We have come here today to engage in a solemn event.

We have come to proclaim our support for freedom , to express our pride as American citizens and to pledge our allegiance to the American flag. 

We have also come to declare our concern for the great border issues that trouble us.

We know many of you have come to America because Mexico has exploited your labor , stolen your land , trampled on your dreams.

The Mexican flag is a symbol of that exploitation.

So we have come to declare our support for your dreams and our disgust for those who oppress you.

That’s why today we will burn the Mexican flag , a symbol of your oppression and exploitation.

And a decent respect for the opinion of all law abiding citizens requires us to explain just why we do this.

But first we invite you to join us , show respect for America , and pledge allegiance to our flag.

(Pledge)

Now , I have noticed that many of you have refused to pledge allegiance to our flag.

Why is that?

Is it because you have allegiance to another country?

We ‘Yanques’ , we ‘Gringos’ , we wonder: why are you here , in America , if your allegiance is there , in Mexico?

I would never desert America for another land. My country stands for freedom and the dream of boundless opportunity.

Every year a million of you endure great hardship to come here and demand a share that dream. But the American dream is based on the rule of our law , the law we Americans make. And we say , our law says you may not come here , may not enter our land , without our permission.

The first day of your protest we saw tens of thousands of you marching in our streets waving the Mexican flag. Some of you had the word “Mexico” written on your foreheads. 

So we ‘gringos’ wonder: why do these people abandon Mexico , the country that oppresses them , and march in our streets with the Mexican flag , a symbol of that oppression?

We remember our black Americans who marched for their freedom in the 1960’s. I marched with them and shared their dream.

Not one of them waved the confederate flag , the flag of their oppression.

We remember the Cubans who have come to share the endless bounty of America. Not one of them has marched with the Cuban flag , or waved a poster of Che Guevara.

So we ‘Gringos’ wonder: what are your intentions , you who wave the Mexican flag , the symbol of your oppression?

Many of you who have crossed our border without permission , you who have entered our land without permission , and you who have broken the laws we the American people have made.

Many of you who enjoy the bounty of America and send 30 billion dollars a year back to Mexico.

Many of you who refuse to pledge your allegiance to our country.

We ‘gringos’ are very concerned about you.

We have heard rumors about a land called “Aztlan” , a mythical land with a god called “Quetzalcoatl”.

And we have seen an outline of that mythical country , being somewhere here in our American southwest.

Understand the lesson of history: land is always fought for and paid for with blood.

We Americans fought for the land I now stand on and paid for it with our blood.

Many centuries ago white Spaniards came to Mexico , and paid for it with their blood.

And of course they spilled the blood of millions of native born Mexicans , some of them called “Aztecs”

They extended their power there , and here , by military force , by spilling more blood , and by use of filthy priests who enslaved the Indios , destroyed their culture and forced them to build missions.

And after those missions were built , those same priests began to sodomize the Indio children. The same filthy priests who sodomize our children and support your cause today.

This land was once conquered by Spaniards who spilled blood. Then we Americans conquered it by spilling their blood.

I will tell you this: my family was quite prominent , quite successful in this effort. We took a lot of land in California. And we spilled a lot of blood.

And when the killing was over , one of my great grandfathers took land that had once belonged to a Spanish nobleman.  

After my great grandfather took the land he married the nobleman’s daughter , and after the ceremony she was proud to call herself American.

She was my great grandmother whom I still revere and call “Mama Nina”  

So , if anyone believes they have a grievance with my family , and the land we took in California , here I stand. And my Mama Nina stands next to me.

But remember , land must be paid for with blood. And if any invader tries to take this land from us we will wash this land and nurture our soil with their blood , with oceans of their blood.

Once upon a time there was a man called Che. He was a friend of a communist called Fidel.

Fidel still lives , in Cuba. Some say Che still lives.

He does. He lives in the heads of communists and spoiled rich white kids.

I think some of those kids have taken too many drugs. Too much cocaine.

Maybe they should eat a little peyote as I have done. Then they might see things as I do.

Amigos , escuchame. Communism is dead.

And Che Guevara is dead , ‘muerto’. He died far from home , because he tried to steal another man’s country.

Many have died here in our country , in our deserts. 300 died last year.

Deserts are dangerous places. Make sure you don’t end up in one , ‘muerto’ like Che , far from home , because you tried to steal another man’s country.

I have a much better idea for you.

Rather than fight you to protect my country , I want to help you fight for yours.

We Americans are excellent at this. Once we become awakened to our danger , we are very , very skilled at war.

A very few of us took this country from the British who once oppressed us. A very few of us , called patriots , took on the most fearsome army the world had ever known and beat the living shit out of them.

Let us help you take your country back from the white Spanish who once took it from you.

Let us help you beat the white Castillanos who oppress you , who drive out a million of you each year so they may steal your land.

Did you know even now as we stand here a man continues the revolution of Zapata and fights your oppressors for Aztlan?

His name is Marcos. And I think he is somewhere in Chiapas.

Remember when you once told us “Yanqui go home?”

Well , we Yanques now are home. This is our home , the land of our ancestors , our children and our dreams. 

And we want to help you return home , and help you and Marcos fight for the land of your ancestors , your children and your dreams.

To drive out the descendants of rich Spanish landowners.

To fight for your dream , of Aztlan , in Mexico.

Viva freedom!

Viva libertad!

Viva Marcos!

Viva Zapata!

Long live George Washington!

God bless America!

April 10 , 2006

Armory Park , Tucson Arizona