HÉCTOR GARCÍA
Texas, 1949
As a doctor, I managed
to become respected
after the war,
but when I see
how other veterans
are treated, it makes me so angry,
especially when funeral homes
refuse to bury the remains of men
like Félix Longoria—a war hero
who died in battle, his bones
finally
delivered
to his family
after four years
of peace.
My anger gradually
turns into a plan: I’ll fight back
against unfairness, but not with weapons,
just words.
•
I’ll organize a civil rights movement
for soldiers, and another for farmworkers,
and a third to defend
voting rights.
No politician
will dare to ignore us
when we unite at the polls!