AMERICAN GI FORUM OF THE UNITED STATES AGAINST EDUCATIONAL VOUCHERS RESOLUTUION

WHEREAS, the American GI Forum of the United States was established in 1948 to address Mexican American Veteran and their families Civil Rights issues, and

WHEREAS, the American GI Forum of the United States was Congressionally Charted in 1998, becoming a greater voice in the halls of Congress in behalf of veterans, and

WHEREAS, the American GI Forum is committed to upholding the Constitution of the United States, including those rights related to protecting the individual rights of all citizens, and

WHEREAS, the President of the United States, on November 23, 2016 nominated billionaire Betsy DeVos to be Secretary of the U.S. Department of Education, and was approved by the U.S. Senate, and

WHEREAS, the DeVos family has invested millions of dollars towards the privatization of public education, and

WHEREAS, Betsy DeVos is an ardent supporter of school vouchers in order to funnel public funds into private hands, and

WHEREAS, Betsy DeVos has been Michigan’s biggest financial and political backer to expand the state’s charter schools, which operate with virtually no state oversight and perform below the state average, and

WHEREAS, the Betsy and Dick DeVos Family Foundation has given millions of dollars to support corporate education reform movement, and

WHEREAS, Betsy DeVos defiantly stated on the record in 1997, that her family’s intention was to “buy influence” through massive giving that promoted small government and conservative values, and

WHEREAS, the motto of the American GI Forum is “Education is our Freedom and Freedom should be Everybody’s Business”, therefore

BE IT RESOLVED, that the American GI Forum of the United States establish an education committee that is vigilant of national education policies and keeps American GI Forum members apprised of such policies, and let it

BE FURTHER RESOLVED, that the appointed education committee, in collaboration with the National Commander, write letters and press releases, in opposition to any policy, which undermines public education.

This resolution was adopted at the American GI Forum of the U.S. Annual Conference in Albuquerque, NM which convened on July 20-22, 2017.