San Diego’s politicians have not had a pretty past in whatever seats they’ve served for America’s Finest City. We’ve had shady mayors in the past like Frank Curran, Roger Hedgecock, Susan Golding whose husband was conviceted of money laundering, and Dick Murphy who suffered with the pension scheme problem and had two of his city councilmen indicted for bribery.
Our congressional leaders have also been shady as well, Duke Cunninghan of the 50thDistrict is currently in prison for corruption, his successor has had a checkered career himself as Brian Bilbray even had issues of residency to qualify for the 50thseat and has been challenged for his immigration stand as a member of FAIR, finally Darrell Issa of Vista, California just north of San Diego and now chair of the Congressional Oversight Committee who keeps getting misquoted because he’s always misquoting.
Now our youngest member of the Congress from San Diego County, Duncan Hunter Jr. continues his bash against minorities following his conservative political leaning by complaining that the newest U.S. Navy Dry Cargo ship should not be named after Cesar Chavez. Duncan represents the 52ndDistrict in Alpine, sort of an up-scale version of El Cajon that has a red neck history, and has been outspoken about his views on immigration.
At an April 2010 Tea Party movement rally in Ramona, California, Hunter advocated for the deportation of United States citizens who are the children of illegal immigrants. At the rally, Hunter said, "It's a complex issue and...you could look and say, 'You're a mean guy. That's a mean thing to do. That's not a humanitarian thing to do.' " Hunter added, "We simply cannot afford what we're doing right now. We just can't afford it. California's going under." Hunter confirmed the comments to San Diego County's North County Times, telling the newspaper that he also supported House Resolution 1868, a measure that called for the elimination of birthright citizenship in the United Sates. Hunter has also expressed support for the controversial 2010 Arizona immigration law, calling it a national security issue and "a fantastic starting point."
In a letter to the editor of the San Diego Union, Hunter suggested that instead of naming the new ship for Chavez, he suggested that a Navy Cross reciepient Marine Seargent Rafael Peralta who died in combat in Iraq and was a native San Diegan. This letter appears today after Hunter received criticism for his stand against naming the ship for Chavez. The letter seems like attempt at a face save for Duncan.
His criticism of Chavez for his short tour of duty with Navy, only two years, that Chavez was a pacifist and did not like the service because he experienced then Navy standard of racist treatment for Hispanics, and not a warrior like Mr. Duncan who served in the Marine Corps both in Afghanistan and Iraq, is almost expected from a conservative Republican.
However, to minimize the achievements of a pacifist like Cesar Chavez for his lifetime fight against injustices against Hispanics that toiled in the fields of California and across the U.S, and injustice of other types as well, speaks only to the core of Duncan’s criticism another form of subtle racism. Let’s be real.
With so many U.S Naval ships named after many unknown people, military types and Presidents, naming a ship after a national hero like Mr. Chavez certainly doesn’t appear out of order. The shipyard where the ship is being built is in Barrio Logan almost totally a Hispanic neighborhood in San Diego.
“No one has been barred on account of his race from fighting or dying for America---there are no “white” or “colored” signs on foxholes or graveyards of battle.” John F. Kennedy (1917-1963)
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