Publius' Forum

RIVERSIDE -- Jurupa Valley High School senior Josh Denhalter asked the school board to remove MEChA student groups from all campuses in the district Monday

"I don't think our school board should promote or allow a program on our campuses that promotes or advocates violence against America," Denhalter said.

Monday's demonstration followed a protest Denhalter staged outside of his high school Friday, after he was suspended for promoting the event earlier in the week.

Denhalter said he originally wanted to hold a "pro-America" rally on his campus in response to recent walkouts at schools all over Southern California opposing stricter immigration legislation.

The 17-year-old said one of his major objections to the group is that its constitution calls for the reclaiming of portions of the southwestern United States purchased from Mexico during the treaty of Hidalgo Guadalupe in 1848.

"MEChA is an organization that pledges their allegiance to another nation besides the United States. They believe America is an occupied state; they have declared a war on America," Denhalter said.

He said taxpayer dollars should not be spent to support MEChA in public schools.

Graciela Larios, chairwoman for MEChA at UC Riverside, said many people misinterpret the group's founding documents the way Denhalter has.

She said it is quite common for people to criticize MEChA's charter documents, especially the phrase, "Por La Raza todo, Fuera de La Raza nada," which in English means, "For the race, everything, outside the race, nothing."

Like Larios, he does not expect the board to ban the group from campuses but said he will attend every board meeting until MEChA is banned or until groups on district campuses disavow themselves from MEChA as a whole.

"If they are really just out there to help educate a group of people and provide a place for people to go, it's not a bad thing," Denhalter said. "But when they go out into `the physical liberation of our land,' that is not something that should be on campus."

(Story Source)
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I wrote an article about these groups several years ago, and it looks like they have done nothing if not gotten worse.

But I have to give kudos to this high school student for his recognition of the anti-American character of this group. Josh is a fine American and we need more kids like him willing to stand up against these groups that wish to destroy the very country that gives them the freedom to spout their hate.

I wish Josh Denhalter a rich and rewarding future!
-Warner Todd Huston