Published: 05-14-07
AUSTIN – Gov. Rick Perry today delivered the keynote address to more than 1000 new American citizens at the largest naturalization ceremony in Austin’s history. Hosted by the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) and presided over by U.S. Magistrate Judge Lee Yeakel a total of 1023 Austin and Waco area residents representing 85 countries took the Oath of Allegiance to become citizens. “Today marks the culmination of a great journey for more than one thousand new American citizens” said Gov. Perry. “I am proud to call these individuals my fellow countrymen. From this day on we will live work and fight for one another as one nation under God.”
The ceremony featured performances by the Stephen F. Austin High School Chamber Orchestra of America the Beautiful and God Bless America. The orchestra’s teacher and conductor Ana Maria Solis-Herrera a native of Mexico who immigrated to the United States in 2003 became a U.S. citizen during the ceremony. Following the singing of the Star Spangled Banner the crowd of more than 1600 placed their hands over their hearts to recite the Pledge of Allegiance.
“You are now part of a nation which cherishes liberty and equality above all things” Perry said. “We are a nation founded by immigrants. And a nation proud to be Americans.”
Last year more than 700000 new Americans were sworn in as U.S. citizens in ceremonies around the nation. Since September 11 2001 USCIS has naturalized more than 26000 members of the United States military. Today more than 1093000 Texans are naturalized citizens.
Or maybe Cho preferred the undiluted Marxism espoused by English instructor Allen Brizee who wrote: "Everyday the capitalist system exploits millions of people. ... Our role in the capitalist system makes us guilty of oppression!" Victim Ross Alameddine (one of the students who was tragically killed) sat a few feet from Cho for months in a class on "Contemporary Horror." The students in this class were required to keep what were known as "fear journals."
Cho was a frequent user of eBay. He bought and sold many books about violence death and mayhem including several books he had used in his English classes.
Other books Cho sold on the eBay-affiliated site Half.com included books by three authors whose writings were taught in his Contemporary Horror class. He sold "Men Women and Chainsaws" "The Best of H.P. Lovecraft: Bloodcurdling Takes of Horror and the Macabre" and "The Female of the Species: Tales of Mystery and Suspense."
At the campuswide convocation to honor the victims professor Nikki Giovanni read what purported to be a poem. On behalf of the English department she declaimed:
"We do not understand this tragedy We know we did nothing to deserve it."
Maybe others will render a different verdict and ask why taxpayers are paying professors at Virginia Tech to teach worthless and psychologically destructive courses.
