← Autodidact Archive · Original Dissent · Kevin_O'Keeffe
Thread ID: 20202 | Posts: 3 | Started: 2005-09-14
2005-09-14 01:13 | User Profile
This story was supposed to have originally appeared in the Contra Costa Times, but the link doesn't seem to work; its presently reprinted on the Home Page of [url=http://www.nationalvanguard.org]National Vanguard[/url].
*Not surprisingly, I hadn't heard of this scehuled event, despite being a politically active San Jose resident. The Contra Costa Times, which did at least generate this story, even if their link is no longer operable, is located in a more conservative community approximately 75-100 miles north of here (Contra Costa County), as opposed to its having appeared in the San Jose Mercury News (again, not surprisingly).
I hope to be at the re-scheduled event in San Francisco (50 miles northwest of here).*
Forum Addressing Minuteman Group Canceled: Mestizos too violent for open debate, crowd control impossible.
A public forum scheduled next week on the controversial Minuteman Project at the Mexican Heritage Plaza in San Jose, California was canceled Wednesday, after angry Latino community leaders and immigrant advocates objected to the planned appearance of Chris Simcox, Minuteman's organizer.
"This vigilante group is openly racist particularly to Latinos," said Lucy Hernandez, a member of Comite de Cesar Chavez. "Knowing the background of this group and have them come to our community home, especially on our day of celebration, was offensive and hurtful." (16 September is Mexican Independence Day.)
The event was canceled after Hernandez threatened organizers who invited Simcox. "They indicated that if the plaza proceeded with the event, it was highly likely -- I'm paraphrasing here -- there would be a large crowd and they wouldn't be able to guarantee the consequences of their behavior," said Marcela Davison Aviles, the plaza's executive director. Aviles said she received at least a dozen anonymous phone calls since then that threatened disruption to the plaza.
Organizers said the forum will be rescheduled and held in San Francisco.
2005-09-14 03:45 | User Profile
[QUOTE=Kevin_O'Keeffe] "This vigilante group is openly racist particularly to Latinos," said Lucy Hernandez, a member of Comite de Cesar Chavez. "Knowing the background of this group and have them come to our community home, especially on our day of celebration, was offensive and hurtful." (16 September is Mexican Independence Day.) [/QUOTE] Mexican Inependence Day takes precedent over a citizen of the United States' First Amendment guaranteed right. Yeah that sounds racist to me.
2005-09-14 14:36 | User Profile
The event has apparently been rescheduled for this Saturday, Sept. 17, in Santa Rosa (California). I have posted the necessary info in the Activism forum. Here's hoping I just might not be the only ODer there....
FYI: I won't be passing out my potentially, pugnaciously irksome [url=http://www.nationalvanguard.org]National Vanguard[/url] leaflets until near the end of the event, as I don't want to risk getting expelled before hearing the speakers....