What Kind of Values Are Being Taught In a School Named For a Murderer?

By John Hawkins
TPNN Contributor

This is what happens when a society decides to pretend that the moral values of the people teaching our children are irrelevant.

A California school district is defending its decision to name a new elementary school after an infamous murderer – by calling him a hero and a role model to children. The decision has infuriated many parents and law enforcement officers.

The Alisal Union School District in Salinas agreed to name the new school in honor of Tiburcio Vasquez – who was eventually hanged for killing at least two people in the nineteenth century.

Superintendent John Ramirez defended the board’s decision telling Fox News that one man’s terrorist is another man’s freedom fighter.

“Tiburcio Vasquez, along with others, was an individual who was a revolutionary,” Ramierz said. “He was not okay with the oppression.”

Vasquez “was probably the most notorious bandit California ever saw,” according to the University of Southern California library. He was 14-years-old when he committed his first crime – stabbing a constable.

In 1875 Vasquez was convicted of two murders and subsequently hanged. Other historical records indicate he may have killed as many as six people – including a law enforcement officer.
“He took from the rich and gave to the poor,” Francisco Estrada told KION. “He was your inspiration of Zorro.”

…Ramirez told Fox News that Vasquez is a role model to Mexican-Americans.

“When you have individuals who have been struggling for so long, dealing with oppression and systematic oppression, then you bring up leaders who have fought against resistance, of course they are going to be role models to you,” he told Fox News. “Vasquez is an individual who did that prior to us — who can be sort of a hero to us.”

But some local officials said they have a problem with naming a school after a violent criminal.

“You would not name a school Charles Manson Elementary, Ted Bundy Middle School or Bernie Madoff High,” one parent told the school board.

Tiburcio Vasquez, the man John Ramirez believes is a “role model to Mexican-Americans,” was a violent career criminal who stole everything that wasn’t nailed down, killed a police officer, robbed banks and even told a paper that he wanted to return California to Mexican rule.

Naming the school after Charles Manson would be an improvement.

Of course, an even better improvement would be firing everyone associated with naming that school after human garbage like Tiburcio Vasquez, changing the name of the school, and getting some decent, competent people to run that school and give those kids a decent education.