Halloween Entry: What's Scarier than Racism?
Although this doesn't address the strongly racist assumptions undertaken by many who oppose affirmative action, I still think every person in Michigan should read it.
However, this is the really stunning performance in my mind:
Note in particular:
- O'Reiley is basically begging Gratz to claim that she had been threatened with violence, which she is never quite able to do.
- The footage showing what may be any random clip of a bunch of people moving around. No context whatsoever given for this video footage.
- The emphasis on the name of the group By Any Means Necessary and the immediate transition to the idea of violence.
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Affirmative Action certainly has its flaws, but it is the discourse around it which is racist, not the policy itself. I hope Michigan votes NO on the Michigan "Civil Rights" Initiative.
Comments
The footage is from the Board of Canvassers meeting that took place on December 14, 2005. BAMN organizers encouraged high school students to skip class that day and provided transportation for them to the meeting where they shouted down board members at the meeting, intimidated board members, and overturned furniture.
BAMN is exactly what they state - By Any Means Necessary. They have stated any means are acceptable to achieve their ends. They are closely associated with the Revolutionary Workers League, a Trotskyite group in Detroit. In 2005, they appeared on an FBI watch list of groups suspected of terrorist activities.
It is wrong to fight discrimination with discrimination. I hope Michigan votes YES on Proposal 2.
I don't think that the BAMN action you described on Dec 14,2005 sounds like anything to be concerned about. It's long been a tactic of resistance to take such actions.
The FBI Watch list contains all sorts of groups, many of them non-violent and many of them non-threatening. I think the use of the name is an interesting attempt to revitalize the Civil Rights Movemment. If you look into the criteria for determining the Watch List, as well as US history, it contains much more than violent or dangerous groups.
And many people percieve that affirmative action is "fighting discrimination with discrimination". Of course that would be wrong. But it's simply not how it works. Did you click on any of the links I posted in the entry? Most people are really misinformed about how affirmative action works. Since you only really responded with a catch-phrase, I can't really respond with anything specific. I encourage you to read the links I'd posted if you haven't already.
Thanks for the comment!