Meet Lieutenant Vargas
Hats off to the New York Times for an inspiring profile of Lt. Ben Vargas, a New Haven firefighter who was one of the plaintiffs--the only Hispanic plaintiff--in the Ricci case. The Hispanic Firefighters' Association sided against him and he was hospitalized after being beaten up in the men's room of a bar in an attack that he believes was orchestrated by pro-race discrimination forces. But the Hispanic firefighters' group eventually came around, and Vargas and his co-plaintiffs were finally vindicated by the Supreme Court.
Vargas, who posted the sixth-highest score on the New Haven exam but joined the lawsuit before he knew for sure that score was his, says:
I consider myself an American -- I was born and raised here. I love my people. I love my culture. I love our rice and beans, our salsa music, our language -- everything my parents raised us with. But I am so grateful for the opportunity only the United States can give.
The article, by A.G. Sulzburger, who I take it is of the dynasty's younger generation and possibly not a chip off the old block, concludes with this:
Gesturing toward his three young sons, Lieutenant Vargas explained why he had no regrets. "I want them to have a fair shake, to get a job on their merits and not because they're Hispanic or they fill a quota," he said. "What a lousy way to live."
