Marciano Cruz honored as Santa Cruz difference-maker - Santa Cr...

Santa Cruzer wrote:

<quoted text>If your African American then I remember you! and you didn't just sell you used as well!

Yeah right most sellers do use, and no I am not African American, but you might have used that line to see if you could get a rise

Rocket J Squirrel wrote:

<quoted text>
Hey real, your entire life has been supported by European driven technology. Go use smoke signals if you don't like it. America made it to the moon in less than 200 years. It took Mexicans 400 years to discover 24' rims. Your culture hasn't progressed since the 16th century and you are riding on the backs of advances made by others.

Hey Rocket, you say that as if you were involved with these inventions and innovations. Are you related to Thomas Edison, Benjamin Franklin? I bet not, actually, I bet your the descedent of a long line of bigoted white trash with nothing better to do than bash those with darker skin than you. Your comments are offensive. If you choose to think this way, perhaps you should join your redneck bretheren in Kentucky.

This guy, Mr. Cruz, is actually making a tangible difference in our community by making Hispanic and non-Hispanic individuals seduced by the life of gangs come to the realization that life is counter-productive, and ultimately going to be their downfall. We need a hell of a lot more people like him in our community. Sitting on your overweight, embittered butt, bashing Hispanics is not going to solve the gang problem. At least this dude's making an effort. You need to choke on a fried chicken wing already.

Santa Cruzer wrote:

<quoted text>My family didn't use "products to get through the day" I find that statement to be insulting, you assume that because I knew these police officers and Mr. Cruz that my family used drugs...WRONG! Local kids in a small town back when you couldn't go anywhere without seeing people you knew. This is a forum to voice your opinion instead of going postal in the street! I prefer not to use my name.... people can be ignorant and dangerous!

I think the point was you were attacking both where Mr. Cruz was from and my knowledge of the man. Your tone was both accusing and sour, and well if most brothers who know all those officers and were not drug addicts you were of the few not the many.

So maybe you should check your attitude at the door take a deep breath and not be so vicious in your attacks. Which for the most part you are. I personally know how dangerous people are but I cannot live every day of my life in fear. What did Ren Sonja's ghost ask Conanan

jeffreynewell wrote:

<quoted text>
I think the point was you were attacking both where Mr. Cruz was from and my knowledge of the man. Your tone was both accusing and sour, and well if most brothers who know all those officers and were not drug addicts you were of the few not the many.
So maybe you should check your attitude at the door take a deep breath and not be so vicious in your attacks. Which for the most part you are. I personally know how dangerous people are but I cannot live every day of my life in fear. What did Ren Sonja's ghost ask Conanan

Sorry brother!! I'm not attacking were he came from because I came from the same hood! and as far as the knowledge I've probably got more!and that doesn't mean that I have to be a drug addict... that borders on being racist in itself! If you know Mr. Cruz then your a drug addict?? WOW!

This is in the great Santa Cruz tradition of creating sports teams for young people.
We have fine people doing important work in many sports.
Recognition of the value of soccer teams is another worthy addition to the tradition.

If we have a good community, much of it is because of such great coaches and organizers like Marciano Cruz, and because of the people who support them

Santa Cruzer wrote:

<quoted text>Sorry brother!! I'm not attacking were he came from because I came from the same hood! and as far as the knowledge I've probably got more!and that doesn't mean that I have to be a drug addict... that borders on being racist in itself! If you know Mr. Cruz then your a drug addict?? WOW!

no if you know steve carr manny salano and officer green who I still can't place, you probably were into breaking the fun barrier, which might include the use of recreational drugs. Some people however have religion or something else that turns their crank. It is called stereo typing. Sort of like how people classify homeless just because their homeless.

We usually don't notice that type of stereo typing unless we are the ones on the other end. You see I will pretty much look worse then when I was 20, when the straight people of SC locked their car doors when I walked by. The problem is, if they knew me by my most recent associations they would think they want to know me. Not only are people dangerous and unpredictable the have layers, like onions.

SC Midtown wrote:

<quoted text>
Hey Rocket J Squirrel, I think you've had one too many nuts. Scholarly studies of indigenous people of Mexico (Aztecs, Mayans, etc) have repeatedly proven their advancements in mathematics and astronomy. The Aztec calendar is more accurate than our own western one. Educate yourself.

Midtown, yea, yea, I'm aware of that too and the fact they stumbled upon the zero but none the less the Mayan calendar did not get us to the moon and Miss keep'n it real is still using euro centric driven hardware as you are but none the less, Mexican culture is still rooted in the 16th century. Their best architecture to date is centuries old and their modern building would scare the krap out of the average engineer. However, lets not try and one up each other on Latin American contributions. I design, build and install desalination equipment and have worked in most Latin American countries and most of the east Caribbean so I know the plus' and minus' of historical, available and applied first world technologies .... Let's just agree Mr Cruz is doing a good thing

Rocket J Squirrel wrote:

<quoted text>
Midtown, yea, yea, I'm aware of that too and the fact they stumbled upon the zero but none the less the Mayan calendar did not get us to the moon and Miss keep'n it real is still using euro centric driven hardware as you are but none the less, Mexican culture is still rooted in the 16th century. Their best architecture to date is centuries old and their modern building would scare the krap out of the average engineer. However, lets not try and one up each other on Latin American contributions. I design, build and install desalination equipment and have worked in most Latin American countries and most of the east Caribbean so I know the plus' and minus' of historical, available and applied first world technologies .... Let's just agree Mr Cruz is doing a good thing

Agreed.

P.S. Go to Mexico city and you'll see some advanced modern architecture.

As a former Santa Cruz Police Officer and now retired Santa Cruz County Deputy Sheriff who lives in Montana,
I remember Maricano as a tough young man in the Beach Flats. We got along very good.

He rose above the gang and drug abuse pressures to become a great example of a leader now "a little older and grayer", like me.

I am very proud of his contributions to the Santa Cruz Community. Please extend to him my deepest best wishes.

Very Sincerely,

Steve Carr

jeffreynewell wrote:

<quoted text>
no if you know steve carr manny salano and officer green who I still can't place, you probably were into breaking the fun barrier, which might include the use of recreational drugs. Some people however have religion or something else that turns their crank. It is called stereo typing. Sort of like how people classify homeless just because their homeless.
We usually don't notice that type of stereo typing unless we are the ones on the other end. You see I will pretty much look worse then when I was 20, when the straight people of SC locked their car doors when I walked by. The problem is, if they knew me by my most recent associations they would think they want to know me. Not only are people dangerous and unpredictable the have layers, like onions.

Agreed we do have many layers, and as we age we see the error's of our way's, hopefully Mr. Cruz has moved passed his!

I don't care what friggin color ones skin is, just get an education and it will no longer matter. Yes, school is for everybody.

Let's keep in mind that this man is being recognized for the improvements he has done for our community. Yes, he made mistakes (like all of us), but who are you to judge or criticize Mr. Cruz or anyone? Unlike some of us, Mr. Cruz is doing his part to improve the community in which you live in.
So Chango, congratulations!

I wonder if some of the punk e/s skinhead spoiled brat kids could learn a thing or two from Chango. Hopefully they do...I'm guessing none of them have learned the lessons he has and will contribute less than 1% of what he has to society in their lives...But hey, they can break their fins loose in an off-the-lip at First Peak, so what more could society ask of them?!

And the facts are that Mr. Cruz should not be in this country at all. Mr. Cruz jumped ahead of honest immigrants to enter this country illegally. He then proceeded to commit crimes against property and citizens of this country.

If Mr. Cruz truly wanted to reconcile himself with the error of his ways he would go back across the border and encourage others NOT to enter illegally and preach to them about the error of his own ways.

But no....Mr. Cruz is way more special than you or I. Progressives need to let us all know that.

And when you get right down to it, aren't our controlling progressives just oozing with the need to show all how they can push and even break the laws of the land and get away with it? That's cuz they're special too.

A few comments.

Marciano was convicted of crime and did his time. He has been without trouble with the law since then. That's the way the system works.

Marciano did return voluntarily across the border to Mexico and reentered the USA legally. That's the way the system is set up and how it works.

Marciano later appeared before a US Immigration Court and a federal judge granted Marciano the legal right to live and work in the USA. That's the way the system works.

People are very loose and imaginative with events and the sequence and timing of when things happened -- when it serves their purposes. For example, Marciano never received a van from the City. The Resource Center for Nonviolence did not initiate the nomination of Marciano Cruz for the national award. His nomination was initiated by folks (who happen to be Anglo) who have worked for many years with different soccer leagues in the County. When they became aware of Marciano's work with "la liga de la comunidad," they were deeply impressed by his work and nominated him. Only a year ago Marciano's staff position was upgraded to a 3/4 time position at the Resource Center for Nonviolence after working for a decade at half-time pay (salary now $17 per hour). He typically works 40 hours or more per week on the soccer league and violence prevention presentations. The idea that Marciano is personally profiting from the work is a stretch.

I think that it is very sad that some people seem especially threatened by other people turning their life around and making a constructive contribution to the community.

To Retired Office Carr now in Montana, I'm pleased to convey your congratulations to Marciano. Thanks for lending your perspective to this discussion.

Scott Kennedy, Resource Center for Nonviolence

The part about Mr. Cruz being a convicted felon, then being allowed to return to the US and receive a green card really fascinates me.

Usually felons who have been convicted of crimes of his nature are usually barred from entering the US.

Convicted drug dealers abroad aren't even allowed to enter the US on tourist visas.

Sam Farr must have really pulled some strings.

As for the soccer league, there is nothing wrong with a soccer league. I love soccer. But from Christ's sakes, there have been sports leagues in every community in the US going back decades.

Most of those people who organized those leagues didn't receive accolades for what most consider a normal and an unexceptional contribution to the community.

What would be exceptional to me is if Mr. Cruz spent those 40 hours he dedicated to soccer to cleaning up all the vandalized and graffiti defaced building in Santa Cruz, organized a highway cleanup, rehabilitate the destroyed public bathrooms, and did some volunteer landscaping around town.

But then, those activities actually will transform Santa Cruz into a beautiful place rather than just playing sports like soccer and surfing, which are more or less neutral activities for people who shouldn't be acting like criminals in the first place.

Scott Kennedy wrote:

A few comments.
Marciano was convicted of crime and did his time. He has been without trouble with the law since then. That's the way the system works.
Marciano did return voluntarily across the border to Mexico and reentered the USA legally. That's the way the system is set up and how it works.
Marciano later appeared before a US Immigration Court and a federal judge granted Marciano the legal right to live and work in the USA. That's the way the system works.
People are very loose and imaginative with events and the sequence and timing of when things happened -- when it serves their purposes. For example, Marciano never received a van from the City. The Resource Center for Nonviolence did not initiate the nomination of Marciano Cruz for the national award. His nomination was initiated by folks (who happen to be Anglo) who have worked for many years with different soccer leagues in the County. When they became aware of Marciano's work with "la liga de la comunidad," they were deeply impressed by his work and nominated him. Only a year ago Marciano's staff position was upgraded to a 3/4 time position at the Resource Center for Nonviolence after working for a decade at half-time pay (salary now $17 per hour). He typically works 40 hours or more per week on the soccer league and violence prevention presentations. The idea that Marciano is personally profiting from the work is a stretch.
I think that it is very sad that some people seem especially threatened by other people turning their life around and making a constructive contribution to the community.
To Retired Office Carr now in Montana, I'm pleased to convey your congratulations to Marciano. Thanks for lending your perspective to this discussion.
Scott Kennedy, Resource Center for Nonviolence

America in Decline wrote:

The part about Mr. Cruz being a convicted felon, then being allowed to return to the US and receive a green card really fascinates me....

Convicted drug dealers abroad aren't even allowed to enter the US on tourist visas.

Sam Farr must have really pulled some strings.

As for the soccer league... Most of those people who organized those leagues didn't receive accolades for what most consider a normal and an unexceptional contribution to the community.

What would be exceptional to me is if Mr. Cruz spent those 40 hours he dedicated to soccer to cleaning up all the vandalized and graffiti defaced building in Santa Cruz, organized a highway cleanup, rehabilitate the destroyed public bathrooms, and did some volunteer landscaping around town.
But then, those activities actually will transform Santa Cruz into a beautiful place rather than just playing sports like soccer and surfing, which are more or less neutral activities for people who shouldn't be acting like criminals in the first place.
<quoted text>

While I am not an immigration lawyer or expert, I understand that the laws have been made considerably more strict during the past decade and a half.

I understand also that Marciano was incarcerated for a non-drug offense.

Marciano was granted permission to live and work in this country after appearing before a federal immigration judge. He followed the law to get his permission to be and work in the USA and has abided by all of the conditions associated with that permission.

One of the things that most deeply and favorably impressed me with Marciano when I first met him in 1991 was his work on neighborhood cleanups and painting out graffiti in the Beach Flats neighborhood. He had dozens of young residents of Beach Flats actively involved on weekends sweeping the streets, picking up trash, painting out graffiti and painting murals with permission of the property owners. The children and he did this work as volunteers. Today Marciano continues to work many hours without compensation, providing children and youth and their families ride to soccer games, often paying for shoes or uniforms out of his own pocket, as well as making presentations to many schools.

As for having views attributed to us without our approval or agreement, regrettably this happens to me all the time as well. Pat Kittle is one person who often attributes views to me that I do not hold, such as that I support "open" borders without immigration control or laws. I believe that countries have the right to control their borders and manage immigration.

I also believe that individuals, such as Marciano, have the right to avail themselves of those lawful procedures and to be granted legal permission to live and work in the USA. Whether people like it or not or choose to recognize the facts of the matter or not, Marciano is living and working legally in this country according to the immigration laws of the USA.

Scott

why does chango get all the press...and still feel the need to be a wave hog? dude, leave a few for the rest of us!