11 September 2018

Donna Bahorich, Chairwoman SBOE

Dear Ms. Bahorich:

I have been made aware that one of your committees responsible for streamlining has advised the SBOE
to delete the “hero” label from those who made the supreme sacrifice for dignity, for liberty, for
independence. If you allow this to go forward, you will be streamlining core values that make us who
we are, Texans. As LULAC State Co-chair on Education, I will be proposing to our State Director, Ms.
Lupe Torres, that we collectively oppose such action.

To begin with, the State Board of Education, as I understand it, does not have a legislative directive to
streamline our rich Texas History so why are we going through this exercise? Please allow me to explain.

Jose Gregorio Esparza was offered 3 chances by the Mexican Army to leave the Alamo prior to the siege
but instead, his hero wife and children joined him. To portray them less than heroes is being
disingenuous. He died fighting and his body was found in the Chapel. His family was spared. His
brother, who was a soldier in the Mexican Army, advocated for and was granted permission to take his
body to be given a Christian burial. Similarly, William B. Travis’s courageous character as outlined in his
letter to the world that he would accept death over surrender must be part of our valued history.
Similarly, Governor of Coahuil y Tejas, Agustin Viesca, challenged the dictator Santana against the
insurmountable strength of the Mexican Army because his love for liberty was greater than for his own
life. President Sam Houston knew that by organizing to draft and adopt the Declaration of Independence
joined by Lorenzo de Zavala who was the main author, continued on a mission greater than themselves
at Washington on the Brazos, knowing that their lives were in peril because of their actions. The
superior cavalry of Juan Seguin joined Sam Houston’s forces to finally defeat the Mexican Army in the
Battle of San Jacinto. And the Gutierrez/Magee Expedition Republican Army valiantly fought the
Spanish/Mexican Army at Salado Creek and the Battle of La Bahia de Goliad, site of the final battle for
Magee. These forces later continued south under different leadership to unsuccessfully challenge the
massive powerful Spanish/Mexican Army at the battle of Medina, the bloodiest battle in Texas history.

So I conclude that if character and values matter, heroism should be embraced and honored by our
students in their classrooms. I will recommend to our friends that we oppose all efforts to streamline
and instead recommend that the SBOE look elsewhere to address whatever the issues are that gave rise
to this committee.

Respectfully submitted,

Isidro Garza, Jr.

Isidro Garza, Jr.
Co-chair on Education
CC: Lupe Torres, LULAC State Director
Velma Ybarra, Co-chair on Education