There is one point that is correct in the comments contained in the message that the xenophobic anti-immigration group "Save Our State" (also known by its acronym of SOS) makes in its comments about being invited by Earl Ofari Hutchinson to participate on August 20, 205 as part of the program of Los Angeles Urban Policy Roundtable, "a non- partisan entity that holds regular meetings to discuss important issues ": This is a tremendous opportunity for Save Our State and the entire anti-illegal immigration movement ." and that, if successful, " this Roundtable will serve as a watershed event with respect to" the xenophobes' movement.
UNLESS these xenophobes are met by a visible and vocal PROTEST when they come! -- is what I add. "Hutchinson explained that he is now considering `dis-inviting' the organization," according to "White Xenophobes Recruit Southern California African American Activists," a Z-Net article reprinted below. Pressure brought to bear by opponents of xenophobic policies / politics would help direct / speed up such a decision, and (if the "dis-invitation" were not issued soon) a visible and vocal PROTEST against the immigrant-bashers would make anyone think twice about issuing a similar invitation. ---- Barry Schier [1] (Supplemental comments and documents): In a posting on LAAMN (Los Angeles Altnerative Media Network listnet- group, through which I had first read about this invitation) was a recommended response, a succinct summary of liberal strategy, "The anti-racist movement does need to respond to this, but I would recommend that we emphasize making sure that pro-Latino, pro- immigrant people are represented on the roundtable, rather than boycotting the event or demanding that SOS be `disinvited'." It precisely is the OPPOSITE of the approach which is needed. Had this matter concerned a DEBATE on which an outspoken racist is one of the panelists, the advice of ensuring that articulate, etc. " pro-Latino, pro-immigrant people are represented ," then that thought would have been worthy of consideration. In fact, progressives consider participation in (if not also initiation of) debates one of the weapons in the tactical armamentum. However, this event does NOT concern a debate, but rather an invitation for an anti-immigrant advocate to peddle his poison. In his own words, the leader of the xenophobes of S.O.S. notes, "To my knowledge, [S.O.S.] will be the first such organization to ever step foot in the South Central/South Los Angeles area. I am very thankful for this opportunity and believe that with respect to illegal immigration that we will find common ground." [2] S.O.S. as racist xenophobes and "common ground": Leone Hnakey (LAAMN Message #6707) offered some acute personal observations about the person who is being invited to the Roundtable: 1) There is no doubt that Joe Turner is a thug. (Actually he is much worse than a thug.) For example: a) I heard him on television say that the state is being turned into a Third World swamp. This is fascist, gutter racist language. b) Even the Minutemen, of all people, have said SOS is not welcome at their vigilante line at the border because of their open racism and because Turner has publicly advocated violence. This is a just a tactical or power squabble among right-wing nativists, but it's revealing. c) Turner openly advocates intimidation of day laborers, and is trying to shut down public art." (The last sentence alludes to Minutemen / SOS protests on May 28 and June 25 against Judy Baca's mural at the Baldwin Park Metrolink station, which were respectively countered by 300 and 500- 600 anti-racist protesters. The harassment and intimidation at day- laborer sites and "assisting" the U.S. Border Patrol, however, are NOT patented by Minutemen / SOS.) Of course, one asks if a racist xenophobe is suffering from illusions (if not delusions) when he thinks / writes about "find[ing] common ground" with Earl Ofari Hutchinson, an author who (in the course of a few decades) had become nationally known for speaking / writing in opposition to various racist practices and who has a program on KPFK Pacifica Radio (which bills itself as "Free Speech Radio" and from time to time as "voice of the Left"). [4] Hutchinson's anti-immigrant and other reactionary positions. Hutchinson's position on immigration (i.e., for "tighter immigration controls") is far from his first or only reactionary stance. Las Vegas could become even richer if it were to allow placing bets on whether Hutchinson's weekly column will have (almost always well- written) criticisms of injustice or one or more reactionary notion, especially his incantation that Latinos have "bumped" Blacks out of positions which they formerly held, including the jobs, resources, etc. near the bottom of the ladder. For example, let's hear Earl Ofari Hutchinson, Pacific News Service, Jun. 07 (American Renaissance) (http://www.amren.com/news/news04/06/09/reagan.html) assessment of Rabidly Reactionary Ronald Reagan: "The great myth is that former President Ronald Reagan did more damage to civil rights and social programs than any other modern day president. In fact, Reagan's White House years were marked by ambivalence, hesitancy and conciliation toward civil rights, not the all-out assault that blacks feared and Reagan boosters expected." And, for Hutchinson, there's nothing better to deal with students who don't toe the line than "tougher school discipline" However, it's Hutchinson's views on immigration that are pertinent here. (I will not address one of Hutchinson's frequent themes, his bugbear fear that Latinos will "rely on their growing numbers and political clout to win elections [instead o] reach[ing] out to blacks and opt for power-sharing ," for its consistent with his dead-end strategy for "unity" of supporting as a positive alternative the "lesser evil" of TWO parties, BOTH of which propose and implement racist policies directed against Latinos AND Blacks. [4a] From http://eurweb.com/story.cfm?id=21015 THE HUTCHINSON REPORT: LA's Politicians Dance Around Black-Latino Clash Many blacks unabashedly blame their jobless plight on illegal immigration. This is not totally fair. The lack of job skills, training and education programs, and the high incarceration rate of black males, that render them virtually unemployable, are the major causes of chronic high black unemployment. Yet it's still true that immigration has bumped blacks out of unskilled and low skilled jobs, and that's just enough to fuel passions and anger. The solution to racial peace in L.A.'s schools and on the streets are diversity in City Hall, mandatory cultural sensitivity programs for teachers, students, and parents, school safe zones, tougher school discipline, a crash job and skills training program for young blacks, a full attack on job discrimination, tighter immigration controls, and swift punishment of police misconduct. What city or county official will boldly commit to that? . [4b] Los Angeles Daily News Opinion Article Published: Saturday, June 25, 2005 Black-Latino divide Pretending it's not real won't solve L.A.'s racial issue By Earl Ofari Hutchinson, Guest columnist Many blacks unabashedly blame their jobless plight on illegal immigration. This is not totally fair. The lack of job skills, training and education programs -- and the high incarceration rate of black males -- all help to render them virtually unemployable. Yet, it's still true that immigration has displaced blacks from unskilled and low-skilled jobs, and that's just enough truth to fuel passions and anger. The solution to racial conflict in L.A.'s schools and on the streets includes many components: diversity in City Hall; mandatory cultural- sensitivity programs for teachers, students and parents; school safe zones; tougher school discipline; a crash program in job and skills training for young blacks; a full attack on job discrimination; tighter immigration controls; and swift punishment of police misconduct. What city or county official will boldly commit to that? Earl Ofari Hutchinson is an author, TV talk show host, and frequent contributor to the Daily News [5] The other bookend: Who is "Najee Ali of Islamic H.O.P.E.," whom the SOS internal note states " expressed interest in working with Save Our State on the illegal immigration issue," and who "subsequently put [its representative] in touch with Earl Hutchinson?" Najee Ali, considered by some to be synonymous with his Project Islamic Hope, has almost a routine of making quite articulate denunciations of police brutality / murders (declaring the Inglewood's cops' beating of Donovan, then age 16, a developmentally disabled dude who didn't heed police orders, as a repeat of the Rodney King beating) and then soon telling people NOT to protest on the streets. Najee Ali gave a repeat performance of his role in Inglewood re this week's when the cops "resolved" a "hostage crisis" in Watts by fatally shooting the man undergoing a mental crisis AND 1-1/2 year old daughter (Susie Lopez). Fortunately, despite his "advise" to keep calm, etc., there was a notable and loud community protest on July 23 near the site where some of the cops' 20+ bullets resulted in the death of that little girl and her father. Censorship (often in the guise of mixing morality under the guise of Islamic principles and Black pride) is also Project Islamic Hope's forte, having "successfully fought to have Snoop [Doggy] Dogg's radio show on Los Angeles's KKBT taken off the air in 2001" and barking loudly (but so far to no avail) about how much flesh rapper Lil Kim reveals during her performances. [6] [Article from Znet magazine / http://www.zmag.org/content/showarticle.cfm?SectionID=30&ItemID=8306] Daunting Coalitions White Xenophobes Recruit Southern California African American Activists by Aura Bogado July 15, 2005 Is your community becoming a Third World City? That's what Save Our State (SOS), an organization closely linked to the so-called Minutemen, wants to know. According to the organization's website, their "members are committed to educating California's citizens about the disastrous effects of illegal immigration and creating positive change through aggressive activism and advocacy." Aggressive activism? Ah, yes they must be referring to the type of aggression that Hal Netkin subscribes to. Less than two months ago, Netkin attended a speaking engagement for Minutemen Project founder Jim Gilchrist, in Garden Grove. Although Garden Grove is in Orange County and television programs like the OC would have some believe that the city is lily white, there is are a significant amount of activists organizing in the city. As demonstrators held signs and denounced the Garden Grove Women's Civic Club that hosted the engagement, Netkin ran over four protestors, sending two of them to the hospital. Not surprisingly, Garden Grove police hesitated in arresting Netkin, ignoring the victim's and witness' pleas for over half-an-hour before arresting him. After spending just a few hours in jail, Netkin was released. Garden Grove police says Netkin feared for his life and had no choice but to defend it by ramming it into the demonstrator's bodies. The District Attorney agr! eed. Meanwhile, Teresa Dang, who was one of the demonstrators that Netkin ran over, has seen her home ransacked by Garden Grove Police, who claim she robbed them of a flashlight. Dang's arraignment has been continued until later this month. Despite organized activism, Garden Grove continues to be a place where a white xenophobe like Netkin can run over demonstrators, yet it's the injured demonstrator that faces prosecution. Regardless, the issue of immigrant rights has galvanized many activists in the community, particularly since the physical attacks in Garden Grove. Not satisfied with their latest Klan-like adventures, which include protesting and intimidating migrant day-laborers who seek work near a local Home Depot, Save Our State has now turned its sights to co- opting two Los Angeles area African American activists: Najee Ali and Earl Ofari Hutchinson. According to SOS founder Joe Turner, Ali expressed interest in working with the group, and put Turner in touch with Hutchinson, who subsequently invited SOS to a monthly Los Angeles Urban Policy Roundtable in Leimert Park, which Hutchinson hosts. According to the SOS website, Hutchinson not only invited Turner to speak at the Roundtable, but he also explained that "he has received tremendous feedback from residents who are angry with illegal immigration and suggested that [Save Our State] will be warmly received by many in the community and at the roundtable." The Roundtable is set for August 20, in the middle of an LA summer, when racial tensions real or perceived, are typically at! their hottest. While Hutchinson admits the invitation, he said that people have been misled by Turner's claims. Hutchinson explained that he is now considering "dis-inviting" the organization. When questioned about Turner's direct statement about community support, Hutchinson responded that he said, instead, that "there are some in our community that have reservations and question about illegal immigration." Interesting. Hutchinson came correct in a recent LA Daily News article pointing out the rampant racism that exists in Mexico, and how a just-issued Mexican stamp featuring a racist, monkey-like Black cartoon character named Pinguin illustrated the degree to which racism is ignored by our neighbors to the South. He called on the Mexican government to drop the stamp, which they, in fact, did do. Just as importantly, Hutchinson has written in the past about the way that "Blacks have little understanding of the political repression and economic destitution that drove many Mexican immigrants to seek refuge in the United States." Unfortunately, Hutchinson may not yet realize that inviting a deeply xenophobic group like SOS will not bridge that understanding, and will instead, stoke the summer flame of racial antagonisms in South LA. I trust that Hutchinson, and Ali along with him, will realize the way the in which anti-immigrant organizations like Save Our State seek to co-opt people of color as a way to divide the solidarity and shared experiences that often cause our communities to work together. While it's true that there are deep tensions between LA's Black and Latino communities, we cannot leave it up to supremacists and xenophobes to control and stifle the dialogue we can and should be engaged in. [7] Excerpt from Web site of the immigrant-bashing group, http://www.saveourstate.org/forums/index.php?showtopic=3480&st=0&; Hello Patriots: Since founding Save Our State, I have often spoke of my desire to expand the tent and to work with other demographics with respect to the battle against the illegal alien invasion. Time and again I have expressed my desire to work with the black community. I believe that the third world invasion of illegal aliens is having a catastrophic impact on the black community. Recently, Najee Ali of Islamic H.O.P.E expressed interest in working with Save Our State on the illegal immigration issue. I spoke with Mr. Ali this weekend and he subsequently put me in touch with Earl Hutchinson who is active in Los Angeles and who hosts the Los Angeles Urban Policy Roundtable. The Roundtable is a non-partisan entity that holds regular meetings to discuss important issues in their community. Obviously, illegal immigration is becoming more and more an issue as time passes. Mr. Hutchinson has invited me to speak at the Roundtable on August 20th. He explained to me that he has received tremendous feedback from residents who are angry with illegal immigration and suggested that we will be warmly received by many in the community and at the roundtable. This is a tremendous opportunity for Save Our State and the entire anti-illegal immigration movement. To my knowledge, we will be the first such organization to ever step foot in the South Central/South Los Angeles area. I am very thankful for this opportunity and believe that with respect to illegal immigration that we will find common ground. With respect to activism, Save Our State stands to learn a great deal from the black community and I believe the black community stands to learn a great deal from Save Our State. I sincerely believe that when the history books are written, that this Roundtable will serve as a watershed event with respect to our movement. Furthermore, assuming that our organization is able to partner with the black community on this issue, I believe it will send shockwaves through out the political structures at the state and federal level...shockwaves that will reverberate with debilitating impact upon our opposition in the open borders lobby. More than any other protest or rally, I call upon each and everyone of you to support Save Our State and myself on August 20th. Your attendance will further communicate and reinforce our statements expressing a desire to work with the black community. Although we have members of all races/colors, the bulk of our membership (like just about every other anti-illegal immigration organization) is white. The presence of many whites from Save Our State who live outside their community would send a resounding message and result in an unquantifiably positive impact on this movement and our organization. Los Angeles Urban Policy Roundtable 3351 W. 43rd St. (Leimert Park) Los Angeles, CA 90043 Saturday, August 20th 10am - 11am --------------------------------------------------------------------------- LAAMN: Los Angeles Alternative Media Network --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Unsubscribe: <mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]> --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Subscribe: <mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]> --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Digest: <mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]> --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Help: <mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]> --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Post: <mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]> --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Archive1: <http://www.egroups.com/messages/laamn> --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Archive2: <http://www.mail-archive.com/[EMAIL PROTECTED]> --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Yahoo! 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