Cynthia Valadez-Mata Jr. cvaladezmata@aol.

com To Those Naysayers, Doubters, Boycotters, and Others:

What happened in San Antonio was an extreme case of "abuse of power". Those that were in control did exactly what was expected and abused their authority due to the corrupt nature of their characters and because it was the only way "they" were going to retain control at the top. It was clear and obvious "they" did NOT have the votes to elect the very person who was unable to perform her duties diligently as the previous State Treasurer. THAT person was the very person that walked out of the Embassy Suites hotel last year, after emptying the safety deposit box containing our state LULAC convention proceeds, while WE were still taking care of LULAC business. THAT person did NOT pay the Embassy Suites hotel as LULAC tradition requires be done so that LULAC maintain its financial creditibility and financial obligations per our Constitution and Contracts. THAT person was the very person that Margaret Moran and her annointed "panel" appointed to head our Texas State Board. THAT person was the person on the stage in San Antonio looking lost, almost as if she was struggling with dementia, and unable to exercise any leadership from the podium. THAT person, Luis Vera, Margaret Moran cronies, and others are the very persons that BY DESIGN created the HOTHOUSE environment leading up to the forced ending of the ONLY opportunity that our LULAC Constitution requires of our general membership: the annual meeting of the general assembly to elect state officers, pass resoultions, and conduct State LULAC business. By denying us this sacred opportunity, these corrrupt individuals inflicted great damage on our LULAC organization, on the general membership that was present (even though we had to jump through great hurdles to register to vote), and to those candidates that sought leadership positions within our state. Be aware that there were many challenges to the "lack of process" exercised, to the credentialling of persons that DID NOT register early but were seated with delegate badges and ribbons anyway, and to the Luis

Vera style of commando politics that requires the placement of hired guns at every door, around the stage, and on the floor of the LULAC annual convention to harass, intimidate, and threaten our LULAC members! THIS was the environment that forced our membership into action...the ONLY action that could be expected when so many affronts to our basic civil rights and LULAC Constitution occurred. This leadership vacuum strategy was honed in the discussions and minds of those very persons in control of this convention and serves as EVIDENCE that LULAC is NOT in the hearts and souls of those at the top. Nosotros somos "los de abajo". To those who believe that the only course of action is NON-action, be aware that YOU are part of the problem, NOT the solution. Your silence and your failure to participate fully (when able) in LULAC relegates you to the sidelines of this organization. Know that we understand completely that there are many who have overcome great obstacles to be present or are only able to participate at the local levels for various reasons, and you are to be commended, but this is a critical time in our LULAC history when we MUST rise to our feet and shout: "NO MORE! YA BASTA!" We can NO LONGER sit in silence while our LULAC organization is destroyed by the corrupt, greedy, power-hungry individuals whose only concern is keeping control and serving as puppetmasters of our membership. Remember that what has happened in Texas can happen in any other state and at any level of our organization...no one is safe. We are going to support the LULAC fundamental philosophies and mission, as our founding fathers intended, and travel to the site that was NOT selected by our general membership to serve as the location of our upcoming national convention...Las Vegas. El Paso was disqualified, by design, by those at the LULAC national level who took yet ANOTHER illegal action to eliminate an opportunity for TEXAS to elect one of its own leaders to the position of LULAC National President on its duly selected turf. AGAIN...the LULAC general membership is forced, by strategic design, to overcome financial and other barriers, to go to Las Vegas and seek justice. Whether or not we are successful, it is the ACTION that sends the message: WE WILL NO LONGER SIT IN SILENCE WHILE THE CORRUPT DESTROY LULAC! There is much to answer for: the illegal sale of our LULAC housing projects whereby the husband (Oscar Moran) of the seated National President rakes in the money and benefits personally; the passage of

LULAC Constitutional amendments whereby the puppetmaster himself, Luis Vera, is allowed to retain his "legal advisor" position for life and Margaret Moran is allowed to benefit (again) financially by paying herself a salary and benefits; the failure to incorporate "DUE PROCESS", "FREEDOM OF SPEECH", AND basic "CIVIL RIGHTS" to the oldest Latino civil rights organization in the United States known as LULAC. To sit idly by as the LULAC alleged leadership continues to dismantle our LULAC Constitution and hold our membership hostage is NOT ACCEPTABLE!!! Fighting for civil rights, fighting against injustice at all levels, fighting for equity in society, and fighting for economic/educational/political equality is hard. It often requires great personal sacrifice. It requires each and every one of us to look into our hearts, minds, and souls to do what is right. It requires us to look in the mirror every day and know that we can sleep at night. It requires that we EACH know that today might be the last day of our lives...so we must live it by doing what is fair and just. JOIN US as we go to exercise our LULAC rights as members...JOIN US in Las Vegas! SI SE PUEDE!!

ALL FOR ONE - ONE FOR ALL, Cynthia Valadez-Mata Jr. LULAC District VII Director

We are made wise not by the recollection of our past, but by the responsibility for our future. ~ George Bernard Shaw Making your mark on the world is hard. If it were easy, everybody would do it. But it's not. It takes patience, it takes commitment, and it comes with plenty of failure along the way. The real test is not whether you avoid this failure, because you won't. It's whether you let it harden or shame you into inaction, or whether you learn from it; whether you choose to persevere. Barack Obama