Guest Column
LULAC needs no defending, but doesn’t deserve unjustified attacks either
- By Pete Martinez
- Special to HispanicVista.com
- September 28, 2005
- As a Republican, I’ve had my differences with LULAC and other Hispanic civil rights organizations mainly because in my opinion they are quasi-Democratic Party organizations. But never had I faulted them for their mission statements and objectives and have always respected their work. So reading the grossly exaggerated and mean spirited commentary written by Carlos L’Dera appearing on HispanicVista accusing LULAC of neglect to its mission and objectives, and dismissing it as an insignificant civil rights organization, struck a negative core.
- The first question – who in the hell is Carlos L’Dera? A quick Google search brought out not so much as to who he is, rather what he is – a malcontent, ego driven individual who if he doesn’t get his way, attacks. He is a solitaire taking it upon himself to dictate and promote his own version of what should be. He is an isolated voice running contrary to the ideas, objectives and mission of the very organizations he accuses of not doing his bidding.
- L’Dera’s negative and counterproductive tirades led another organization to vote to censure his actions. The Mountain Communities Town Council (MCTC) on December 9, 2004 called a special meeting to do just that. Following the vote, on December 14, 2004 the following letter was sent to Mr. L’Dera by the MCTC:
- Carlos L’ Dera
- Re: censure
- Dear Mr. L’Dera
- The authority for this resolution lies in Robert’s Rules of Order, and the Mountain Communities Town Council’s bylaws.
- The MCTC wishes to communicate to you our displeasure with your conduct, and to request you to cease and desist such behavior.
- The MCTC further is obligated to warn you of the consequences of the continuation of your behavior and your noncompliance with council requests; your removal from the council pursuant to Article 2.3 Removal of Member or Officer.
- Some specific area(s) of concern are as follows:
- 1. Your repeated refusal to follow proper procedures and protocol in bringing issues before the council to be discussed, debated, investigated, and voted upon.
- 2. Your using the MCTC as a forum to voice personal opinions, and to wage personal campaigns against (among others) The Mountain Enterprise and The ETUSD.
- 3. Your allegations of improper, and “staged” handling of the candidates forum.
- The MCTC finds your communications to have been detrimental to the activities of the council and have served to undermine the council’s credibility. Therefore, The MCTC does hereby vote for censure.
- Sincerely,
- Linda Mackay
- President
- A month before the censure letter, L’Dera was one of three candidates for Board Member; West Kern (County) Community College District. Two of the three were elected, L’Dera’s was not by lopsided number of votes. The two winners garnered over 90 percent to L’Dera’s 9 percent.
- This overwhelming defeat and the MCTC censure should have driven the point home to D”Lera that his voice and ideas are not acceptable; that he is simply abusing his constitutional right to free speech, but nothing more.
- In fact, normally his anti LULAC commentary would not deserve comment and further attention, but it was published in HispanicVista that does command respect as a publication whose reach extends far beyond its web site, and has gained the reputation of publishing dissenting voices that would otherwise not have a reputable forum.
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- Pete Martinez is a “life-long Republican” in the “mold of Ronald Reagan” but an anti-Pete Wilson type. He may be contacted at Editor@hispanic.sdcoxmail.com
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