Posted on 04/08/2003 4:32:37 AM PDT by Flyer
Socialists Organizing in Galveston County, Texas
I will admit it is a well conceived plan. Get the locals out to protest the presence of the Ku Klux Klan and do it under the feel good name of the United Concerned Neighbors of Galveston and Harris Counties. Build some good will and a coalition of gentle people. The next time the United Concerned Neighbors may protest a garbage dump. Hey, no one wants a dump in their backyard.
And useful idiots are born. . .
United Concerned Neighbors is run by Rona and David Michael Smith, well known to some of us by their work with a multitude of hard left organizations. Mr. Smith is a political science professor at College of the Mainland and an avowed Marxist. His wife Rona is a school counselor in Hitchcock. She keeps a lower profile than David.
David and Rona Smith are known to their radical left community as the Progressive Workers Organizing Committee. In their IndyMedia report on their recent demonstration they gave thanks to the International Socialist Organization for their support and presence.
Their report links to 3 newspaper stories on the demonstration. The stories mention the United Concerned Neighbors but no mention of the Progressive Workers Organizing Committee or the International Socialist Organization.
All three newspapers are aware of the hard left Socialist views of David Smith. The folks in Santa Fe and Galveston County should have been informed they were supporting a Socialist organization. If you wish to ask the newspapers why they did not point out the Socialist roots of this demonstration please use the Letter to the Editor links below. The good folks in Galveston County need to know they are being duped by these left wing radicals.
Houston Chronicle - Story - Email
Just call me B1 Jim!
Wash your mouth with soap!!
Now if any FReepers around here don't want to listen they can go somewhere else, but IMHO, it's our job to shout this crap from the rooftops and WAKE UP OUR NEIGHBORS!
Well, I wasn't gonna hush up, I just wanted onetimeatbandcamp to express his true feelings.
Thank you!!
It was wierd, the way the people running it were acting. Anyway, when the crowd of candleholders peaked at around 40-ish, they had us sort of march around in a circle. There were some media there, and they were taking pictures. Getting right up in my face with bright flashes, like old-fashioned cameras.
Well, we were marching around in our little circle, and they started us chanting, switching up the chant every few minutes. On about the third chant or so, the pulled a major switcheroo!
They went from something like "Russians go home!" to "Soviets out of Poland! U.S. out of El Salvador!" and I was like "Wha?!?!" So, I shouted something like "lets take it one issue at a time, fellas!" and sat on a little wall nearby, waiting for them to drop that one. They kept it up, and got even more anti-US, and some spokesperson was giving an interview to make it seem like we were a group that was all about that. We had ALL come down for a candlelight vigil for the Poles. Only the 4-5 organizers had the other agenda.
I put out my candle, disgusted. I felt very manipulated, but it was a good lesson, in that I have never been impressed by any media reportage of protests and marches since then, even before I began to become politically "aware."
Mr. Meek,Thank you for taking the time to write. I will publish your letter as soon as possible. I would like to answer some of your points, if I may.
Mr. Smith's political leanings were not mentioned in the Texas City Sun for a couple of reasons.
First, the fact that he is a socialist has nothing to do with his opposition to racism. There were several people protesting that day and I'm sure they represented several political viewpoints. We quoted some of them, including some who agreed with the Klan, and didn't bother to get into their political views. So, there was no reason to do that with Dr. Smith.
Second, everyone in Galveston County already knows his political affiliations. He has been quoted extensively in local media and has written numerous guest columns for both papers in Galveston County. Recently there was a big move on the part of local veterans to get the College of the Mainland board of trustees to deny Smith tenure based on his political views. More than 50 people spoke at a special meeting of the board to consider the matter. The vast majority of those who spoke said they disagreed with Smith, but didn't believe his personal political beliefs were reason to deny him tenure. He was ultimately granted tenure. I tell you that story to show you that Smith has made no secret of his political leanings and often seeks public platforms to push his beliefs.
There was no organized effort on the part of any media to hide Smith's beliefs. And even if there were such a move, it would have failed miserably since most Galveston County residents already know where is coming from.
I assure you sir, no one in Galveston County is being duped by David Michael Smith.
Thanks again for writing.
Michael Clements
Managing Editor
Texas City Sun
I assure you sir, no one in Galveston County is being duped by David Michael Smith.
Not those in the media or political circles. I bet Wayne and Sara on 5th Street in Santa Fe have never heard of him.
I need to get my letter done. (I've been too busy on FR today!)
Man, you have Quannel beat by a long shot!
Thanks!!
Indymedia is one the MOST HATEFUL forums I've ever seen. THOSE FOLKS NEED to be exposed and discussed on this forum as much as possible, imho.
Here is one example I recently encountered with them:
Here is a link to the SF-IMC site where these FAR LEFT LIBERALS posted an actual pic (below) of one of their Support Saddam/Terrorists events recently and changed the image when I posted/linked it to an FR thread. The pic at the top of that link (of 2 Allied Soldiers TORTURING someone) was what they changed it to . . .
These folks at San Francisco Indy-Media are terrorist supporters . . .
Oh, the lurkers on FR from SF-IMC CANNOT change that picture (above) now since it is hosted by FR friendly sources !
And, btw, here is what they changed the above picture TO, AFTER we exposed them here on FR:
I bet you're right there. I mean, who might NOT be tempted to rally against the KKK? But who might NOT if they know it's a SOCIALIST you're aiding and abetting? I'd say, go and PROTEST BOTH THE KKK and the SMITH's in ONE FELL SWOOP ! lol !
After I read the editors letter back to me, I recalled this Professor. He's the one that we FReeped a while back (hmmm? last summer or fall?) and the jerk got his tenure approved regardless, right?
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