<< his name should not be hidden because of what he did. He is not forgiven, nor is he lauded for his crimes - only his accomplishments. >>
Comrade and Sister Sheila, It is a brave position that you outline. My feelings are almost exactly the same as yours. I was born in the immediate aftermath after WWII. Because of Huerta and, yes, Cesar Chavez, I stopped eating grapes for 30 years to support the UFW. Even after the win, force of habit compelled me to continue to avoid. Paraphrase: "The evil that men do lives long after them, the good is often interred with their bones." JAI On Wed, Mar 25, 2026 at 5:25 PM Sheila Raymond <[email protected]> wrote: > Most of you on this list do not know me. My name is Sheila. I'm a cousin > of Frank and Jeff Dorrel. > Mama Meta is a first cousin of my late Mother. > Here are my thoughts: Cesar Chavez did a great thing, along with many > others, for the farm workers. > He was also a flawed man, a product of our culture, which has taught toxic > masculinity to far too many men and even women. My belief is that his > name should not be hidden because of what he did. He is not forgiven, nor > is he lauded for his crimes - only his accomplishments. I believe we > parents and grandparents have the obligation to teach the younger > generation that sex is not a game or a sport, but a sacred, consensual act > between two adults. And moreover, no one has the right to invade that > space without our consent; in short, we must get over our puritanical > hang-ups when it comes to talking about sex to our youngsters and do a much > better job at teaching sex education. I am from a generation born at the > onset of World War II. Going into marriage at twenty years old, I had no > such information, although my parents were fairly enlightened. I'll bet > many of you can say the same, and like me {Too} were sexually assaulted at > some point. I would love to hear some feedback from anyone who is inclined. > Thanks and Be Well, > Sheila Raymond > > On Tue, Mar 24, 2026 at 2:33 PM Frank Dorrel <[email protected]> > wrote: > >> >> >> *Thoughts on Cesar Chavez and Dolores Huerta from Theresa Bonpane.* >> >> *Hello Dear Friends,* >> >> >> >> *A number of you have called me or written to me asking me my feelings >> about the news that has come out about Dolores Huerta and Cesar Chavez. I >> would like to start with telling you that I worked with Dolores and Cesar >> very closely at La Paz, their national headquarters.* >> >> >> >> *Blase and I, and our daughter Colleen, nine months old, were in a >> trailer several doors away from Caesar’s home and worked with him daily at >> the offices at La Paz, as well as in the streets. Never in our years there >> with Cesar and Dolores and the other farm worker people did we have any >> inkling of what we are hearing about today? I never heard a rumor. We never >> would've thought of such a thing.* >> >> >> >> *What I did see instead was Dolores and Cesar working tirelessly, with >> compassion and concern and love for the farm workers who were recognized at >> that time as they had never been recognized before. They had never been >> given living wages, decent housing, or decent working conditions. What I >> saw were two people who were totally engaged in wanting to make lives >> better for the farm workers. They never seemed to tire.* >> >> >> >> *We could barely keep up with them even though we were a bit younger at >> that time, but we were motivated by them, and like thousands of others >> throughout our country, we were motivated to spend our time with them for >> room and board and five dollars a week for the privilege of working with >> two dedicated people. We learned so much about how put our compassion into >> action. We learned how to organize. We learned how to give of ourselves as >> much as we could, though it was never as much as they themselves put into >> it. We learned strategy. We learned concern. We learned to care for one >> another in ways that I've never experienced quite so much before. That is >> what I live with today. And I became a full-time organizer.* >> >> *Even at age 91 and Dolores at 95, I am still encouraged every morning >> when I get up to organize and to try to do what I can to show compassion to >> all those who need help so badly.* >> >> >> >> *The news about Cesar and Dolores right now is heartbreaking to me after >> all those years of seeing so much hard work that something like this was >> also going on is devastating. Of course I also feel huge concern for >> Dolores and her truthfulness and her courage in coming out with all of this >> at this time in her life because she always held it back, hoping not to >> influence the work of the United Farm Workers and not to influence that >> work and still she is dedicating this period of truth to them to help the >> victims. Dolores herself was a victim as were countless others.* >> >> >> >> *Dolores is giving her time and energy to telling this difficult secret >> because she still is thinking of the victims. Her own family and Cesar's >> family are also suffering.* >> >> >> >> *Let us keep our compassion intact and remember that two things have >> happened here. One is the truth that Cesar Chavez, and Dolores Huerta have >> given their lives to caring for others. Si se puede. Also, it is true that >> Cesar Chavez was doing things that were devastating, harmful and wrong. We >> find it hard to believe but that is also true.* >> >> >> >> *I think one is very wrong and the other was very dedicated. So, I am >> happy today to say that I worked in the farm worker movement, and I hope >> that all of the victims of this will be helped by Dolores who is continuing >> work to bring help to them. I was privileged, along with my husband, Blase >> and our two children, Colleen and Blase Martin, born while we were at La >> Paz had a group of workers come and sing to him upon returning to our >> trailer home, to have this life with them and we try to continue it.* >> >> >> >> *Thank you. Remember si se puede. We can all do what has to be done. >> Don't mourn, organize.* >> >> >> >> *Love to All,* >> >> >> >> *Theresa Bonpane* >> >> *[email protected] <[email protected]>* >> >> >> >> -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- Groups.io Links: You receive all messages sent to this group. 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