By Jack Thornton
I was appalled to see that the Santa Monica City Council has been encouraged to question the integrity of Oscar de la Torre (surfsantamonca.com, May 11). For as long as I can remember the middle corridor of our fine city has struggled for representation, leadership and inspiration. This generation is blessed to have Oscar de la Torre. He is an inspiration to all of our young people. I know he is a college graduate, and I believe he worked for a time with Tom Hayden in the lawful pursuit of political activism. I imagine that he saw the need for the Pico Youth and Family Center when he was a counselor at Samohi. I see Oscar de la Torre as a “man for others.” He is working tirelessly within the system as an advocate for the disenfranchised of our community. Take a look at the Web site: www.picoyouth.org.
Let me suggest that the City Council would do well to question the motives and connections of those calling for de la Torre’s review and supervision.
Be sure to uncover all agendas, motives and levels of influence. I would like to know who is behind this effort to minimize his influence and the good works of the Pico Center. This attack on Oscar smacks of the public relations effort currently underway at Olympic High School to keep things “as they are currently constituted.” There is a culture in play that can be characterized as “get mad and then get even.” Some individuals want to keep things as they have been for the last quarter of a century.
Oscar has dared to advocate for some of the students at Olympic. The Mothers for Justice have dared to suggest that there may be a double standard in play in our city and school district. The review of Olympic is supported by the school board, the Mothers for Justice, and other caring individuals who have struggled to find a voice. If the situation at Olympic is as wonderful as some say it is, then a review will prove that.
I think schools superintendent John Deasy had it right all along. I can appreciate how one might be tempted to shut Olympic down and start over. Deasy wasn’t able to do that due to the considerable public relations effort mounted by some at Olympic.
Let’s not shoot the messenger. Oscar is a local treasure. We should be careful that we don’t run him off.
Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on May 17, 2004. Read the original PDF.