The First Amendment is probably the most important amendment in our Bill of Rights. The foundation of our existance as a republic are those rights listed in this amendment. None dare say I do not believe in nor support the First Amendment. The right of a newspaper to be open to unlimited ideas and public discourse is essential to a free state. But, there should be some civic responsibility involved. Especially when a potential problem is known by the editor and spelled out to the editor.
Recently at the Las Cruces Public Schools District Spelling Bee, the only local daily newspaper, the Las Cruces Sun-News sent its photographer, Norm Dettlaff, to take photos of the event held at the local Onate Public High School. In New Mexico, the newspapers do not have to ask parents permission to take pictures of minor children and publish them. Newspapers in New Mexico do not have to honor parents requests to not publish the photos of their children.
The New Mexico state law allows the Editor to decide and if he is an asshole (in this case it was a 'he' - Jim Lawitz) he will publish the pictures. The pictures in question were not published in the newspaper, but were put on the 'Buy Photos' section of the Sun-News website. The photographer took dozens of pictures and only six, yes, 6, photos of the whole event were posted on the 'Buy Photos.' The one Editor Lawitz was asked to not publish is there for some reason only known to him. Now, no family member will buy the photo, so that leaves the photo purchase available for perverts and others up to no good.
The photographer was up to tricks as he took a special interest in pointing his camera at my family and me. Dettlaff knew better than to talk to me, but a parent reported that Dettlaff was asking questions about my minor child after the event. For business, or pleasure?
Of course the school district has no policies or procedures to protect the children from belligerent photographers acting on their bosses behalf.
30 January 2009
15 January 2009
Bush Departure Fallout - Or Keeping the Abnormal the Normal in Las Cruces
One of the curious things the LCPS Superintendent said the other night was: (and I believe it is a direct quote.) 'I would like the City to annex the new (high school) site, but I won't go into that now.' But..... Is this part of the religious plan to plaster crosses in and on the new school as fallout from that shameful, illegal ruling by local federal Judge Robert Brack that the crosses are not Christian-religious and the trois singes 10th Circuit Court of Appeals support. Factions in the city and county have been trying for years to get their religion back in the public schools. Preaching at home just isn't enough, they want born-again teachers to do it as a total immersion program to make the boys into 'men' and the girls into obedient things.
As an aside, Judge Brack's name (along with Judge Lourdes Martinez) should come up in that investigation of the United States Attorney General's office concerning judgeship appointments by the Bush Administration.
Read it here first. Bush, the de facto shining star of the evangelical mob is leaving a gap with his departure. The coincidence of Bush leaving and the local Focus on the Family branch, the Las Cruces Prayer Network, announcing the opening of an office is an attention-getter. AN OFFICE! on the west side of Las Cruces very near the Dona Ana County Administration Building, one block from an elementary school, several blocks from the crosses-laden public schools stadium, and in the vicinity of the public Mayfield High School, is scary. The purpose of the location in the depressed west side industrial/residential zone is not lost on many observers.
As an aside, Judge Brack's name (along with Judge Lourdes Martinez) should come up in that investigation of the United States Attorney General's office concerning judgeship appointments by the Bush Administration.
Read it here first. Bush, the de facto shining star of the evangelical mob is leaving a gap with his departure. The coincidence of Bush leaving and the local Focus on the Family branch, the Las Cruces Prayer Network, announcing the opening of an office is an attention-getter. AN OFFICE! on the west side of Las Cruces very near the Dona Ana County Administration Building, one block from an elementary school, several blocks from the crosses-laden public schools stadium, and in the vicinity of the public Mayfield High School, is scary. The purpose of the location in the depressed west side industrial/residential zone is not lost on many observers.
14 January 2009
New (No Name) High School
Las Cruces needs a new high school, so we have been told. At a not-too-well-attended public meeting on 12 January 2009 the Superintendent reported the price as $100 million. I know I heard it clearly, as I wrote it down. It seems that not too long ago the price was in the upper $20s millions. The reported crowd of 160 was mostly older gray-haired white people whose concerns were more about traffic, bike lanes, juvenile delinquents, and plants, than the education process that may go on in this proposed 2,000 student public school. There were a lot of words about 'turf' and how the local university was involved.
The Superintendent was asked what was the name of the school. Las Cruces has three public high schools. One school is named the ubiquitous "Las Cruces High School," while the second one is named "Mayfield High School" after the district athletic director of yore; or maybe a coach of yore. Ah, the third one! There was an old junior high school in Las Cruces named "Onate," after the religiously revered Spanish explorer who never did anything in this area, because there was nothing here. When the new third public high school was built, it inherited the church-blessed name of that hated Spaniard, detested by Native Americans. The banners of belligerence and prejudice, the Dona Ana County seal, which now has a dripping yellow cross, shows Onate on his horse and the ribbon-cutting group's blue blazers in the Chamber of Commerce sport a patch with three Latin crosses and a profile bust of the venerated Onate.
The question to the Superintendent caused some foot shuffling and the response that a name has not been discussed, but any discussing would come later in the process. Well, this huge, new school is scheduled to open in 2011.
The Superintendent was asked what was the name of the school. Las Cruces has three public high schools. One school is named the ubiquitous "Las Cruces High School," while the second one is named "Mayfield High School" after the district athletic director of yore; or maybe a coach of yore. Ah, the third one! There was an old junior high school in Las Cruces named "Onate," after the religiously revered Spanish explorer who never did anything in this area, because there was nothing here. When the new third public high school was built, it inherited the church-blessed name of that hated Spaniard, detested by Native Americans. The banners of belligerence and prejudice, the Dona Ana County seal, which now has a dripping yellow cross, shows Onate on his horse and the ribbon-cutting group's blue blazers in the Chamber of Commerce sport a patch with three Latin crosses and a profile bust of the venerated Onate.
The question to the Superintendent caused some foot shuffling and the response that a name has not been discussed, but any discussing would come later in the process. Well, this huge, new school is scheduled to open in 2011.
07 January 2009
City of Contradictions
Some inquiries have asked for clarification of my term for Las Cruces: "City of Contradictions." Las Cruces has earned some less flattering terms, but I will stick to this one and none of the following comments are in event order.
The strangest, yet confusing contradiction one will find, be they native, visitor, or newcomer, is the on-going silent battle between the Las Cruces Convention/Visitors Bureau (CVB) and the City Hall culturally deviate (CD) gang. The CVB promotes Las Cruces as "The Crossroads." The City Hall CD gang steadfastly maintains Las Cruces is the "City of the Crosses," a name invented by the local private Chamber of Commerce with help from the private El Paso Chamber of Commerce in 1949. No historical records have been produced to substantiate the fakelore promoted by the City Hall CD gang and their pals. Several generations have now succumbed to the tall tales.
1. The NMSU history professor, Jon Hunner, who was selected to be the court 'expert,' admitted on the witness stand that he had not read any of the standard, legitimate history books of this area. Now, he is unabashedly on the state-panel representing this area for the 2012 statehood centennial. After Hunner's display of ignorance of the local history in court, his pal Judge Brack let him keep his 'expert witness' title which Hunner now plays up for the glory and gain.
2. In the City's Branigan Culture Center (BCC) is a nice, but spoiled, historical display of local history. To get inside the BCC one has to pass a gauntlet of banners displaying the crosses representing the shame of a city. Over the door to the display room is the sign, "Las Cruces: The Crossroads," which referrers to the various trails, roads, and highways that crisscross the area, and the river that flows south through through the city. Once inside over the displays in twenty-six locations, the visitor will see the perverted time-line that instead of saying 'Las Cruces' at the 1850 mark, it says "City of the Crosses." This fictitious accounting of various stories is the debrained-'child' of the Greater Las Cruces Chamber of Commerce to promote Christianity for Profit since there is nothing else in Las Cruces. Guess who was the historical director of the exhibit? Expert professor Jon Hunner, no less. How much was he paid for this?
3. The two local, appointed federal judges, Robert Brack and Lourdes Martinez, who represent the national laws of the land, but put their religion above those laws, are still on the bench they disgraced when they joined the defense to harass the plaintiffs at every opportunity. The tandem harassment was orchestrated to force the plaintiffs to quit their First Amendment cases against the public school district and the city for the promotion of religion.
The courtroom antics, especially the dismissing of the plaintiffs' evidence, by these two judges are recorded in the public record. Their misbehavior is excused by the catch-phrase "judge's discretion."
4. In Las Cruces Protestant and Catholic groups have installed three Latin crosses in various locations over the years and then claim the crosses are not religious. To cover themselves 'massacre' stories were made up - fakelore. Apaches killing first Spaniards and later Euro-Americans has been a Hollywoodesque addition to popular stories with voluminous numbers.
Of course, all the dead were good Christians as every grave got a cross except those carried away by vermin and relatives. There are no records of course, nor markers. Just stories for tourist and obedient citizens.
An example of how repetition spoils a good story is when one thinks of crosses over graves a vision of nice, white boards being used. There was no lumber! Especially to waste over graves when a stick would do. Susan Magoffin's "a rude cross" is an example.
5. Now, how can faithful Christians, whose beliefs are represented by the display of Latin crosses, claim the crosses are not religious? Like in the trois singes ruling from the 10th Circuit Court of Appeals that appears to have been written by an outside evangelical group, claim that three Latin crosses are not religious. The U.S. Supreme Court has ruled several times that the Latin cross, and everyone knows this, is a Christian religious symbol recognized throughout the world as a Christian symbol. But here and in Denver the crosses are not religious when used by the city and public school district, but those the local Bishop wears are, obviously. If it wasn't a payoff involved, what would be the answer?
6. In Las Cruces there is the old Highway 70 (North Main Street) that runs basically east and west, connecting Alamogordo to the city. It appears that Protestants claim it is the entrance to Las Cruces from the east. The Catholics have been traveling north and south for several centuries from the time when the Spaniards came. At the junction of North Main and Solano Drive are three large black steel crosses representing Calvary (Protestants installed them.). The Trinity if Catholics had done it. Now the crosses are lighted at night with red-white-blue Christmas lights.
Since these are the national colors, are only Christians the real Americans? Since the court ruled that the crosses aren't religious is this still an insult directed to non-believers and non-Christians? When you drive by for the first time and see the lights on the crosses, it's a 'What the f...!' moment. Those moments are almost a daily occurrence in Las Cruces.
7. With the laughable title of "Las Cruces International Airport" on the west side of the city, the airport has a large water tank - the bulbous type - like a Tootsie Pop. The well-traveled I-10 Interstate passes by this landmark. It is New Mexico Yellow with a large red Zia symbol on the southside that faces the interstate. But! on the northside is the shameful city symbol of crosses. The highway traveler cannot see it, but those arriving at the airport and departing the airport by vehicle or aircraft can see it. The visitor is greeted at the terminal with a large symbol of the ubiquitous crosses over the entrance. Apparently, St. Christopher has been fired by the City Council.
8. A major contradiction that is totally observable outside and inside City Hall, but undeniably a point that escapes the abilities of the Mayor and the City Council due to cultural deficiencies.
There are two large lions resting in front of the building, a donation by a Jewish family several years ago. The front of the building had three Latin crosses, but that was changed after several citizens complained about the appropriateness of Christian symbols on a government building. Well, the City took them down! But, in all the belligerence of ignorance the crosses were replaced with the Gothic symbol now used. The City steadfastly maintains the crosses represent the fictitious graves from fictitious 'massacres' by "heathens."
Inside the City Hall is a serious "What the f...!" moment to greet the visitor. Dutiful citizens are in line to pay their city bills that carry the crosses marker. A picture of God is on one wall. A miracle plaque on another - "Here they saw a cross for which Las Cruces was named."
The crosses markers are all over the building. On everything! A righteous plague.
Then the public meeting room of the City Council is overpowered by a large crosses emblem on the wall behind the raised Inquisitional-like dais where the council sits. The two podiums have smaller versions of the crosses emblem on the front. One next to the dais is used by presenters and the citizens can see and hear the influence of the holy. The other podium for citizens faces the council so they can be influenced by the crosses when they should be listening to the citizen.
A bizarre situation unrecognized by the faithful.
9. The "a cross" mentioned above, recorded on the plaque inside City Hall, has an interesting history. The only true recorded early history of this area is found in the American citizen Susan Magoffin's 1846-1847 diary, "Down the Santa Fe Trail and into Mexico." As Susan Magoffin and her family passed through she recorded seeing the ten-year-old graves of fourteen Mexican soldiers killed in a battle with the Apache. Ms. Magoffin wrote on page 202, "the graves of whom, marked with a rude cross, are now seen...." The location of those graves is unknown.
In the federal trial against the Las Cruces Public Schools, Judge Robert Brack interrupted the pro se plaintiff when he was attempting to question the Court's 'expert' historian, professor Jon Hunner. Previously, the judge ruled that Hunner would be the 'expert' in this trial and the City of Las Cruces trial. The pro se plaintiff managed to get Hunner to admit that 'a' meant 'one' before being cutoff by the judge with his, "That question doesn't make sense.", because Hunner had written that Ms. Magoffin had not recorded the number of crosses over the graves. Ms. Magoffin never, ever wrote: 'crosses' which would mean one on every grave.
10. The Las Cruces Public Schools has a rewritten and backdated Policy and Procedures 424, Religion in the Schools. The District adamantly has refused to change some irregularities in the syntax of some sentences. In the Policy portion of 424 it states: "....but does have the responsibility to teach about religion."
The use of the word 'religion' in its singular form in this policy denotes a favoritism toward Christianity. Public schools have the responsibility to teach about the various religions in an open manner so as not to be derogatory. The insistence by those degreed authorities in the School District, and the 'bought' federal judges mentioned above, that there is no difference between the words 'religion' and 'religions' have lied. Pure and simple. In federal court under oath on the witness stand the witnesses for the defense lied about the words. Of course, Judge Brack said he didn't see any difference.
11. Piety of the Las Cruces Public Schools Board of Education and the Superintendent. The site was formally a Catholic school until the outgoing Bishop sold it and the 'dilapidated' church to a banker and retired to El Paso. The site became a shopping center, then a office complex. Now, the north end anchor is a bank with a large, perfectly proportioned, New Mexico Zia symbol on the front. Separated from the bank by the entrance to other offices is the Las Cruces Public Schools Administration Offices. Over the words 'Administration Offices' at the entrance is a child-like drawing that includes a modified Zia symbol changed to represent the Trinity of the Catholic religion. The now retired spokesman for the Las Cruces Public Schools, John Schutz, claimed an unnamed student in an unnamed contest at some distant past drew the picture that is in tile. Schutz proved in federal court that his testimony is unreliable at best. This picture is now the school district logo after the crosses logo was removed from the vehicles. This picture appears to have been drawn by the art teacher at the Hillrise Elementary School.
12. The City of Las Cruces has steadfastly maintained that the Christian Latin crosses used on the City seal and City symbol are not religious, even though they represent The Trinity, and these [Christian] crosses represent "the community." Can anyone say that when they see the Nazi swastika they don't know what it represents? The 'bought' federal judges ruled with the city story. Now we have a new, obvious Christian symbol promoted by Mayor Kenneth Miyagishima on plaques he hands out. The larger white center cross emanates rays of light indicating, as any non-Christian knows, a representation of the divine of the cross. In the
5 February 2009 Las Cruces Sun-News, the only daily newspaper, is yet another picture of the mayor awarding one of his plaques. This time to a New Mexico National Guard Sergeant Major for the unit's role in some operation (not explained).
13. The city government of Las Cruces, led by the nose by the Greater Las Cruces Chamber of Commerce, continues to promote itself as a Christian city and at the same time denies it. The City Council still holds court in the Inquisitional setting of the Catholic Church, which the local Christians enjoy, and for those who cannot go to the meetings, there is the City-owned Comcast Channel 20 for viewing in the privacy of the home. Only those citizens with cable television can get the broadcast.
14. The City of Las Cruces publishes a quarterly, 8-page, bi-lingual newspaper it mails to thousands of residents. Recipients can only wonder why and what is the purpose until they look at the pictures of those who have their hands in the taxpayers' pockets. Citizens living outside the city limits, but inside the ETZ cannot participate in city government affairs.
The example for the month of February is the Sun-News City ad prefaced with the ubiquitous
Christian crosses and "Public Notice." The ad is titled "Members Sought for Ratepayer Advisory Committee." "To qualify for appointment......a resident must be.....a Las Cruces utilities customer." This prevents thousands of residents from even thinking about membership on the committee. Many residents have wells and propane tanks, so they can't be a "utilities customer."
15. The City has published its 2009 edition of the City of Las Cruces Reference Guide which does contains some important services information if it is read. The City continues to use public funds to promote the Christian religion with the ubiquitous crosses dispersed throughout the document. Readers are encouraged to go to the City website for further information, but be prepared to get an additional of the crosses. The crosses of the fire department are shown on p.12, but the police crosses are missing. And the museum section doesn't bother to mention that the permanent display of the history of the City in the Branigan Cultural Center is promoting Christianity.
Of course, the local federal judges, Robert Brack (Dominici hack.) and Lourdes Martinez (Gov. Richardson's hack.), who said the Latin crosses are not religious, are still on the bench despensing 'justice' according to the Gospel.
The strangest, yet confusing contradiction one will find, be they native, visitor, or newcomer, is the on-going silent battle between the Las Cruces Convention/Visitors Bureau (CVB) and the City Hall culturally deviate (CD) gang. The CVB promotes Las Cruces as "The Crossroads." The City Hall CD gang steadfastly maintains Las Cruces is the "City of the Crosses," a name invented by the local private Chamber of Commerce with help from the private El Paso Chamber of Commerce in 1949. No historical records have been produced to substantiate the fakelore promoted by the City Hall CD gang and their pals. Several generations have now succumbed to the tall tales.
1. The NMSU history professor, Jon Hunner, who was selected to be the court 'expert,' admitted on the witness stand that he had not read any of the standard, legitimate history books of this area. Now, he is unabashedly on the state-panel representing this area for the 2012 statehood centennial. After Hunner's display of ignorance of the local history in court, his pal Judge Brack let him keep his 'expert witness' title which Hunner now plays up for the glory and gain.
2. In the City's Branigan Culture Center (BCC) is a nice, but spoiled, historical display of local history. To get inside the BCC one has to pass a gauntlet of banners displaying the crosses representing the shame of a city. Over the door to the display room is the sign, "Las Cruces: The Crossroads," which referrers to the various trails, roads, and highways that crisscross the area, and the river that flows south through through the city. Once inside over the displays in twenty-six locations, the visitor will see the perverted time-line that instead of saying 'Las Cruces' at the 1850 mark, it says "City of the Crosses." This fictitious accounting of various stories is the debrained-'child' of the Greater Las Cruces Chamber of Commerce to promote Christianity for Profit since there is nothing else in Las Cruces. Guess who was the historical director of the exhibit? Expert professor Jon Hunner, no less. How much was he paid for this?
3. The two local, appointed federal judges, Robert Brack and Lourdes Martinez, who represent the national laws of the land, but put their religion above those laws, are still on the bench they disgraced when they joined the defense to harass the plaintiffs at every opportunity. The tandem harassment was orchestrated to force the plaintiffs to quit their First Amendment cases against the public school district and the city for the promotion of religion.
The courtroom antics, especially the dismissing of the plaintiffs' evidence, by these two judges are recorded in the public record. Their misbehavior is excused by the catch-phrase "judge's discretion."
4. In Las Cruces Protestant and Catholic groups have installed three Latin crosses in various locations over the years and then claim the crosses are not religious. To cover themselves 'massacre' stories were made up - fakelore. Apaches killing first Spaniards and later Euro-Americans has been a Hollywoodesque addition to popular stories with voluminous numbers.
Of course, all the dead were good Christians as every grave got a cross except those carried away by vermin and relatives. There are no records of course, nor markers. Just stories for tourist and obedient citizens.
An example of how repetition spoils a good story is when one thinks of crosses over graves a vision of nice, white boards being used. There was no lumber! Especially to waste over graves when a stick would do. Susan Magoffin's "a rude cross" is an example.
5. Now, how can faithful Christians, whose beliefs are represented by the display of Latin crosses, claim the crosses are not religious? Like in the trois singes ruling from the 10th Circuit Court of Appeals that appears to have been written by an outside evangelical group, claim that three Latin crosses are not religious. The U.S. Supreme Court has ruled several times that the Latin cross, and everyone knows this, is a Christian religious symbol recognized throughout the world as a Christian symbol. But here and in Denver the crosses are not religious when used by the city and public school district, but those the local Bishop wears are, obviously. If it wasn't a payoff involved, what would be the answer?
6. In Las Cruces there is the old Highway 70 (North Main Street) that runs basically east and west, connecting Alamogordo to the city. It appears that Protestants claim it is the entrance to Las Cruces from the east. The Catholics have been traveling north and south for several centuries from the time when the Spaniards came. At the junction of North Main and Solano Drive are three large black steel crosses representing Calvary (Protestants installed them.). The Trinity if Catholics had done it. Now the crosses are lighted at night with red-white-blue Christmas lights.
Since these are the national colors, are only Christians the real Americans? Since the court ruled that the crosses aren't religious is this still an insult directed to non-believers and non-Christians? When you drive by for the first time and see the lights on the crosses, it's a 'What the f...!' moment. Those moments are almost a daily occurrence in Las Cruces.
7. With the laughable title of "Las Cruces International Airport" on the west side of the city, the airport has a large water tank - the bulbous type - like a Tootsie Pop. The well-traveled I-10 Interstate passes by this landmark. It is New Mexico Yellow with a large red Zia symbol on the southside that faces the interstate. But! on the northside is the shameful city symbol of crosses. The highway traveler cannot see it, but those arriving at the airport and departing the airport by vehicle or aircraft can see it. The visitor is greeted at the terminal with a large symbol of the ubiquitous crosses over the entrance. Apparently, St. Christopher has been fired by the City Council.
8. A major contradiction that is totally observable outside and inside City Hall, but undeniably a point that escapes the abilities of the Mayor and the City Council due to cultural deficiencies.
There are two large lions resting in front of the building, a donation by a Jewish family several years ago. The front of the building had three Latin crosses, but that was changed after several citizens complained about the appropriateness of Christian symbols on a government building. Well, the City took them down! But, in all the belligerence of ignorance the crosses were replaced with the Gothic symbol now used. The City steadfastly maintains the crosses represent the fictitious graves from fictitious 'massacres' by "heathens."
Inside the City Hall is a serious "What the f...!" moment to greet the visitor. Dutiful citizens are in line to pay their city bills that carry the crosses marker. A picture of God is on one wall. A miracle plaque on another - "Here they saw a cross for which Las Cruces was named."
The crosses markers are all over the building. On everything! A righteous plague.
Then the public meeting room of the City Council is overpowered by a large crosses emblem on the wall behind the raised Inquisitional-like dais where the council sits. The two podiums have smaller versions of the crosses emblem on the front. One next to the dais is used by presenters and the citizens can see and hear the influence of the holy. The other podium for citizens faces the council so they can be influenced by the crosses when they should be listening to the citizen.
A bizarre situation unrecognized by the faithful.
9. The "a cross" mentioned above, recorded on the plaque inside City Hall, has an interesting history. The only true recorded early history of this area is found in the American citizen Susan Magoffin's 1846-1847 diary, "Down the Santa Fe Trail and into Mexico." As Susan Magoffin and her family passed through she recorded seeing the ten-year-old graves of fourteen Mexican soldiers killed in a battle with the Apache. Ms. Magoffin wrote on page 202, "the graves of whom, marked with a rude cross, are now seen...." The location of those graves is unknown.
In the federal trial against the Las Cruces Public Schools, Judge Robert Brack interrupted the pro se plaintiff when he was attempting to question the Court's 'expert' historian, professor Jon Hunner. Previously, the judge ruled that Hunner would be the 'expert' in this trial and the City of Las Cruces trial. The pro se plaintiff managed to get Hunner to admit that 'a' meant 'one' before being cutoff by the judge with his, "That question doesn't make sense.", because Hunner had written that Ms. Magoffin had not recorded the number of crosses over the graves. Ms. Magoffin never, ever wrote: 'crosses' which would mean one on every grave.
10. The Las Cruces Public Schools has a rewritten and backdated Policy and Procedures 424, Religion in the Schools. The District adamantly has refused to change some irregularities in the syntax of some sentences. In the Policy portion of 424 it states: "....but does have the responsibility to teach about religion."
The use of the word 'religion' in its singular form in this policy denotes a favoritism toward Christianity. Public schools have the responsibility to teach about the various religions in an open manner so as not to be derogatory. The insistence by those degreed authorities in the School District, and the 'bought' federal judges mentioned above, that there is no difference between the words 'religion' and 'religions' have lied. Pure and simple. In federal court under oath on the witness stand the witnesses for the defense lied about the words. Of course, Judge Brack said he didn't see any difference.
11. Piety of the Las Cruces Public Schools Board of Education and the Superintendent. The site was formally a Catholic school until the outgoing Bishop sold it and the 'dilapidated' church to a banker and retired to El Paso. The site became a shopping center, then a office complex. Now, the north end anchor is a bank with a large, perfectly proportioned, New Mexico Zia symbol on the front. Separated from the bank by the entrance to other offices is the Las Cruces Public Schools Administration Offices. Over the words 'Administration Offices' at the entrance is a child-like drawing that includes a modified Zia symbol changed to represent the Trinity of the Catholic religion. The now retired spokesman for the Las Cruces Public Schools, John Schutz, claimed an unnamed student in an unnamed contest at some distant past drew the picture that is in tile. Schutz proved in federal court that his testimony is unreliable at best. This picture is now the school district logo after the crosses logo was removed from the vehicles. This picture appears to have been drawn by the art teacher at the Hillrise Elementary School.
12. The City of Las Cruces has steadfastly maintained that the Christian Latin crosses used on the City seal and City symbol are not religious, even though they represent The Trinity, and these [Christian] crosses represent "the community." Can anyone say that when they see the Nazi swastika they don't know what it represents? The 'bought' federal judges ruled with the city story. Now we have a new, obvious Christian symbol promoted by Mayor Kenneth Miyagishima on plaques he hands out. The larger white center cross emanates rays of light indicating, as any non-Christian knows, a representation of the divine of the cross. In the
5 February 2009 Las Cruces Sun-News, the only daily newspaper, is yet another picture of the mayor awarding one of his plaques. This time to a New Mexico National Guard Sergeant Major for the unit's role in some operation (not explained).
13. The city government of Las Cruces, led by the nose by the Greater Las Cruces Chamber of Commerce, continues to promote itself as a Christian city and at the same time denies it. The City Council still holds court in the Inquisitional setting of the Catholic Church, which the local Christians enjoy, and for those who cannot go to the meetings, there is the City-owned Comcast Channel 20 for viewing in the privacy of the home. Only those citizens with cable television can get the broadcast.
14. The City of Las Cruces publishes a quarterly, 8-page, bi-lingual newspaper it mails to thousands of residents. Recipients can only wonder why and what is the purpose until they look at the pictures of those who have their hands in the taxpayers' pockets. Citizens living outside the city limits, but inside the ETZ cannot participate in city government affairs.
The example for the month of February is the Sun-News City ad prefaced with the ubiquitous
Christian crosses and "Public Notice." The ad is titled "Members Sought for Ratepayer Advisory Committee." "To qualify for appointment......a resident must be.....a Las Cruces utilities customer." This prevents thousands of residents from even thinking about membership on the committee. Many residents have wells and propane tanks, so they can't be a "utilities customer."
15. The City has published its 2009 edition of the City of Las Cruces Reference Guide which does contains some important services information if it is read. The City continues to use public funds to promote the Christian religion with the ubiquitous crosses dispersed throughout the document. Readers are encouraged to go to the City website for further information, but be prepared to get an additional of the crosses. The crosses of the fire department are shown on p.12, but the police crosses are missing. And the museum section doesn't bother to mention that the permanent display of the history of the City in the Branigan Cultural Center is promoting Christianity.
Of course, the local federal judges, Robert Brack (Dominici hack.) and Lourdes Martinez (Gov. Richardson's hack.), who said the Latin crosses are not religious, are still on the bench despensing 'justice' according to the Gospel.
03 January 2009
A New Year
It was a nice cruise my family and I enjoyed along the islands of the Caribbean during the public school break of 2008. The sea was mostly calm, but nothing serious as the ship was piloted to five different islands. What made it great was that none of the five independent governments have engaged in nor mounted a campaign to insult citizens or the thousands of visitors they enjoy with signs and/or symbols that represent government-sponsored religious prejudice. Those citizens or visitors who may have different religions or no religion freely walked about for their enjoyment. Not at all like the religious prejudice with the crosses of Las Cruces and the more recent dripping yellow cross on the Dona Ana County seal.
The really exciting part of the trip was seeing Doug Rains and his lovely wife, Barbara, sharing the same deck with us. With all the on-board activities and constant eating in the various buffet lines and dining rooms I didn't get a chance to talk to either one. We did look at one another twice. I almost didn't recognize Doug without his Chamber of Commerce Conquistador blazer with the patch displaying the three yellow crosses of the Trinity and the reviled Onate's profile.
The Chamber of Commerce is the promoter of the religious prejudice that Las Cruces is well-known for. Unsuspecting visitors call or write the CofC for information and get the fakelore stories, some related to religious miracles. The CofC is a private organization and the City obeys this club. Being private is how they get away with their activities and they do not have to answer to anyone. The local New Mexico State University is actively involved in promoting religion in several departments along with the local public school districts and the New Mexico Public Education Department.
A lot of people have fallen victim to the fakelore stories of Onate. He is revered for bringing Catholicism to New Mexico. He is despised by the Pueblo people for the treatment he directed, like chopping feet, selling of children, etc. Las Cruces is obsessed with Onate. Dona Ana County seal has Onate on his horse. A public high school has been named for Onate. The joke is: Onate never did anything in this area when he passed through to Santa Fe and back to Mexico. He and his bunch passed through here and poisoned the water with European diseases that killed the Native Americans. No European lived here for over 200 years after Onate passed by.
Before you shake your head in disbelief, check out the new Hispanic Chamber of Commerce with its crosses along with the regular CofC and it logo crosses that showed up at the Millennium scare.
The really exciting part of the trip was seeing Doug Rains and his lovely wife, Barbara, sharing the same deck with us. With all the on-board activities and constant eating in the various buffet lines and dining rooms I didn't get a chance to talk to either one. We did look at one another twice. I almost didn't recognize Doug without his Chamber of Commerce Conquistador blazer with the patch displaying the three yellow crosses of the Trinity and the reviled Onate's profile.
The Chamber of Commerce is the promoter of the religious prejudice that Las Cruces is well-known for. Unsuspecting visitors call or write the CofC for information and get the fakelore stories, some related to religious miracles. The CofC is a private organization and the City obeys this club. Being private is how they get away with their activities and they do not have to answer to anyone. The local New Mexico State University is actively involved in promoting religion in several departments along with the local public school districts and the New Mexico Public Education Department.
A lot of people have fallen victim to the fakelore stories of Onate. He is revered for bringing Catholicism to New Mexico. He is despised by the Pueblo people for the treatment he directed, like chopping feet, selling of children, etc. Las Cruces is obsessed with Onate. Dona Ana County seal has Onate on his horse. A public high school has been named for Onate. The joke is: Onate never did anything in this area when he passed through to Santa Fe and back to Mexico. He and his bunch passed through here and poisoned the water with European diseases that killed the Native Americans. No European lived here for over 200 years after Onate passed by.
Before you shake your head in disbelief, check out the new Hispanic Chamber of Commerce with its crosses along with the regular CofC and it logo crosses that showed up at the Millennium scare.
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