Irvine Valley College and Saddleback College in southern California have decided to end their 14 year old study abroad program in Spain. The vote by the trustees of the South Orange County Community College District was 5-2 to end the summer program. Commenting on why he voted to end the program, trustee Tom Fuentes said, “Spain has abandoned our fighting men and women, withdrawing their support.” After the bombings Spain withdrew its 1,300 troops serving in Iraq angering many in the U.S. who saw it as giving in to the terrorists.
Fuentes also expressed concern about the safety of students after the March 11th bombings that killed 191 people last year. Since the attacks Spain along with the rest of Europe has been bogged down in enacting any type of reforms that would prevent further attacks.
The best line goes to Professor Carmenmara Hernandez-Bravo who runs the program when she said, “I cannot believe a community college can put this much politics into academics.” Is that what really bothers the good professor or is it that in this case the politics don’t fit hers?
Don Irvine is the Chairman of Accuracy in Media.
