Anti-illegal immigrant column stirs up college

Sign on San Diego ^

[occutegirl]

CHULA VISTA – A college newspaper opinion piece calling for a crackdown on illegal immigrants has critics calling it a racist incitement to violence.

Campus journalists, many of whom disagree with the piece politically, say they stand by First Amendment rights to publish unpopular opinions.

Reaction to the commentary has been strident.

Protesters posted abusive fliers on the door of the newspaper's office. The writer of the opinion piece and the newspaper's faculty adviser said they have been threatened or harassed.

-------------- Student Nathaniel Pownell's opinion piece in The Southwestern College Sun on illegal immigration states, "It is time to burn the leaches (sic) off our society and crack down on the people who flagrantly take advantage of America's wealth and prosperity."

------------- Students For Community Action, a campus socialist group, and MEChA, a campus Chicano group, have called for a retraction and apology from the Sun for publishing the commentary.

"We feel he crossed the line," said MEChA co-chairwoman Gaby Arenivas. "He's attacking a group of people that can't come and tell him, 'No, don't do this.' "

Pownell said he has already told his detractors, "I'd like to apologize if I hurt your feelings, but I'm not going to apologize for what I wrote."

-----------

[TheSpottedOwl]

Thank you so much for finding the article! No wonder Mecha is p.o'd. It is extremely well written, and to the point.

[junta]

So he proposes an immigration plan, how does that break his oath?

[B4Ranch]

He is not enforcing the laws currntly on the books.

Everybody bitches about libetral judges making law from the bench.

The President is doing the same from the WH.

Making law is the purpose of the Congress, not judges or the President. Their job is to enforce the law.

[JustAnotherSavage]

"Making law is the purpose of the Congress, not judges or the President. Their job is to enforce the law."

There is the entire problem. Did you see the FR poll? It changed drastically in a couple hours.

[Josef1235]

Welcome. Figure that'd do some good.

[B4Ranch]

This one?

If you could choose the number one priority issue for Bush's second term (after national security/defense), what would it be?

Stop Illegal Immigration
27.3%

When I voted, it was seventh or eighth. I'm glad to see folks following my example.

[Jimbaugh]

San Diego BUMP

[StoneColdGOP]

Good for this kid!

[KiloLima]

Thanks for the familiar sounding ping. :-)

I'm shocked there is anyone attending a California college who has not learned political correctness yet. And, even after being chided by MECHA, he's not sorry!

[HiJinx]

There is a good crop of kids coming up behind us. They aren't blind...

[occutegirl]

----- Original Message -----
From:To: chris.moran@uniontrib.com
Sent: Monday, February 21, 2005 10:39 AM
Subject: Abusive fliers posted on newspaper's door


I read the article on the Internet entitled "Abusive fliers posted on newspaper's door."

What is happening to freedom of speech?

If one does not agree with what is published in a newspaper, that does not give a group the right to try and silence the writer. The Latino activists referred to in the article are the ones behaving like brown shirted Nazis.

Demanding that a school newspaper only publish what they deem fit.

What is interesting is that the group MECHA - swarming upon the American citizen opposed to illegal immigration - have in their very motto racism!

Below, I just copied from a MECHA website their motto:


"Everything for the race. Everything outside the race, nothing."



It is okay for Hispanics to be racists. That racism - the textbook definition of racism - is just fine. But let an American citizen stand up for the LAW and the MECHA racists cry racism!

America is a nation of laws. Illegal immigration is not about racism. It is about upholding the rule of law.

It is a world where up is down and down is up when MECHA steps onto the scene. They are the working definition of imposing racism as they call others racists!

I applaud this college student for his courage.

This student is protected under the Constitution and has the right to freedom of speech. Fascist styled groups like MECHA seek to take away this American citizen's rights.

Are they not the group behaving like Nazis?

[Josef1235]

Thank you. Let's keep a drum beat on this issue.

Time MEChA went straight to h-e-double-l

[occutegirl]

San Diego Union Tribune Defends Mecha


----- Original Message -----
From: chris.moran@uniontrib.com

Sent: Monday, February 21, 2005 12:14 PM
Subject: RE: Abusive fliers posted on newspaper's door


I'm glad you feel strongly about freedom of speech, and I thank you for the note.
MEChA has a controversial history, but I believe there's also a lot of misinformation about MEChA circulating so it's difficult to tell what's what. For example, the quote you include "Everything for the race..." is frequently tied to MEChA, but usually by people criticizing MEChA. It is not to my knowledge adopted by MEChA itself. I'd be curious to see what Web site you got it from, because to my understanding there is no national MEChA, and as such, no national Web site.
I wrote about this not to condone the newspaper nor to endorse the tactics and viewpoints of the protesters, but simply to bring to light a debate about freedom of speech.
Thanks again for your note. And please do include the source of where you found the quote.
--Chris Moran
San Diego Union-Tribune
619-498-6654

[Josef1235]

Please get back to him, miss.

[cranford]

I am including a copy of an email which I am sending to
every member of congress ,both senate and house;

to every member of the Alabama State House; to the
President and the Governor. I would wish everyone

could send them the same email.
Maybe when their mailbags are jammed full of the

same message for a few days they will take the hint and
realize just who matters and who holds the power

in this great country of ours.




ENFORCE

EXISTING

IMMIGRATION

STATUTES


Your job is at Risk


Thank You for letting me voice my thoughts and for
letting me be a part of this movement.


Until later. Harlan

[danmar]

Pownell said he has already told his detractors, "I'd like to apologize if I hurt your feelings, but I'm not going to apologize for what I wrote."

I like this young fellow...nowhere in the first amendment is anything mentioned that your feelings ought not to be hurt, while speaking out!

The First Amendment was intended for this very reason; to be able to speak freely and hurt feelings without fear of retribution!

Mecha needs to go back to Mexico and stay there; United States of America is NOT Mexico. We have a Constitution and Laws to protect ones freedom of speech like it or not!

[danmar]

Student Nathaniel Pownell's opinion piece in The Southwestern College Sun on illegal immigration states, "It is time to burn the leaches (sic) off our society and crack down on the people who flagrantly take advantage of America's wealth and prosperity."

Does anyone see this fellow mentioning the Mexicans in his statements?...
...then why are the Mexicans all bent out of shape because of his essay?

Can we say that Mecha has a chip on their shoulders, since they are so vehement in their criticism of this fellow's essay?

[SUSSA]

I hope you sent him this;

"In the spirit of a new people that is conscious not only of its proud historical heritage but also of the brutal "gringo" invasion of our territories, we, the Chicano inhabitants and civilizers of the northern land of Aztlán from whence came our forefathers, reclaiming the land of their birth and consecrating the determination of our people of the sun, declare that the call of our blood is our power, our responsibility, and our inevitable destiny.

We are free and sovereign to determine those tasks which are justly called for by our house, our land, the sweat of our brows, and by our hearts. Aztlán belongs to those who plant the seeds, water the fields, and gather the crops and not to the foreign Europeans. We do not recognize capricious frontiers on the bronze continent

Brotherhood unites us, and love for our brothers makes us a people whose time has come and who struggles against the foreigner "gabacho" who exploits our riches and destroys our culture. With our heart in our hands and our hands in the soil, we declare the independence of our mestizo nation. We are a bronze people with a bronze culture. Before the world, before all of North America, before all our brothers in the bronze continent, we are a nation, we are a union of free pueblos, we are Aztlán.

For La Raza todo. Fuera de La Raza nada."

from here: http://www2.sjsu.edu/orgs/mecha/

[danmar]

we are Aztlán.

Beg to differ Jose, Aztlan never existed, nor any descendants from the old Aztecs are still alive in today's Mexico. None, nada, zip, null!

Come back to me when you get your facts straight, meanwhile finish mowing the lawns!