My Reporter's NotePad...   /     Arizona keeps on coming after Latinos, and why Edward R. Murrow comes to mind.

¡En Mi Opinión...!

"We must not confuse dissent with disloyalty" is what Edward R. Murrow said back in 1954 referring to what we now know as McCarthyism.  I can't help but think of his words as I read today an article in the New York Times about a new law in Arizona where now nothing surprises me anymore.

A new Law went into effect in Arizona, January 1st, labeling as "brainwashing" and making it illegal a Mexican-American studies class in the Tucson Unified School District. "It's propagandizing and brainwashing"  quoted Arizona's Attorney General in a recent NYTimes report. [ http://www.nytimes.com/2011/01/08/us/08ethnic.html ]

But this is not new, it's just one more punch to the face of Latinos and Latino culture, heritage, and contributions to history and our free society -may be not in Arizona- in the United States of America. 

Almost ten years ago Arizona lawmakers were already legislating against studies such as Bilingual Education when AZ-Prop 203 passed and effectively limiting ESL, English as a second language, education. 

Here's a report I produced back then for Phoenix's KTVK-3TV Spanish language channel "Mas Arizona."

Interestingly enough back in the 60's, it was Arizona, the first to offer bilingual education, but it seems now many in that state continue a "witch-hunt" against all things Latino, and others belligerently and eagerly want to follow.  The times, it seems, have managed to turn Latino contributions, education, heritage and the desire of the American Dream into some kind of an evil pest that must be stopped and killed with the stroke of the legislative pen of misguided politicians. 

And so it is here I think of Edward R. Murrow and his reports about Senator Joseph McCarthy: "McCarthyism came to be synonymous with the term witch-hunt, the act of making serious but unsubstantiated charges against people in public life." [ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/McCarthyism ]

Edward R. Murrow reports are credited with playing a roll in McCarthy's demise "His belief in journalism as an active part of the political process and a necessary tool within democracy has forever altered the politics and everyday life of the American people." [ http://www.pbs.org/wnet/americanmasters/episodes/edward-r-murrow/this-reporter/513/ ]

Back then the "Red Scare" which exploited people's fears of Communism is perhaps today's "Brown Scare" as in Latinos invading our country, illegals taking our jobs, and accusing their American born children of stealing our citizenship.   In the process what could be better than to also silence Mexican-American studies.  Next thing you know, there may be a related book burning event in Tucson's main square.

But... En Mi Opinión... in my opinion, there's hope or at least light at the end of the tunnel...  I appreciate and encourage more reports like the NYTimes story that prompted this blog, and I trust today's journalists continue to do their part.

I now leave you with more....