I'll ask for the fourth or fifth time...
What has mecha accomplished that causes you to repeatedly post aztlan graphics and fear mongering?
When did you stop beating your wife? And by "Aztlan graphics" do you mean the Israeli flag with the swastika in it?
If you chose to discuss the matter honestly to begin with, instead of with barbs, dodges, insults, loaded questions and general trollery, maybe your "interest" in my opinions would carry more weight with me. As it is, you have already set the tone of the discussion such that it merits little more than flippancy.
I enjoy sharing ideas, that's what I come here for. There is no such sharing between us, though, just me posting my views and you assailing them without substantiation. I have spelled out the basis for my interest in MEChA and the Aztlan reconquista movement plain enough, while you play peanut gallery with me. Why should I care what you think?
If you follow the links, you can read what these folks are up to for yourself. Besides the plan to "take back Aztlan", you can read all sorts of things about the evil Jews, and the connection of La Voz de Aztlan with the PLO. And there is much, much more to be discovered on the Spanish-only websites.
Fear mongering? This isn't just some crank with a website, although there are such people in the movement. I'm not trying to start the next "Red Scare", for Pete's sake, but extremist groups are worth alerting people to. Why not tell me what you know to justify your accusations? Tell me about MEChA and the reconquista movement, and why I shouldn't care about them at all.
I will not answer your insulting question directly, because it is insulting and does not lend itself to a direct answer (i.e., "why do you still molest children?"), but I will tell you some of the reasons why I am interested in MEChA and its fellow travelers:
1) I have been aware of the Aztlan movement for years. I never thought it would amount to much, but it has grown since I first learned of it. That is a trend that warrants interest.
2) The Aztlan movement is in the spotlight of the California governor's race. Bustamante's involvement with MEChA and tacit support for the Aztlan movement may be innocuous, or it may be significant. He may be the next governor, he may not. Either way, he's at least going to remain the lieutenant governor, and his ties to this group are worth knowing an understanding in either case. If this was the "Communist Students of America", it would still be worth knowing about. This isn't just a Chicano/Latino thing.
3) The Aztlan movement appeals to and seeks to mobilize a large segment of the population of the western U.S. on the basis of "race" (the foundations for "La Raza" are, in my opinion, specious). If these guys were the Black Panthers or Ku Klux Klan, I would likewise be interested. Will they galvanize Latino support for "throwing out the Anglos" and creating a "bronze nation"? I seriously doubt it, but history clearly shows that even small fringe groups can cause a lot of trouble, such as ELF, ALF and the Anarchist movement (which has been around in one form or another since the 1800's), and this just happens to be an issue in my neck of the woods.
4) I have an interest in nascent groups such as this of all kinds (i.e., anti-U.S., racist, communist, environmentalist, etc.). While there is no telling what may become of MEChA (oblivion or irrelevance, I hope), it's worth noting that in the past, major revolutions have originated with similar groups that nobody thought anything of -- at first.
5) If something arouses my curiosity, I look into it. There is no need to justify that to anyone.
So feel free to naysay efforts to find out more about MEChA and the reconquistas. Ridicule Joe Hadenuf for wanting to find out more about Bustamante's involvement with these groups. But don't expect applause in exchange for your sarcastic critiques.
As for why I post links to their sites, this is the Internet. I think people should be aware of what these people are posting, and this stuff is available to anyone with a browser. I see nothing wrong with exposing racist political groups to public scrutiny. If these people want to post hatred and lunacy, they must want people to see it. I'm happy to help in that regard, because exposure to sane people is what helps keep insane people on their medications.
Your interest intrigues me, so I have wondered if you have an affiliation with the Aztlan movement. If you do, then I am sure my reaction to it puts you off. Maybe I am misreading things and misunderstanding the Aztlan movement. If that's the case, then I urge you to set me straight. If I'm wrong, tell me, but I do expect you to tell me why.
Finally, I really don't have a stick up my butt, and am not sitting here with steam coming out of my ears typing this. It may surprise you that I'm not that shallow. Sometimes the nuances of my sense of humor (I am adept at sarcasm too, when I want to be) are lost in the intensity of my prose. I'll call you a troll in annoyance (and for the troll tactics we both have seen a million+ times) and maybe fly off the handle now and then (I'm not a Vulcan), but I'm not mad at you or bent out of shape.
It's just that neither of us are newbs and we both probably know all the standard tricks for steering thread debates. Frankly, though, if I want a debate based on cheek and unfounded opinion, I would start an argument with one of my sons -- about ten years ago before they grew up.
As it happens, I am heading into the California DMZ for a week starting tomorrow, and don't plan to be online much, if at all, so if I miss a witty repartee, I'll try to catch up with it when I return next week.
In the meantime, be nice. And if you can't be nice, be well. ;^)