Posted on 02/20/2005 2:54:22 PM PST by 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."
-----------
FIST fights campus racism
By Ruth Vela
San Diego, Calif.
Published Feb 13, 2005 7:32 PM
The San Diego chapter of Fight Imperialism-Stand Together (FIST) was created and operates out of Southwestern College, the southernmost school in California. A majority of its students are of Mexican descent. Some live in Tijuana, Mexico, and must commute into the United States to attend school every day.
FIST
Many students are not "legal" U.S. citizens. As such, they often pay higher fees, do not qualify for financial aid and cannot apply for scholarships. On top of homework and tests, they have to worry about incarceration and deportation.
Recently the Southwestern College school newspaper, The Sun, ran an editorial by one of its staff writers entitled, "Illegal Immigrants Are Taxing on American Citizens." The piece was a blatant attack on immigrants. It stated, "It is time to burn the leeches off of our society and crack down on the people who flagrantly take advantage of America's wealth and prosperity."
Some students believe the article also included fictitious quotes, like this one from Marjorie De La Cruz: "The government needs to tighten if not close its southern borders to protect its citizens and legal immigrants from the inevitable poverty and diseases these people bring."
In response to this racist attack, members of FIST, MEChA and other campus organizations have formed the ERACISM coalition. The coalition launched a campaign that has collected over 700 signatures from students who feel attacked, harassed and let down by Southwestern College, The Sun newspaper and the school administration.
The administration has responded by sending campus police to harass students in an effort to prevent the distribution of flyers and collection of signatures. It has been trying to sweep the movement under the rug.
Emails mentioning FIST members by name and referring to the group as "just one or two upset students" have circulated among administrators who seem to value their positions more than their students.
On Jan. 27, representatives of the student organizations and their advisors met with the editors and professor in charge of the newspaper in an effort to put the issue to rest.
The following demands were presented to the staff of The Sun: 1) A printed apology from The Sun to the students of Southwestern College; 2) a retraction of the line that begins, "It's time to burn the leeches off of our society ..."; 3) that limitations be set on what the school newspaper can print; 4) that the student coalition's rebuttal be printed without censorship; and 5) that the school newspaper remain free of racist propaganda.
Unfortunately, the meeting ended with Nathaniel Pownell, the writer of the piece, screaming, "I am not a racist. ... I will not apologize for the article, I will never apologize for the article!"
On Jan. 31, The Sun sent a letter to the ERACISM coalition that failed to address any of its demands. Instead it offered free advertising for future events. ERACISM responded with a promise that the struggle is not over.
A campus rally is planned for Feb. 10. ERACISM has received strong support from students and members of the local labor and anti-war community.
FIST stated: "The school administration, the newspaper and the entire city need to understand that this will not be tolerated! Hopefully this action will remind those who need reminding, and teach those who have not learned, that this country was built on the backs of African slave labor and immigrants, that the land was stolen from Indigenous people who inhabited it before the immigrants arrived, and above all that THERE ARE NO BORDERS IN THE WORKERS' STRUGGLE!"
Letters supporting ERACISM's demands to The Sun newspaper and the administration will help in this struggle. Send them to eracismswc@hotmail.net by Feb. 17.
Vela is an organizer of the San Diego FIST chapter.
Seconded.
BTTT, too.
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1347306/posts - New gang exploiting our weak border.
Any immigration reform bill will have to have their approval.
America has five major problems: Muslim terrorist immigrants,black urban terrorists(called criminals),Mexican illegal immigrants,leftist anti-American professors and leftist anti-American journalists.It is that simple. All five have the same solution. Interested in details?
Races in Chula Vista:
* Hispanic (49.6%)
* White Non-Hispanic (31.7%)
* Other race (22.1%)
* Filipino (7.3%)
* Two or more races (5.8%)
* Black (4.6%)
* American Indian (1.4%)
* Japanese (1.4%)
* Korean (0.9%)
* Chinese (0.6%)
* Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander (0.6%)
(Total can be greater than 100% because Hispanics could be counted in other races)
So she isn't a chairperson? How utterly sexist! I feel MEChA has crossed the line!
It always puzzles me who these kids who have not worked and payed taxes like the rest of us can make such demands on our society.
A campus rally is planned for Feb. 10.
Feb. 10th ? Gee I missed it.
Please tell me which branch of the government they belong to.
I think after a thorough look at the positions of Mecha and George Dubya Bush anyone would find them in perfect harmony and come to realize mass migration from not just Mexico but the entire world will help our nation greatly. So I suggest that every conservative familiarize themselves with MeCha and the inate goodness of Bush's immigration proposal and then we will as a country move to a more equal more moral country.
And of course the democratic party.
Having confronted members of that... group and watching our great President George Walker Bush on TV makes me wonder how obscene that comment is.
Besides, MEChA is anti-freedom, anti-soverignity, anti-PATRIOT ACT...
President G.W. Bush = MEChA, that'll be the day.
Why is every other country in the world INCLUDUNG MEXICO allowed to protect their borders except for us? When we try it or even hint that it is something that should happen, we are racists. You try sneaking into Mexico from IT'S southern border. You'll probably get shot.
Okay but I wonder why?
I thought we had a federalist republic...
There's Israel w/ us, too.
They belong to the same branch of govt as agribusiness, they are a powerful constituent.
Be sure to see the new FR poll!
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
33.7%
Cut Spending, Reduce Government
19.8%
Fight for Judicial Nominees
18.6%
Defend Right to Life, Family Values
10.5%
Reform Taxes, Social Security, Medicare
8.1%
Stop Voter Fraud
7.0%
Medical Malpractice/Tort Reform
1.2%
Repeal McCain/Feingold (CFR)
1.2%
Repeal or Reform the Patriot Act
0.0%
Other/Undecided/Pass
0.0%
You do know what that group believes, don't you?
Besides, MEChA is anti-freedom, anti-soverignity, anti-PATRIOT ACT...
President G.W. Bush = MEChA, that'll be the day
You'll have to excuse junta, since he only knows one mantra and one mantra only(mecha=Bush), no matter that mecha hates Bush and actively campaigns against his policies.
Don't try telling junta's political posse that though, you'll have better luck having a conversation with a brick wall.
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