Thread: Official urged to resign over 'open bigotry'

Official urged to resign over 'open bigotry'
Mustang Ridge agenda item openly posted.

By Marty Toohey
AMERICAN-STATESMAN STAFF
Friday, March 21, 2008

Local leaders called Thursday for the resignation of a local water supply company's general manager after he characterized a proposed detention facility south of Austin as "a holding pen for wetbacks."

In a news conference at Austin City Hall, Council Member Mike Martinez called for Charles Laws, general manager of Creedmoor-Maha Water Supply Co., to be held accountable for "espousing racism." State Rep. Eddie Rodriguez said he will do "whatever I can to get this man to resign," and state Sen. Kirk Watson issued a statement saying, "Texans will not stand for open bigotry by a government agency." Both are Austin Democrats.

Laws, who is also a member of the Mustang Ridge City Council and lives near the Travis-Hays county line, could not be reached for comment.

The furor is over an item that Laws placed on the agenda for Wednesday's meeting of the water supply corporation's board of directors. The company is considering a request to supply water to a proposed holding facility for suspected illegal immigrants. In the notice, Laws described the facility as a "holding pen for wetbacks."

The agenda was publicly posted and noticed by Fox 7 News reporter Crystal Cotti, who called Martinez to ask whether she was reading the agenda correctly.

Martinez said he called Laws to find out. At the news conference, Martinez said he asked Laws to explain why he used the terms "holding pen" and "wetbacks," and said Laws responded, "That's what it is, and that's what they are."

Martinez said Laws, who is 75, said he has been using the term all his life and that it's common in his community. Martinez said Laws refused to consider resigning.

Martinez said he got involved partly because the company has contracts with Austin and supplies water to growing communities that are southeast of the city limits but fall under city jurisdiction. The area is also home to several heavily Hispanic neighborhoods.

Martinez, invoking a speech about race last week by presidential candidate Barack Obama, said he hopes the language used by Laws will usher in a broader discussion of race.

Austin Council Member Sheryl Cole, who is black, stood by Martinez, saying that, "As Dr. King used to say, 'Injustice anywhere is injustice everywhere.' " Council Member Lee Leffingwell, former Mayor Gus Garcia and several advocacy groups also attended.

Rodriguez, who represents that area in the state Legislature, said no one should be surprised that people still refer to Hispanics using derogatory language. But Rodriguez said that Laws' role as a high-ranking official in two different organizations should place him under extra scrutiny.

"I think it's my duty, not only as a state representative but a Mexican American, to do whatever I can to get this man to resign," Rodriguez said.

Billy Stromberg, chairman of Creedmoor-Maha's board of directors, was out of the state and unavailable for comment, according to the company's receptionist.

mtoohey@statesman.com;

story link:
http://www.statesman.com/news/conten...21mustang.html

are these not Invaders ? Illegal at that ? Call it like it is . No more PC . That crap only makes us whites "Racists and Bigots " . While they call us Crackers etc etc etc .
God gave me Free Will . I'll use it as i see fit

Another attempt to remove any negative remarks about illegal immigrants. It is the intent of the Mexican/ Hispanic people to remove anyone from a position of power who opposes the invasion and occupation of the US by Mexico.

It is working. Look at the news feeding frenzy. No more free speech in Americo.

But when it comes to using the term "gringo", no one in the media, government or in society bats an eye or screams racism. Below are what Mexicans and other Latinos think of gringos... err Americans. From the Urban Dictionary, definitions submitted by Mexicans and latinos to describe their own interpretation of the term "gringo". But of course, only "gringos" can be racist.

NOTE: These are NOT my terms, but postings left on the Urban Dictionary website, there are many more that are even more offensive, but you can get the picture. This is what Americans or Anglos are to them.


GRINGO:
A word used by Latin americans and some Europeans refering to a person from the USA, IT DOES NOT MEAN "WHITE PEOPLE" as some people think. Most of the times it is said in an offensive way.

"Odio a los putos gringos, se creen los dueños de todo."

"I hate bloody Gringos, they think they own it all."

GRINGO:
The word originated in Mexico, when the United States of America invaded Mexico in order to appropiate half of its territory, back on mid 19th century. Of course this action against "peace and freedom" is not in elementary school textbooks in USA, but it is in any other serious document about USA history.

The war was over and USA claimed half of Mexico's territory... then the green coats went home, having gained possesion of Texas and other territories -and their resources- (the same old motif than nowadys, but the speech has changed).

Esa casa es de estilo agringado.
That house has an American-like style (meaning it is a new rich tasteless house)

Los gringos creen que son los policÃ*as del mundo.
Americans think they are the police of the world.

GRINGO:
Spanish literally - foreigner
Often used by hispanics when refering to white (esp. American) people
It is generally derogatory, but can be used in reference context

"los gringos saben ingles" (the Americans speak english)
"F#ck you gringo" (f#ck you whitey)

GRINGO:
American, from the USA. The term comes from the american intervention in mexico in the late eighteen hundreds. Term derives from the popular phrase "green go home" yelled to american troops because of their green uniforms. It does not mean "white" or "caucasian" it is a derrogatory term depending on the context.
Gringa: female gringo. In mexico city it is a dish of shepherd style pork and cheese in aflour tortilla topped with coriander onion and pineapple.

It would suck to be a gringo, everyone in the world would hate you.

GRINGO:
A word meaning white person used by mexicans or latinos.

Latino: look at those damn gringos esse. they suck. Putos.

GRINGO:
White ass honky that usually walks like he has a pipe up his behind. Has no rythm, cannot ryme, can't dance, can't shoot hoops and can't talk no slang unless he stole it from a brother or a mex. Usually likes to steal land and rob people in the name of entrepenuership or manifest destiny.

That gringo, patty cake can't dance for sh#t.

GRINGO:
A white ball of fat on snickers!

look that ball of fat on snickers (gringo)

GRINGO:
A term often used by Hispanics for white people, or people of caucasian descent. In spanish, "Gringo" litterally means "white boy."

It also has a great song...

There was a cracker in TJ,
And Gringo was his name-o,
G-R-I-N-G-O,
G-R-I-N-G-O,
G-R-I-N-G-O,
And Gringo was his name-o!

GRINGO:
Any a$$h@le that was born in the USA

"that gringo is a puto"

I've heard racism only exist in whites however I have traveled throughout the world in years past and found racism in people of all colors. The bigger problem in America it used as a whipping post to gain money or power, used by our government and those running for office. The media loves to issue report after report on who is voting for who, would it not be wise to have a candidate quit pandering to various groups and simply say I am for the "American citizen" and America first.

The bigger issue of this post is why we are building so many detention centers/holding tanks and why there isn't concern over this rather then the words used to describe them.

What offends me the most out of this is as an MEXICAN AMERICANWHAT THE H**L IS THAT In this country we have so many African American, Muslim American, Mexican American, what are we supposed to do if we are, English,German, Irish, Indian, American, to me putting your race in front of American is trying to seperate yourself from being American, and that is RACIST

Please take a moment to email the paper in support of this official. He is a dedicated public servant who is being targeted by the "don't say a bad word about immigrants" crowd.

He needs our support.

If we're going to start on bigots, let's demand the resignation of the mayor of LA, how about the so-called professor who called for death of the gringos?

Austin Council Member Sheryl Cole, who is black, stood by Martinez, saying that, "As Dr. King used to say, 'Injustice anywhere is injustice everywhere.' " Council Member Lee Leffingwell, former Mayor Gus Garcia and several advocacy groups also attended.

Here is another race bater that invokes Dr.King's Legacy in her attempts to insinuate that it's an "injustice" to call an illegal invader what they are!

I guess she does not feel that 20-30 million people ignoring US Immigration law "unjust."

This woman is a disgrace and has no business anywhere near a leadership role.