Thread: Tea party members rally in downtown Morgan Hill

Tea party members rally in downtown Morgan Hill

By Karen de Sá

kdesa@mercurynews.com
Posted: 05/08/2010 06:24:30 PM PDT
Updated: 05/08/2010 11:27:24 PM PDT



A larger-than-usual group of conservatives waved flags and proclaimed their patriotism Saturday in Morgan Hill in a public display of support for the tea party movement and four local high school students who were admonished Wednesday by a school administrator for wearing American-flag attire on Cinco de Mayo.

The local tea party contingent gathers at the downtown street corner each weekend. But on Saturday, fueled by national media coverage of the incident at Live Oak High School, dozens of additional protesters appeared dressed in red, white and blue to express anger over the boys' treatment.

School administrators had feared that the students wearing the American flag shirts were provoking students celebrating Cinco de Mayo. Supporters and detractors have come out on both sides of the controversy.

But Saturday's midtown gathering included a broader message, with protesters lamenting what they described as the country's shift toward communism. They waved signs proclaiming: "Our current government is what our founding fathers tried to prevent," and "I'm sorry if this flag offends you — Not really!"

"We're just out here supporting our country — we're just tea partyers and conservatives, and we believe our rights are being stripped away," said one of the event's organizers, Georgine Scott-Codiga.

An employee of the Monterey County Sheriff's Department, Scott-Codiga said Saturday's crowd was about four times larger than
those at recent gatherings, evidence of support for the students' right to wear patriotic attire whenever they please.

The teens were asked by the assistant principal to turn their American flag T-shirts inside out or go home for the day, out of respect for students celebrating their Mexican heritage.

Although Saturday's rally included relatively few members of the Live Oak High School community — and school administrators issued a public apology over the incident — local tea party members seized the moment. "We should be able to be patriotic to our country 365 days a year," Scott-Codiga said.

Arizona law

One man on the median waved an enormous Arizona flag in a show of the crowd's support for that state's controversial new immigration law. The law, said to be the strictest in the recent history, makes it a crime to be stopped without immigration documents and grants police broad authority to detain people they suspect are undocumented.

Another sign read: "Secure our borders, support Arizona."

The message attracted broad support in downtown Morgan Hill. Numerous motorists honked enthusiastically and pumped their fists as they drove by the group of about 150 people.

But one Latina driving by thrust a thumbs-down sign out her window. In response, someone in the crowd shouted, "Do you have papers?"

The woman, at the urging of her boyfriend, circled back, parked her car and confronted the protesters. Monica Chavez Delgado, 34, is an administrative analyst for the city of Morgan Hill. She also happens to be Cesar Chavez's granddaughter, born and raised in California and a former Live Oak High School student.

The incident left her shaken as she prepared to phone her mother, the daughter of the legendary Mexican-American labor and civil rights leader.

"I don't want this in my town," said Chavez Delgado, who wore a T-shirt with a glitter-studded peace sign. "I will never go to Arizona, and I won't be a part of this community if this is what it's going to be like."

One arrest

Still, some protesters felt misunderstood.

Jeanine Croft, a tea party member and former Live Oak High School student whose children also attend the school, said, "Kids need to be proud to be American. That is what's lacking there."

Wearing a stars-and-stripes kerchief in her hair and a flag sticker on her cheek, she added that "all of the ethnic stuff is great, but kids should be taught to be proud they are American every day."

Despite some disagreements among the crowd, the event was mostly peaceful. There was one arrest, however. A 20-year-old Latino was taken to jail and charged with misdemeanor battery for swatting a tea party member's sign out of his hand. The man later told police he felt disrespected.

Rey Morales, 17, walked by the protest, and met his former Pop Warner coach. The coach insisted that the Live Oak students who wore the flag T-shirts on Cinco de Mayo behaved commendably by displaying their patriotism. He then turned to his former player, who is Mexican-American, and asked: "If there was a war between Mexico and the United States, which side would you be on? You'd have to pick a side."

"I'd stay out of it," Morales responded. "That's what I'm doing right now. I'm staying out of it — I have friends on both sides."


http://www.mercurynews.com/top-stories/ci_15047406

"I'd stay out of it," Morales responded. "That's what I'm doing right now. I'm staying out of it — I have friends on both sides."

And you sir are part of the problem not any of the solution! As long as legal citizens of Hispanic descent support illegal invaders this will be an on going situation. When you became a US citizen you were supposed to leave support of your home County IN your home Country. You don't ever have to forget where you came from BUT your support and loyalty are now supposed to belong to the US.

I hope everyone noticed the LONE arrest was a Latino who stuck down a sign supporting the rights of us all. I really hope he was an illegal, and now gets deported for it.

The local tea party contingent gathers at the downtown street corner each weekend. But on Saturday, fueled by national media coverage of the incident at Live Oak High School, dozens of additional protesters appeared dressed in red, white and blue to express anger over the boys' treatment.

Good for these Tea Partiers!! Thank-you for supporting those patriotic students who proudly wore the U.S. flag.

I think Ms. Delago needs to study her family history. Grandpa didn't like illegals and frequently turned them in to the authorities for deportation. They competed for jobs with the farmworkers union.

Is disrespected the work of the day in the illegal community? "I'm disrespected". Boo hoo. Until you start respecting our flag and our laws, I have no sympathy.

Originally Posted by builditnow

The local tea party contingent gathers at the downtown street corner each weekend. But on Saturday, fueled by national media coverage of the incident at Live Oak High School, dozens of additional protesters appeared dressed in red, white and blue to express anger over the boys' treatment.

Good for these Tea Partiers!! Thank-you for supporting those patriotic students who proudly wore the U.S. flag.

AMEN and YES WE CAN!!!!!!