Like Filiberto I remember,and in "VietNam I saw soldiers bleeding to death.It was horrific.The victims agonized and went through torture awaiting their death-just like Filiberto.He was shot and was allowed to bleed to death.A real man was killed.A true-anti-colonist and great revolutionary.He didn't die on his knees or running begging like Noriega.That's why Puerto Ricans are saying "FilibertoVive".
EcoAvila you can be certain that they are others filibertos in Ponce,in San Juan and even in the Diaspara.There are even a Filiberto in eggs and sperms.They will see day light.Their hearts will be filled with love and compassion.Their minds will not be twisted or their hearts hardend with hatred and fear.They will be as brave,courageous and wise as Betances,Albizu,Filiberto.
They will be as nurturine,as Lolita and Dona Isabel Rosada.They will be proud of their dark skin like Betances taught us to be.They will be multi-ligual and mulit-talented.They will act like citizens of universe.
In Brooklyn New York I saw Hassidies acting as vigilantes to keep the Haitians,Jamaicans and all dark skin people including the 'spice'out of their community.Yes,it was brooklyn where a young puerto rican named salvador agron come to live with mother and step-father after he had been sexually molested in Mayaguez,P.R.at the age of five.Salvador Agron the -Capeman-went to Hells Kitchen on the west-side of New york City and killed two young white men.He was seventy years old and carried out a brutal assesination.The governer the mayor the prosecutor and all the whowaswho of New Kork wanted him dead.Kill the GOOKS they yelled and screamed.At age 17 his mind had been twisted and his heart hardened by hatred and fear.Years later in prison it was discovered that salvador agron had a very big I.Q-around the 150 range.Somehow he somehow he was release from prison and died in the bronx on drug related causes.
In Lincoln Hospital in the bronx I saw a long line of Puerto Ricans.I asked the brother ,who were they?he told me they were there waiting for their methadone.some of the men on that line wre Vietnam Veterans.My friend Carlos"el Flaco"from the bronx was USMC Sgt.with three tours of duty in Vietnam.He ended up on that methodone line in Lincoln Hospital.Drug addition is not a service connect disability but he had never used drugs until he had done more than two tours in Vietnam.He took herion for the first time in vietnam.But his mind had become twisted and his heart hardened with hatred and fear.
In 1965,Ft.Knox,Ky.,USMiliart Oscar Lopez-rivers was given an M-14 rifle and a .45caliber pistol and taught to kill/the drill instructors order were always to kill."We woke up in the morning singing songs ofkill,kill.In hand2handcombate training I had to take the M-14 rifle with a baiyonet and thrust it into an effigy that looked like a vietnamese peasant.I was ordered to yell"killtheGook"while a I thrust it into an effiggi did not know what a 'GOOK' was,I never had had a weapon in my hands and I had never planned on killing anyone.March 1966,I arrived in the Republic of South Vietman[?]than no other mission then to kill or be killed.In Vietnam I walked through miles and miles of jungle,through hundreds of villages,through rice paddies and flooded rivers there were thousands of young men & many of them were my boriqua[puerto rican]brothers.Throughout a whole year the thing.I remember most was the terrorized faces of the Vietnamese peasants.And when I saw the "gook" they looked just like me-the 'gooks'.Do you have an idea of what that is?
My heart is filled with love and compassion.My mind is not twisted.
Once the Puerto Rican Vietnam Vieteran was Back-Home-Chicago,alone with other soldiers.We went to eat in cafeteria of the University of Wisconsin,Madison-a beautiful campase that looked almost .. and a place reserve mostly for the children of the elite.We were wearing military fatigues and no sooner had we entered that the students started calling us"baby killers".Hundreds of students shouting and we had to leave.My friend Vinny ,un african-americano and I walk through a gauntlet of young neo-elite students that were calling baby killers.I never had killed anyone-must less babies.Two million vietnamese citizens were killed and over 59,000 USTroops were also killed.Hundreds of thousands of men including my friend Carlos el flaco from Lajas Puerto Rico were mained and mentally damaged for life.I'm still in touch with my friend Carlos.Every year he has to spent time in the V.A.Hospital.The Demons of the EDR are still haunting him.
"COMEHOME RENOUNCE VIOLENCE.[?]"
I came home and 'renounceviolence'.Millions of us said"stop the war in Vietnem"and many Puerto Ricans like me [Oscar Lopez-Rivera USMC@USPenitenturydin#87651-024]and some of us said "FreePuertoRico."We Wanted our homeland to be free and free of violence.No Military bases and no more PuertoRicans Used As CannonFodder.Albizu wanted freedom,and what happen to him?Filiberto wanted freedom&what happen to him?Peace and freedom is what I want.Not violence.
Take good care..."!
ORL@http://www.latinamericanstudies.org/faln.htm