Editor:
After reading last weeks letters I was so annoyed I had to respond. As a proud Hispanic and a life- long Española resident I just want to express my relief at the removal of Oñate.
I get so tired of people implying that if I do not support the statue then I do not have any pride for my heritage or that I don’t want to preserve history. I am very proud of who I am and where I come from. I do not need a statue of some racist, brutal, tyrant to prove that.
Why is it that when the Native Americans had protested the statues’ very existence no one seemed to care? Is our pride so important that we don’t care who might be offended? What about their pride?
Instead of trying to keep a statue to preserve our history, we should be trying to get our public schools to teach New Mexico history so that our youth don’t have to wait until college to learn their history. The history they teach does not even mention us.
People are too busy being upset about things changing to make sure that the changes that are made are for the better. That’s why this town never makes any progress.
I’m just glad that our youth is far too intelligent not to question these arguments. These kids, who are our future, deserve our support and positive input.
Change is in the air, you can feel it. Thank you.
Vanessa Chacon
Española