The Weekly covers Ethnic Studies debate

by David Safier

I don't know Weekly reporter Mari Herreras personally (kinda wish I did), but I certainly enjoy her as a writer who can combine passion with a level of reportorial objectivity. Tough balance.

Herreras has the cover story in this week's issue, a longish piece going through what she sees as the Ten Myths about Mexican American Studies. As you read through them, you'll see she's definitely a supporter of the MAS program, but she stops short of accepting the Pedicone-hates-MAS/critics-of-MAS-are-all-racists lines. And she doesn't believe the wounds created in the city by the Ethnic Studies debate are irreparable. I would say, healing the wounds will be very difficult if Huppenthal, et al, succeed in dismantling the program. But if it remains intact, I think things will get back to normal as MAS fades from the headlines and continues to work for the betterment of its students in the classroom and beyond.

A separate piece, also by Herreras, is actually kinda funny. It seems the state is running out of money to spend on private lawyers to fight its Ethnic Studies battles. That means Tom Horne is stepping in. Shouldn't he recuse himself, since this was his fight to begin with?

Irony Alert: All state agencies are crying poor and schools are running on barebones budgets while Huppenthal spends money on private lawyers to fight against one small, effective program in one school district because he's afraid it's corrupting the youth of Tucson. We can be thankful that, unlike the ancient Athenians who accused Socrates of "corrupting the youth of Athens," no one is suggesting making any of the MAS staff drink hemlock. No one I know of, anyway.