COMMENTARY: ONE LIFE; ONE YEAR LATER

More often than not, it is not until someone passes away that we begin to appreciate the true meaning of their time here on earth.

And we begin to realize how much their relationship to family, friends, and society are truly missed.

In our case, it has been one year since the passing of El Editor’s first and only publisher; Bidal Aguero.

During the year, we have had many occasions to reflect on Bidals life and his role as a husband, dad, grandfather and community leader.
We realize that whether it was in the field of politics, education, social issues, civil rights, or any other area where a strong voice was needed; he was there.
When Bidal passed away; his daughter Amalia wrote a story entitled "Chicano to the Bone". In that story Amalia illustrated what he had meant to her and we saw her dad through her eyes.
And to read that is to understand where the social consciousness of Bidal was born. He was active in the Chicano Movement of the 70’s and was instrumental in bringing about major changes to the political and social culture of this area.
That’s part of where his life’s philosophy began. But he eventually evolved in his political and social thinking and it didn’t end until November 3, 2009; the day he passed away.
In looking back at his life from a perspective of losing a community leader; we have been able to see that the most important role he played in this community and life was to be the voice of social consciousness.
If he saw a civil rights injustice; he was there to voice his support for the aggrieved.
If he saw a wrong; he tried to make ...