(30s, 2.48MB)

(60s, 2.66MB )

"Body Count"

Sunny, muggy jungle rain. A latino platoon of American Soldiers rests in the bush as they listen to Santana blasting out of a small radio. Louie (a piece sign wearing soldier) and JJ, two young Chicanos, and Eddy, a Puerto Rican, share a moment of peace.



JJ: Man, I didn't vote for this.

Louie: You Vote?! What you talking 'bout? Latinos don't vote.



Eddy: That's right, man. We don't mean a thing to the politicians. We don't count.

JJ: Maybe so but we've got to vote... otherwise we'll be stuck here 'til the year 2000.

Louie: (Jokes) Yeah, maybe by then we'll even have a "vato" in the White House.



Eddy: (Laughing/ dancing) Orale and maybe Santana will still be around.

JJ: (Defiant) Maybe...

The sergeant/platoon leader who sits a few feet away stands up with his gear and gives them an order.

Sergeant: Okay ladies let's make it count here, we've got a job to do. Let's go.

The Soldiers get up and disappear into the jungle

Over 170,000 Latinos fought in Vietnam.
Today over 5,000,000 Latinos are not registered to vote.