I couldn't help read this artice FOXNews.com - Views - Tongue Tied - New Read on 'Rings,' Double Standard on Slurs and wonder at the stupidity, arrogance, and political agenda of so many different people. Everyone wants to make everything into an issue of racism/sectarianism, even when there is none involved. It's pathetic and unfortunately too often used as an excuse to cover people's own misbehavior.

I was especially interested in AZ's Rep. Steve Gallardo pathetic attempts to curtail free speech of one race in favor of another race under the guise of protecting students from racism. Oh yeah. Good one, Mr. Gallardo! Use anti-racism to justify another form of racism. Did you ever consider the professor in question may be correct in that the United States should assimilate cultures and make them their own and stop this ridiculous notion of separatism that groups espouse.

Any native Arizonan with a knowledge of the state's and the southwest's history, such as myself, knows an extremely small ultra, ultra- left wing number of people in MEChA at one time espoused a highly racist agenda that included "reclaiming" the southwest for hispanics and latinos, the "rightfull inheritors" of this land, ignoring that the Native American people's were here thousands of years before any descendents of Europe (whites, blacks, asians, and yes, latinos/hispanics which are descendent's of European Spanish and Portugese (sp?) lineage/culture) arrived. Most members of MEChA that I've known find this idea ridiculous and in no way support such a twisted and unrealistic agenda. The problem is that there are some in the leadership of Mecha that do support this racist and separatist agenda and are unapologetic about it.

MEChA in and itself as an organization is fine as they often provide cultural events, ethnic awareness of certain issues that need to be adressed in American society, and extra support for Hispanics and Latinos in education. I credit them with helping make many Hispanic/Latino people successful and blending their cultures into American society.

My own personal experiences in dealing with MEChA members is mixed. Most are good, reasonable people with no interest in supporting seperatism, racism, or any other form of discrimination, but I have met a few who openly advocate such behavior, some violently so. These individuals were vigorously against allowing membership to those wo were not "chicano/chicana" enough, usually those who were part Native American, Black, or White or did not speak Spanish well or at all. Too often MEChA claims to represent the "true people" of the west/soutwest (Native Americans) and yet they discriminate against these very same people and ignore the fact that Mexicans are not the sole inheritors to this area. They are just the mixed blood descendents of various invaders dating from prehistory mesoamerican tribes to the more recent European explorers and conquerers. A number of Native Americans I have known dislike Hispanics because of the oppression they faced under Spanish, later Mexican, rulers. These same people didn't much like White either for much the same reason, it should be noted.

The fact is that technologically or numerically superior cultures often conquer and absorb the technologically and numerically inferior cultures and have done so since the dawn of human history. Over time all cultural powers decline, if not disappear entirely under a new superior culture. To make the odd claims that some in MEChA demand now is not only ridiculous but perpetuates this cycle of absorbtion and decline that is human civilization.

While the phrase “¡Por La Raza Todo, Fuera de La Raza Nada!” is not MEChA's motto, I've heard too many of it's members espousing this more than the official motto “La Union Hace La Fuerza.” It also doesn't help when MEChA itself makes the following statement: "MEChA refers to the liberation of Aztlan as the liberation of our people from oppressions and ignorance." Most claims that this refers to a societal, economic, educational, or spiritual freedom, but too many take this phrase to mean taking back "stolen land" from the United States, particularly Texas, the Southwestern States of Arizona and New Mexico, and the reclaiming of California. These statements and attitudes do not help MEChA's public image.

Too often these extremist members use MECha for their own political and racist agenda, attacking anyone who deviates from their view in slightest as being "racist", "defamatory", and any number of other key phrases that try to invoke guilt and shame in their opponent in order to silence their voice of opposition. It is when certain elements within MEChA (and any organization, for that matter) use the excuse of racial unity to push an agenda many members are unaware of or do not support that problems arise and refuse to discuss an issue. This is one of those cases. MEChA has allowed these elements to turn them into an extremist group in the eyes of many citizens.