Regrettably, the street mentality did not allow for a lobbying strategy. After a year or so it fizzled out. Essentially the special interests within sealed its fate.

Today US Casualties are on the rise. Un-embedded reports say the troops have lost their mission. Media reports say the US military high command is divided. In the US public opinion has turned and finally begun to catch up with the world. The majority of Americans now believe the war was a mistake. They do not feel secure. The progressives in Congress are not alone anymore. The Republicans have begun to split and are making calls for an exit. Iraqi casualties are in the tens of thousands and their country is in ruins, in chaos, insecure with no air conditioning, potable water, schools or other basic services. The resistance is growing, gaining experience and as in Viet Nam, ultimately it will win.

So here we are and what to do is the big question?

Time Magazine’s very recent poll on the 42 million Latinos is striking. Different from other minorities Latinos are a complex community except for language, culture and the majority are working class. 56% say the war was incorrect with 34% approving it. That’s almost on par with the rest of the nation however, it places Latinos at a whopping 44% approval rate on President Bush and out of the 15 most important issues for Latinos the Iraq war is 14th.

In the international arena, as in human rights, police brutality etc., there is absolutely a vacuum of Latino political leadership and vision. But Latinos are not in the same place on the war as in 2003. The anti war struggle and the international solidarity movement in general in this country, is made up of people with a genuine concern for the human race and of course included are many Latino internationalists. A petition directed at Latinos is now moving on line and it has the potential of gathering hundreds of thousands signatures. What’s at stake is peace, stopping the war and the massive murder committed by the empire in our name. The call has to be made for a major and permanent gathering of Latinos Against the War II.

Javier Rodriguez is a journalist in Los Angeles and a sometimes resident of Venice.

Posted: Thu - September 1, 2005 at 05:05 AM          

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