Posted on 02/28/2002 11:18:20 PM PST by JohnHuang2
The entire press run of a monthly conservative publication at the University of California-Berkeley has been stolen and its staff harassed and intimidated by political opponents, according to officials of the school's Republican organization.
All 3,000 copies of The California Patriot were taken from its editorial offices on Monday, officials said, noting that the thieves broke into the offices by gaining access through ceiling spaces. Prior to the theft, publication officials said, distributors "were met with repeated theft attempts, physical assault, intimidation and death threats."
"I'm not sure what's more disgusting – that we have racists of this caliber on campus in this day and age, or that Berkeley is a haven for emotional children who believe that the law doesn't apply to them," said Kelso G. Barnett, chairman of the Berkeley Conservative Foundation, the nonprofit organization that publishes the Patriot. "This is terrorism, pure and simple."
Campus authorities are investigating the theft, as well as the allegations that publication staff members were illegally harassed and threatened. And Barnett says there will be a reprint of the issue.
"These fascist thugs cannot silence the truth of their own hatred, and we shall let light shine at UC Berkeley once again," he said.
The cost of the loss was estimated at between $1,500 and $2,000.
Patriot officials say they believe the article at the core of the controversy is an investigative piece on a Latino student group called the "Movimiento Estudiantil Chicano de Aztlan," or MEChA.
According to a statement issued by the publication, the article in question "dared to publish and challenge one of the central MEChA documents known as 'El Plan Espiritual de Aztlan,' which repeatedly refers to Caucasians as 'gringos' and calls for revolutionary liberation of the 'bronze continent by the bronze people.'"
The article, called "MEChA: Student Funded Bigotry and Hate," has been published on the Internet.
"At UC Berkeley, a student is judged by the color of his or her skin," the article says. "While it's no wonder these suspect classifications are illegal in every other form of government in California and the United States, at Berkeley, phenotypic classification – a separation of students that is based solely on skin color and facial features - flourishes under the thin veneer of 'diversity' and 'multiculturalism.'
"As a result, those who consider themselves 'historically underrepresented' are destined to carry the imprint of victimhood largely because of indoctrination into this mentality that takes place in our classrooms," the article continues. "This idea of victimization is based solely upon racial appearance and group identity and in many cases is a mentality that leads its adherents to believe that anyone who is white and male is to blame for any historical injustice. …"
MEChA says it is a national student group that concentrates on political, social, educational and cultural issues that pertain to the Chicano movement.
Robb McFadden, head of the campus College Republicans, said while the Patriot's viewpoint may not be universally accepted, the paper has a right to publish.
"The issue is free speech on campus," he said. "You may not agree with us, but … let us say it."
McFadden and Barnett say the most recent theft is part of a "longstanding problem" at UC Berkeley for conservative students and guests. In a joint editorial sent to the Daily Californian on Thursday, McFadden and Barnett laid out their case.
"In the fall of 2000, guest speaker Daniel Flynn was shouted down by an angry mob of people as he tried to talk about the facts of the Mumia Abu Jamal case. A year ago, David Horowitz made national headlines when the Daily Cal apologized for printing his advertisement criticizing reparations for slavery," the editorial said. "Just a few months ago, thousands of issues of the Daily Californian were stolen and destroyed by students outraged over a controversial cartoon.
"If the university truly supports free speech, it must act to defend it. If there is to be a free exchange of ideas on this campus, the university cannot sit idly by as thousands of publications are stolen year after year," the editorial said.
"We call upon Chancellor Berdahl and his administration to pursue individuals who undermine free speech through actions that violate state law and campus regulations – both now and in the future. This sort of felonious conduct should not be tolerated, and we feel that it is the university's responsibility to make this a safe academic environment for all students and all perspectives," the editorial continued.
On Thursday, Berdahl released a statement condemning the thefts and pledged to find those responsible.
"Theft of publications or any interference with the access of individuals or groups to freedom of expression is unconscionable behavior," Berdahl said. "Such actions are completely antithetical to the values that form the foundation of our democracy, and such actions are particularly egregious in an educational setting.
"We will continue to do our utmost to identify those responsible, and we will bring criminal and student charges to bear on those individuals," he said, noting such "acts diminish our community."
McFadden said he believes Berdahl is genuine.
"We've had these types of things in the past, and this seems to be a continuing problem," McFadden told WorldNetDaily. "I take him at his word. I think he really means it."
McFadden said campus police arrived at the publication's offices Wednesday to begin their investigation of the physical evidence.
Police have interviewed "a few people who might have been witnesses," he said, "so we'll see where that takes us."
"If we do get a few suspects, we have every intention of going to the full extent of the law," he added. "We're not ready to tolerate this type of behavior."
In countries where leftists have sole power, free speech is banned.
Item: Cuba, under Fidel Castro, icon of American liberals.
Bingo, amigo. In the same vein, the left parades itself as champions of 'civil rights' -- yet, they celebrate the Castro regime, a monstrous machinery of repression and murder.
Yeah right. Ping!!
I would concur with my esteemed colleague, but offer this additional treatment recommendation, as a second opinion.
As far as cancers go, MEChA had metastasized throughout the 'Host' over 25 years ago. A cancer at this stage, more often than not, demands radical surgery, to remove the major metastases, followed by a regimen of chemo or radiation therapy.
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