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Friday, March 30, 2012

CNN Special (Op-Ed) What is the Tucson school district afraid of?


CNN's Thelma Gutierrez reported on this story for In America.  Her report is here.
By Roberto Rodriguez, Special to CNN

(CNN) – Look at the image above. For people who live outside of Tucson, Arizona, it evokes shock and even horror. For most of us here, it was but another day in Arizona.

On March 13, the day I took this photo, students from Tucson High School showed  up to the Tucson Unified School District board meeting, to once again air their support for the now dismantled Mexican-American studies department.

On May 3, 2011, I witnessed dozens of riot-equipped law enforcement officers treat Mexican-American studies supporters inside and outside of Tucson Unified School District headquarters as though they were potential terrorists. To get into the meeting, everyone had to pass through metal detectors. That evening, seven women, including two senior citizens, were arrested for attempting to speak before the school board.

All this happened because the week before, on April 26, nine students, tired of being given the run-around, chained themselves to the school board chairs in an effort to prevent the dismantling of the Mexican-American Studies department. All this was triggered by an unconstitutional 2010 state measure, HB 2281, which in effect, bans the teaching of ethnic studies.



The following link will take you to both the piece that aired on this topic March 29 on CNN, and Thelma Gutierrez'’s written piece also for CNN: http://inamerica.blogs.cnn.com/2012/03/29/stiff-security-at-tucson-arizona-school-board-meetings-angers-latinos/

Rodriguez can be reached at: XColumn@gmail.com - http://drcintli.blogspot.com/ or 520-626-0824

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