August 30, 2003: 2. RACISM IN CALIFORNIA.

By now it's well-known that the Lieutenant-Governor of California belongs to an organization with a motto that makes it rather more racist than the Ku Klux Klan (which, I think, likes at least to pretend to give *something* to Blacks). Via Fox News:

MEChA's motto is "for the race, everything. For those outside the race, nothing." Critics say affiliation with that kind of group could spell political ruin for a white candidate and are upset that little attention has been paid to Bustamante's relationship with the group. He belonged to MEChA while attending Fresno State University in the 1970s.

....

"Joining MEChA was a rite of passage just like if a black student joined a black student union. And if you didn't join, you weren't Chicano. The question is why hasn't he renounced it now. It is a racist organization," said radio talk show host Larry Elder.

Bustamante doesn't renounce it now. He supports Mecha:
LOS ANGELES --- California Lt. Gov. Cruz Bustamante (search), the grandson of Mexican immigrants who counts improving race relations among his biggest pursuits, refused Thursday to renounce his past ties to a little-known Hispanic organization considered by critics to be as racist as the Ku Klux Klan.

Instead, Bustamante, who is running to be governor of California, praised the Chicano Student Movement of Aztlan, or MEChA (search), and said he still supports it.

Why don't people fuss over this? Three reasons, I suppose. First: this shows the contemptible status of the position of Lt. Gov. Second: he is a Democrat, and hence immune from criticism for racism, sexual harassment, and suchlike issues. Third: Mecha is not a caucasian (what word should I use?) organization, and hence we don't take it seriously. When the Klan marches, liberals tremble. When Farrakhan or Mecha marches, they think it's cute. Conservatives tremble at neither, knowing that none of the three organizations has any chance of doing what it wants to do, while also knowing that they do mean whatever nasty things they say.

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