And now:[EMAIL PROTECTED] writes: Sent by Catherine Davids, U of M , Flint..thanks..:) FROM UNIVERSAL PRESS SYNDICATE FOR RELEASE: WEEK OF OCTOBER 1, 1999 COLUMN OF THE AMERICAS by Patrisia Gonzales and Roberto Rodriguez RUN BUCHANAN, RUN We won't beat around the political bush: Pat Buchanan is a bad man .. a bad, bad man. In fact, we think he's so bad, he's as close to being a fascist as any U.S. politician this century. To his chagrin, we'll even say it in Spanish: Es un hombre malo. Muy, muy malo. Through his own words, one can deduce that Buchanan is an anti-Semite, an unrepentant racial bigot and a proud xenophobe. Despite this, as he prepares to run on the backs of the Reform Party, the general response by the media has been to portray the Washington D.C.-born and raised candidate as a fiery outsider who has a strong "blue-collar appeal." This media characterization is truly a high insult to working people. This is a man who has never met a wall, moat or Confederate flag he didn't like, nor a civil or human rights law he didn't try to destroy. And our body politic -- including the media -- ponders whether his presence on the 2000 ballot will help elect a liberal as opposed to critiquing the effect of far-out extremism on the fabric of this nation. In 1992, columnist Carl Rowan called Buchanan's GOP convention speech that year "the closest he had ever heard to a Nazi address." Even some Republicans, including Arizona Sen. John McCain are encouraging his departure from the GOP. Contrary to what politicians say, elections aren't simply about winning or power. They also create a social climate and influence our culture. As such, with Buchanan on the ballot, we can rest assured that we will all continue to be harangued with the politics of hate and blame - - with immigrants as the No. 1 target. As an example, here's a 1996 Buchanan quote, compliments of University of Minnesota professor, Dennis Valdez: "They've (immigrants) got no right to break our laws and break into our country and go on welfare. And some of them commit crimes." On affirmative action: " 'Hispanics' were not victims of 100 years of racial discrimination. There were few Hispanics even in the United States 40 years ago. How, then, can the feds justify favoring Hispanics over sons of white Americans who fought in WWII or Vietnam?" (1995) In that quote, he revealed not only his bigotry, but also his complete ignorance of U.S. history, particularly the involvement of Mexican Americans, Puerto Ricans and other Latinos in U.S. military history. Incidentally, he doesn't favor redress for African or Native Americans either. Despite this, we acknowledge his right to run for president, though if he does bolt to the Reform Party, it's most certain that he will destroy it. However, we don't agree that his presence as a third-party candidate would ensure a Democratic victory. There's no guarantee that whatever voters Buchanan would attract would have voted for a Republican or have voted at all. He draws his main support from hate- radio fanatics. Buchanan should run. It's when voices are suppressed that political extremism goes underground. But to be sure, neither Buchanan nor his views have ever been suppressed. It is precisely because he has a media-sanctioned voice that we know of his venomous extremism and that most Americans have repudiated him. What we do worry about is the uncritical nature in which the media is currently projecting Buchanan. The fact is, his social positions are actually not that radically different from that of the GOP -- he just doesn't mask his views. That is why GOP chair Jim Nicholson and front-runner George W. Bush, rather than repudiate him, have urged Buchanan to stay under the GOP tent. Here are a few other uncensored Buchanan quotes: "I will stop this immigration cold. Period. ... I'll build that security fence, and we'll close it, and we'll say, 'Listen Jose, you're not coming in." (1995) His take on this nation's purported culture wars: "There is nothing wrong with sitting down and arguing that we are a European country." (1995) His view of multiculturalism: "an across-the-board assault on our Anglo-American heritage." (1996) A man with his kind of views can hardly be considered as having "blue-collar appeal." At one level, this characterization foists on us the myth that the more well-to-do are less prone to bigotry or that bigotry has a special appeal to blue-collar workers. Nor can his views be considered as having a special appeal to Catholics and Christian fundamentalists -- as is also being uncritically reported by the media. We've pored over the Bible and have yet to find support for Buchanan's brand of bigotry there. Perhaps he deserves more credit than is given to him. His brand of politics appeals to bigots of all classes, stripes and colors. COPYRIGHT 1999 UNIVERSAL PRESS SYNDICATE * Both writers are authors of Gonzales/Rodriguez: Uncut & Uncensored (ISBN 0-918520-22-3 UC Berkeley, Ethnic Studies Library, Publications Unit. Rodriguez is the author of Justice: A Question of Race (Cloth ISBN 0-927534-69-X paper ISBN 0-927534-68-1 Bilingual Review Press) and the antibook, The X in La Raza II and Codex Tamuanchan: On Becoming Human. They can be reached at PO BOX 7905, Albq NM 87194-7904, 505-242- 7282 or [EMAIL PROTECTED] Reprinted under the Fair Use http://www4.law.cornell.edu/uscode/17/107.html doctrine of international copyright law. &&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&& Tsonkwadiyonrat (We are ONE Spirit) Unenh onhwa' Awayaton http://www.tdi.net/ishgooda/ UPDATES: CAMP JUSTICE http://shell.webbernet.net/~ishgooda/oglala/ &&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&
