Immigration protest a slap in the face to Hispanic veterans

By Silvio Canto, Jr.

According to news reports, they expected 100,000, accommodated for 35,000 but less than half of that showed up.

Another march without marchers, a.k.a. the story of the immigration movement these days.

When is this movement going to realize that they need new leaders, or people who understand how to speak to a nation in the middle of a huge recession?

You can't demand "legalization" for 10 milion people when there are millions of US citizens and legal residents who can't find work.

Have any of these immigration leaders walked down the streets of Hispanic districts in the US? Are they so caught up in the ideology of amnesty that they don't see that the community lacks jobs and economic development? What planet are these people living in?

As we know now, the gates were closed to many veterans but opened for an immigration march.

Are you kidding me? Who made this decision? He or she should be fired.

Over the last 28 years that I've lived in Texas, I've come to appreciate the role of Hispanics in the military, including our youngest son who is in the US Army. Let me cite two examples that came to mind when I heard about this travesty in Washington.

Joe Pena was a political leader in our area and Korean War veteran. I attended his funeral at our military cemetery in Grand Prairie. The event was full of other Hispanics who proudly wore their uniforms, veterans and those in the service now.

Nathan Aguirre, a young man from our church, was killed in Iraq.I saw this young man grow up. His father and I served as ushers at church for years.

Can someone explain to me how you lock the gates for World War II veterans but open them for people carrying foreign flags?

The immigration reform movement, and the Democrats who carry their water, need to take a PR class.

Immigration reform took a huge step backward and you can blame President Obama, Congresswoman Pelosi and the leaders. They are either very "tone deaf" or insensitive to the families of Hispanic military veterans and those killed in action.

P.S. You can hear my chat with George Rodriguez and Bobby Lopez about this here.