Thread: OR: City celebrates Mexican Independence but not American In

OR: City celebrates Mexican Independence but not American Independence!!


Beaverton to sponsor celebration of Mexico's bicentennial despite Larson, O'Reilly


Published: Thursday, September 02, 2010, 9:00 PM

BEAVERTON -- Politely brushing off criticism from conservative talk show hosts locally and nationally, Mayor Denny Doyle on Thursday said Beaverton is proceeding with a TAX-PAYER FUNDED event this month celebrating Mexico's bicentennial.

Local commentator Lars Larson blasted Beaverton's celebration on his radio show last week and it gained national notoriety Wednesday when Fox News' Bill O'Reilly piled on by saying the city looks like a "pinhead."

The opinionated hosts took issue with Beaverton's decision to spend taxpayer money celebrating Mexico's independence but not America's national holiday. Beaverton has budgeted $6,000 for the Mexican celebration but city officials on Thursday could not say if any money has been spent on Fourth of July activities in recent years.

City leaders say the point their critics are missing -- and are specifically misrepresenting -- is that Beaverton decided to promote Mexico's 200th anniversary celebrating independence. It's not that officials ignored the Fourth of July in favor of Mexican's Independence Day -- it's that this Sept. 16 is a significant milestone for the country and local immigrants.

"It was to recognize a unique day," Doyle said. "Let folks know they're welcome in Beaverton. Let them know they can be proud of where they came from."

Beaverton is the most diverse big city in Oregon, according to U.S. Census estimates. About 27 percent of Beaverton's population is non-white. Sixteen percent identifies as Hispanic or Latino, with three-quarters of that group Mexican.

Ursula Rojas Weiser, a community affairs official for the Mexican Consulate in Portland, praised Beaverton for recognizing its diversity and celebrating the important day.

Other cities in Oregon and nationally are recognizing the event, she added. Portland Mayor Sam Adams, for instance, will be on hand for a celebration Sept. 15 in Pioneer Courthouse Square. Portland is chipping in $200, Adams' spokesman Roy Kaufmann said.

"This kind of manufactured controversy, it degrades the region's image abroad," Kaufmann said of commentary by Larson and O'Reilly.



"How dare you celebrate Mexico's independence and not celebrate America's independence?" Larson said, his voice incredulous. "How dare you?"

Bode's cut-off response: "Because American independence has now gone from being a federal holiday and it has now seeped into ... "


"What do you mean seeped?" Larson interjected. "Seeped into? Like it oozed in there?"

"Right," Bode responded. "And people ... "

Cut-off again.

"You don't think this was a local holiday, and communities around America, since the beginning?" Larson questioned.

"Some cities do have parades and some large cities have parades," Bode explained.

"Well then," Larson fired back. "Why doesn't Beaverton celebrate America first and Mexico never?"

Back in the Fox studio, O'Reilly and colleague Juliet Huddy shared a laugh.

"So that's embarrassing for Beaverton, correct?" O'Reilly asked.

"They're spending $5,000 to have this Mexican Independence Day festival and basically the City Council, we called all the City Council members, and shockingly they didn't return our calls," she said.

"Although," Huddy quickly added, "the public information officer did call us two minutes before I walked out here."

"I've got a statement," Huddy explained. "But I can't even read it because I don't have my glasses. So anyway."

"I'm guessing," Huddy said, "that they're probably saying you know, 'Look, this is inclusion, it's bringing the Spanish community together."

O'Reilly, a former Portland news anchor, eventually gave his final thoughts.

"If Beaverton wants to have Mexican Independence Day, I don't care. OK? If they want to have Guatemalan, I don't care. Honduras, go ahead. But to ignore the Fourth of July and then have the others makes Beaverton look like a pinhead."

"And that's right, Bill!" a giddy Huddy said.

Beaverton spokeswoman Amy Miner said the city has received several dozen calls, but no more than 100, since Larson's radio show last week. Insulting e-mails have poured in, too.

The upcoming Mexican bicentennial celebration is scheduled for Beaverton City Park near the downtown library from 6 to 8:30 p.m. The city promises food, music and dancing.

Bode on Thursday said in hindsight the city could probably do a better job with community outreach.

"Maybe we haven't done enough outreach and explained the position," she said. "Because the intent was to build up the community."

-- Brad Schmidt


http://www.oregonlive.com/beaverton/ind ... _news.html

Is it racist to say I'm sick to death of this country coddling mexicans?

Originally Posted by Justthefacts

Is it racist to say I'm sick to death of this country coddling mexicans?

NO!

It's no wonder OR is up to their a$$es in illegals. Beaverton is an embarrassment to the rest of the country.

"It was to recognize a unique day," Doyle said. "Let folks know they're welcome in Beaverton. Let them know they can be proud of where they came from."

These people do not need any help being proud of where they came from! They do however, need much help in being proud of where they are!

Originally Posted by Justthefacts

Is it racist to say I'm sick to death of this country coddling mexicans?

NO it's not! But at this point, I could care less what they think!