Bruin Republicans hypocritical I was amused to
see the Bruin Republicans’ one-page paid advertisement
proclaiming itself as an act of “civility,” a word that
describes the act of showing regard for others. I see no sign of
such regard. Instead, I see the dollar signs of a well-funded
attack. Perhaps more troubling, I wonder if Bruin Republicans
painted itself into a corner with its demand that MEChA renounce
“El Plan Espiritual de Aztlán,” which BR
mistakenly identifies as MECha’s founding document. (In point
of fact, it was written after MEChA was established at UCLA in
1967.) Bruin Republicans bases this demand on the “founding
ideals of the United States ““ equality and justice.”
These ideals are expressed in our nation’s founding document,
the Constitution and have provided a model for the world. But the
Constitution also makes clear references to enslaved people as
being only three-fifths of a person and as property that must be
returned to its rightful owner. Clearly, the Bruin Republicans
would agree these original tenets are not only racist but provide
legal support for unspeakable crimes against humanity. Then,
according to their own logic, the Bruin Republicans must now
denounce the Constitution. I, for one, refuse to do so, even if the
Bruin Republicans feel they must or risk revealing themselves as
hypocrites. I love my country. It has proven time and again that it
can right its wrongs and that its Constitution can be amended to
ensure justice and equality for all. Most of all, our country has
shown remarkable tolerance and compassion, not just for others, but
for its own past. As such, the offending sections of the
Constitution remain in place as a reminder of where we started. It
would be anti-American to do otherwise. I have had the opportunity
to work closely with MEChA students over the past 12 years at UCLA.
In their public and community service, not to mention their
personal commitments as students, they have exemplified what is
great about UCLA and America. Rather than denounce MEChA and the
Constitution, the Bruin Republicans might consider an actual
dialogue with student groups of color.
Chon A. Noriega Director, UCLA Chicano Studies Research
Center
MEChA document is only historical I am not a
member of MEChA, nor have I ever been associated with the group.
However, I was dismayed to arrive on campus Monday morning to find
a slew of ignorant posters berating MEChA for an ideology it
doesn’t even adhere to. Does Bruin Republicans have nothing
better to do with its time or the $28,000 it has recently received?
Nobody is contesting Bruin Republicans’ claim that “El
Plan Espiritual de Aztlán” may contain some so-called
racist remarks. But, Bruin Republicans repeatedly insists on
attaching this historical document to MEChA, though the group does
not follow it literally. Given the Republican Party’s
long-standing existence in the United States, perhaps the members
of Bruin Republicans would like to debate some of the exclusionary
tenets of the original United States Constitution or pre-Civil War
slavery laws or laws regarding the internment of Japanese Americans
during World War II? Oh. Wait. I forgot. They don’t subscribe
to those anymore. If MEChA was actively fulfilling the
“racist” ideologies of “El Plan,” I could
support an investigation or a debate. However, like the
Constitution and aforementioned exclusionary laws, “El
Plan” is a historical document, marking the sentiments of a
different era in our history. If any entity should be accused of
anti-Americanism, it is the Bruin Republicans, which seems ignorant
of its own country’s historical past. It is obvious there is
nothing to debate.
Ashley Davidson Graduate student Comparative
literature