Date: Wed, 13 Mar 2002 09:05:45 -0500
From: Paul Kneisel <tallpaul-AT-nyct.net>
Subject: The Internet Anti-Fascist: Tue, 12 March 2002 -- 6:22 (#658)
__________________________________________________________________________
The Internet Anti-Fascist: Tuesday, 12 March 2002
Vol. 6, Number 22 (#658)
__________________________________________________________________________
Action ALert:
01a) WYFF, "NAACP Plans Greenville Protest: The NAACP said that it is
bringing its fight against the Confederate flag to Greenville," 8
Mar 02
01b) European-American Unity and Rights Organization, "EURO 'Welcome
Patrols' to Greet Tourists in South Carolina," 6 Mar 02
02a) Chicago Anti-Racist Action, "Call to Action! Shut Down the Fascist
WCOTC!" 8 Mar 02
02b) WCOTC, "Controversial Racist Leader to Speak At Chicago Public
Library: Subject to Be 'Jewish Ritual Murder'," 6 Mar 02
Web Sites of Interest:
03) The Mad Revisionist
Book/Movie/TV Reviews:
04) Robert Cassidy (Black Voices), "'Joe and Max:' Compelling Athletes,"
7 Mar 02
News On the Riots In India
05) Beth Duff-Brown (AP), "Theories Abound to Explain India Riots," 6
Mar 02
06) Kalyani (OneWorld South Asia), "Rights Groups Call for Impartial
Inquiry into Indian Massacres," 7 Mar 02
07) Chandra Banerjee (AP), "One Dead, 32 Hurt in India Violence," 10 Mar
02
News On Republican Homophobic Organizing
08) Ann Rostow (PlanetOut), "Anti-gay mailings disrupt Texas GOP," 7 Mar
02
09) Jim Vertuno (AP), "Texas' Lt. Gov. Ratliff says top GOP leaders not
critical enough of anti-gay ads," 7 Mar 02
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ACTION ALERT:
01a) NAACP Plans Greenville Protest: The NAACP said that it is bringing
its fight against the Confederate flag to Greenville
WYFF
8 Mar 02
The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People said it
plans a large protest at the BI-LO Center next week, during the NCAA Men's
basketball tournament games there.
NAACP leaders have called for the removal of the Confederate flag from the
Statehouse grounds in Columbia, where it flies over the Confederate
soldiers' memorial.
The flag was moved there from the dome of the Statehouse in July of 2000,
as part of a compromise by the South Carolina General Assembly.
In part, the agreement was prompted by a NAACP boycott of the state over
the flag.
NAACP leaders said that the compromise still left the flag in a position of
sovereignty and was not sufficient to end the boycott.
Though it did not decide to move the NCAA regional from Greenville, the
NCAA has otherwise honored the NAACP boycott by declining to schedule
future neutral-site championship events in the state.
"We will appeal to those visiting South Carolina to cut short their stay
and discourage them from coming to this state while the banner of division
and hate flies on our statehouse grounds," South Carolina NAACP Executive
Director Dwight James told News 4.
Ed Rubenstein, executive director of the BI-LO Center issued a statement
saying that the arena staff will not try to stop the protest.
"The NAACP's issue is with the NCAA, not the BI-LO Center," Rubenstein
said. "We respect the right of the NAACP to express its point of view. We
will be working with the NAACP and local authorities to ensure their plans
provide a safe and peaceful environment for our patrons."
The NAACP is asking that tourists bypass South Carolina, not stopping or
spending money at businesses in the state.
Last weekend, NAACP members staged what it called border patrol protests at
South Carolina interstate welcome centers, asking travelers to honor the
boycott.
To Sue Or Not To Sue?
South Carolina Attorney General Charlie Condon has threatened to sue the
NAACP over the protests, claiming that they constitute a secondary boycott
of businesses that were not involved in making the decision that the group
disagrees with.
One candidate who wants to succeed Condon said that he wouldn't sue the
NAACP over the rest-area protests, he would have them arrested for creating
a safety hazard.
Republican John Ozmint said Friday that the NAACP absolutely has the right
to protest, just not at the state's rest stops.
"You can boycott anywhere you want, but you can't do it in our rest areas,"
Ozmint told News 4. "It's a safety issue. If they did it, I'd go lock them
up. I wouldn't sue them. I'd just take them and put them in jail."
'Counter-Protest' Planned, Not Supported In-State
A group that calls itself the European-American Rights Organization said
that it plans a counter-protest at the welcome centers this weekend,
encouraging travelers to stop and spend in the state.
South Carolina League of the South spokesman Brooks Brown said that while
his group supports the flag as a symbol of heritage, his group does not
condone the counter-protest. He said that the EURO group is affiliated with
"the racist David Duke."
"We would prefer it if they would leave South Carolina's problems for South
Carolinians to solve," Brooks said in a release. "We are a peaceful, law-
abiding group that wants only to promote the values of South Carolina in
contrast to these other groups who seek to harm the reputation and good
name of our sovereign state."
- - - - -
01b) EURO 'Welcome Patrols' to Greet Tourists in South Carolina
European-American Unity and Rights Organization
6 Mar 02
COLUMBIA, S.C. -- The European-American Unity and Rights Organization
(EURO) today announced that they plan to place "welcome patrols" at rest
stops this weekend in South Carolina to greet tourists coming to the state.
"We plan to treat tourists to some good old-fashioned Southern
hospitality," said Roger Stewart, a South Carolina organizer for EURO in
Columbia. "We are proud of our heritage, proud of our flag and proud of our
State."
EURO's actions come just days after the NAACP began "border patrols" in an
effort to stop tourists from spending money in South Carolina. EURO says
the NAACP's tactics are illegal and nothing short of "economic extortion."
In March 2000, EURO announced that the NAACP's boycott of South Carolina
that began in 1999 had backfired. South Carolina Department of Revenue
statistics from 1998 and 1999 show that during the height of the NAACP
boycott, South Carolina had a 9.6% increase in state accommodation taxes; a
tax that is paid mostly by out-of-state visitors.
Collected July - November 1998 - $19,020,395.00
Collected July - November 1999 - $20,851,328.00
In a confidential letter received by EURO between NAACP Director Kweisi
Mfume and the former President of the Southern Heritage Association, Mfume
admitted that the Confederate flag is only the beginning of their efforts
and plan to close battlefields, end reenacting and destroy Southern
monuments. The letter dated January 12, 2000, states:
"As such, our principal objection and litigate efforts until now had been
directed to the Confederate flag use as an official symbol. However, we
feel we are at a great crossroad and feel that a compromise would not be
beneficial to anyone. In the near future, efforts will be aimed at the
removal of racist names, mascots, monuments; and ending the glorification
of Confederate soldiers through what is termed reenacting. We also feel
there could be better use of State and Federal resources by the closing of
museums and battlefields, which are dedicated to the preservation of
slavery."
"I urge all European Americans to oppose the NAACP's ethnic cleansing of
Southern heritage and culture," said EURO National President David Duke.
- - - - -
02a) Call to Action! Shut Down the Fascist WCOTC!
Chicago Anti-Racist Action
8 Mar 02
Matt Hale and the white supremacist World Church of the Creator (WCOTC)
will be holding a public meeting on Saturday March 23rd at 3pm at the
Chicago Public Library at 5108 West Belmont Ave. Chicago, IL 60641. The
WCOTC has been capitalizing on public attention since one its members,
Benjamin Smith, went on a shooting spree in 1999 targeting people of Black,
Asian and Jewish descent. Around the country, the WCOTC's efforts to hold
public meetings have been consistently opposed and disrupted by Anti-Racist
Action and other anti-fascists. These actions have had a significant impact
on the WCOTC's organizing efforts--we need to keep the pressure on! Join us
to shut his meeting down!
Chicago ARA will post more information about this meeting soon. Keep in
touch! Anti-Racist Action Chicago
ara_chicago-AT-ziplip.com
- - - - -
02b) Controversial Racist Leader to Speak At Chicago Public Library:
Subject to Be 'Jewish Ritual Murder'
WCOTC
6 Mar 02
Reverend Matt Hale, dynamic speaker, attorney, and head minister of the
pro-White and anti-Semitic World Church of the Creator, will speak at 3pm
on Saturday March 23rd at the Chicago Public Library, 5108 West Belmont
Ave. Chicago, Illinois 60641. Reverend Haleâ?™s speech is being sponsored
by the European Historical Society. The subject of Reverend Haleâ?™s
speech will be strictly educational in nature and is entitled, "Jewish
Ritual Murder: How and Why Jews Have Sacrificed Non-Jewish Children As Part
of Their Religion".
This speech marks the first public speech that Reverend Hale has
given in Chicago itself. His speech in Schaumburg on August 25th was met
by hundreds of protestors as well as supporters. Reverend Hale, however,
has been undeterred by those opposed to his message of truth and White
empowerment and plans on many speeches in the weeks and months ahead around
the country.
Reverend Hale stated today, "I am very happy to be coming back to
the Chicago area for this speech and thank the European Historical Society
for inviting me. This will be an educational speech focusing on the
history and present of Jewish Ritual Murder. I believe that it is very
important for the light of research to be cast upon the actions of those
sick Jews who are abducting and murdering our children as a form of ritual
sacrifice to their god. I will further be presenting ample evidence
proving that Jewish Ritual Murder is indeed a fact rather than a â?˜blood
libelâ?™ as the Jews themselves claim."
Reverend Hale stated further: "Essentially, the Jews have
throughout Europe and elsewhere murdered Gentile children by draining and
often consuming their blood. While this claim may seem incredible and I
certainly do not claim that a high percentage of Jews have partaken in
this, the evidence is quite clear that Gentile children have indeed been
murdered as part of a Jewish religious sacrifice and many Jews have in fact
been tried and convicted for this crime. The people deserve to know about
this reality so that steps may be taken to protect the present and future
generations of our children."
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WEB SITES OF INTEREST:
03) The Mad Revisionist
http://www.reptiles.org/~madrev/Titanic/The-Mad-Revisionist.htm
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BOOK/MOVIE/TV REVIEWS
04) 'Joe and Max:' Compelling Athletes
Robert Cassidy (Black Voices)
7 Mar 02
The challenge of making a movie on the respective lives of former
heavyweight champions Joe Louis and Max Schmeling was surely complex. Their
lives extended far beyond the boxing ring.
Fortunately, Starz! Pictures and director Steve James got it right. "Joe
and Max," a Starz! original motion picture that airs Saturday at 8 p.m.
EST, is an accurate portrayal of their two fights and the lives they led
after boxing.
Louis and Schmeling fought each other twice between 1936 and 1938 and the
second bout is regarded as one of the most historic heavyweight title
fights in history. It was not because the fight was particularly
competitive -- it took Louis 124 seconds to win by knockout -- but it was
the social ramifications that were attatched to the fight that made it
important. And thus made this movie worthwhile.
Louis was an African-American champion and Schmeling the German challenger.
As Europe moved rapidly toward World War II, fueled by Adolf Hitler's idea
of Aryan supremacy, both fighters came to symbolize opposite sides of the
war. Nazi Germany was counting on a Schmeling victory to further the cause
of their racist doctrine.
The story begins in 1936 when Louis, a rising heavyweight contender, gets
knocked out by Schmeling, a former champion. Although Schmeling was a good
heavyweight with a strong punch, the result was a significant upset and
raised numerous questions about Louis' ability.
A year later, Louis knocked out James J. Braddock to become the first
African-American heavyweight champion since Jack Johnson in 1915. To his
credit, Louis said he could not be considered a true champion until he
avenged his loss against Schmeling.
The subhead to the film's title reads, "Their countries demanded
heroes...They just wanted to be champions."
It was true.
Although he was not a Nazi, Schmeling was used by the Third Reich as a
propoganda tool. In the United States, Louis was lifted up as the defender
of democracy. He was even summoned to the White House by Franklin Delano
Roosevelt prior to the historic rematch.
Many African-American fighters who emerged after Louis often refer to him
as an idol and recall their entire families sitting by the radio listening
to his fights. A decade before Jackie Robinson, Louis was the sports icon
for black America in that era. But as his career progressed he transcended
racial barriers and was beloved by much of America. The great sportswriter
Jimmy Cannon once wrote of Louis, "He is a credit to his race. The human
race."
Neither fighter was comfortable with politics but Schmeling had a far more
difficult time because he was summoned by Hitler to pose for photographs
and was privately and publicly pressured to follow the party line.
In truth, the movie does a fine job in portraying Schmeling's internal
struggle. The fighter had several Jewish business partners and his boxing
manager in the United States, Joe Jacobs, was Jewish.
He would later risk his life by hiding the children of one of his Jewish
partners. And although he was ordered to dismiss Jacobs, Schmeling kept the
manager on the payroll but hid him in a lower profile. Jacobs was also
subjected to ridicule by American Jews for managing what the world
perceived as a Nazi heavyweight.
The rematch between Louis and Schmeling took place on June 22, 1938 at
Yankee Stadium. The presence of Schmeling, and the fight, were protested in
the United States.
Louis, truly one of the sport's great heavyweights, quickly displayed his
superiority. He attacked Schmeling from the outset and knocked him out in
the first round.
The fight scenes in the movie are choreographed well and the director
captures the essence of the era by recreating the old Yankee Stadium, Jack
Dempsey's Restaurant and even Louis' training camp in Pompton Lakes, N.J.
Leonard Roberts, as Louis, and Til Schweiger, as Schmeling, do an admirable
job portraying their characters and are believable as fighters. But they
both look too young. The baby-faced Roberts looks like a teenager and while
Schweiger is older, he does not appear to be nine years older than Louis,
the true age difference between the fighters.
The pace of the movie slows after the second fight, largely because the
lives of the main characters did as well. Both served in the military
during World War II. While Louis boxed exhibitions to entertain U.S.
troops, Schmeling was not given special consideration and was wounded in
combat.
Life after boxing was not particularly kind to Louis. He owed more than $1
million in back taxes and was often reduced to refereeing or pro wrestling
to earn money. Schmeling, though, bought a Coca-Cola distributor and has
since led a comfortable life. In his 90s, he still lives in Germany.
Louis, who spent his last years working as a greeter at a Las Vegas casino,
died in 1981.
James, who also directed the Academy Award-nominated documentary "Hoop
Dreams," stays very true to the story. This film could have easily been a
compelling documentary. James does an admirable job of making it a
compelling film.
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NEWS ON THE RIOTS IN INDIA
05) Theories Abound to Explain India Riots
Beth Duff-Brown (AP)
6 Mar 02
AHMADABAD, India -- The day after the deadly train fire that ignited Hindu-
Muslim violence in western India, local authorities blamed the attack on a
railroad platform fracas among angry Muslim tea vendors and slogan-chanting
Hindus.
Nearly a week later, conspiracy theories abound about who was behind the
assault, which claimed 58 Hindu lives and set off riots and attacks that
left more than 500 people dead, most of them Muslims.
Indian officials, as they often do, hinted at a Pakistan link to the train
fire in Godhra on Feb. 27. Other Indians wondered if Islamic militants had
a hidden hand in lighting the fire.
Islamic Pakistan has denied involvement and called on India to stop the
killings of Muslims, who are a minority in India.
What appears clear is that Hindus and Muslims in this western desert state
don't blame their neighbors, even though they may have turned on them in
anger or fled them in fear.
They blame religious extremists and outside influences.
"All this, blame the Hindu and Muslim fundamentalists," said Satish
Aggarwal, a Hindu whose milk shop survived the riots. "We blame the Muslims
in Godhra for starting it. But we know the ISI (Pakistan's intelligence
service) was behind that."
Aggarwal, surveying the damage in his community in Ahmadabad, the
commercial capital of Gujarat state, was expressing a common belief held by
Indians: Pakistan and its Inter-Services Intelligence spy agency, ISI, is
behind many of their woes.
"The needle of suspicion" pointed to some "outside terrorist outfit," said
India's Home Minister L.K. Advani.
Vipul Vijoy Singh, head of Gujarat's anti-terrorism squad, said Indian
intelligence officials were investigating whether ISI agents had a hand in
provoking the train fire.
"Intelligence is working very hard on various reports on anti-national
elements operating within the country and those who are funding operations
from outside," Singh was quoted as saying in Tuesday's The Asian Age
newspaper.
Police have arrested 27 people in the train massacre, including Mohammed
Hussain Abdul Rahim Kalota, a Muslim who is chairman of the Godhra
municipality.
Indian government spokeswoman Nirupama Rao said Pakistani involvement could
not be ruled out, adding "there is every reason for us to investigate
whether there is a larger design to this whole situation."
Indian and Pakistani soldiers have been nose-to-nose along their disputed
frontier for months, since India blamed the ISI and Pakistan-based Islamic
militant groups for the Dec. 13 attack on its Parliament that left 14
people dead.
A main point of contention is disputed Kashmir (news - web sites), over
which the neighbors have fought two wars. New Delhi accuses Pakistan of
supporting Islamic separatists in India-held Kashmir. Islamabad says it
gives the militants only moral support.
Pakistan scoffed at accusations it was involved in the train attack.
"People within and outside India expect an early end to the ongoing
genocide rather than indulging in the game of blaming others," said a
statement from Pakistan's government.
The blame game resumed Tuesday, in ways that Pakistan likely would applaud.
Police in Ahmadabad filed several reports accusing local leaders of Prime
Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee's Hindu nationalist party and the
fundamentalist World Hindu Council of leading Hindus into Muslim
communities and commanding them to burn Muslims alive.
Gujarat state secretary for the World Hindu Council, Jaideep Patel, denied
that members of his group were involved in the attacks.
Pran Chopra, a political scientist with India's Center for Policy Research,
said Hindu-Muslim riots have traditionally been orchestrated by those with
power. In this case, that would be Muslim political leaders in Godhra and
Hindu nationalists in Gujarat.
"The conspiracy theories are neither completely true, nor are they entirely
baseless," Chopra said.
When asked if Pakistan or possibly Osama bin Laden (news - web sites)'s al-
Qaida terrorism network could have had a role in the train fire, Chopra
said he would not rule out indirect involvement.
"The parentage of the al-Qaida and the parentage of those who might have
planned this might be the same," he said. "The very people who produced the
al-Qaida are the people who have their own sympathizers and supporters in
Gujarat."
Kanti Bajpai, a professor of international affairs at Jawaharlal Nehru
University in New Delhi, said the train attack appeared to be a well-
planned assault and may have been Muslim extremists trying to polarize the
communities.
"It was tailor-made to make riots in a very calculated way," Bajpai said.
Still, he believes the root of the riots lie in the north Indian town of
Ayodhya, which Hindus believe is the birthplace of their most revered god,
Rama.
Most of the Hindus killed on the train were activists returning from a
pilgrimage to Ayodhya. The World Hindu Council insists it will begin prayer
ceremonies in Ayodhya next week in preparation for building a Rama temple,
defying court orders to wait.
But in a concession Tuesday, the group said it would let the Supreme Court
decide whether it can build on the disputed site.
Muslims deeply resent the temple project as the site is where a 16th-
century mosque was torn down by Hindus in 1992, provoking riots that killed
2,000 people.
"We know historically that when the temple issue is roiled up, there's
going to be communal violence," Bajpai said.
Relations between Hindus and Muslims have been rocky since the end of
British colonial rule in 1947. An estimated 1 million Hindus, Muslims and
Sikhs were killed in rioting that accompanied the partition of Pakistan
from the Indian subcontinent. Still, they have lived in relative harmony in
India and clashes are rare.
- - - - -
06) Rights Groups Call for Impartial Inquiry into Indian Massacres
Kalyani (OneWorld South Asia)
7 Mar 02
As India set up a commission Wednesday to look into the deaths of over 600
people in a week of sectarian violence, an international rights group
called for a "full, independent, and impartial" inquiry into the failure of
authorities to curb the riots.
London-based Minority Rights Group International (MRG) raised concerns
yesterday over reports that police officers failed to act decisively to
quell the violence which has rocked the western Indian state of Gujarat
over the past seven days.
MRG's call for the commission pay "full attention...to the actions of the
police, the military, and the civil authorities," came as the Indian
government announced that a one-man commission, headed by a retired Gujarat
judge, would submit its report on the massacres in three months.
The violence in Gujarat broke out February 27 after a group of Muslims set
fire to a train carrying Hindu activists. The deaths of 58 passengers in
the blaze prompted a campaign of vicious reprisal attacks, mostly on
Muslims, which claimed the lives of a further 550.
The attacks are believed to have been carried out by members of the Vishwa
Hindu Parishad (VHP) party, a partner of the Bharatiya Janata Party which
rules Gujarat and leads the New Delhi coalition government.
After the initial attack, opposition parties had urged the leaders of
Gujarat to calm mounting tensions which they feared could lead to
retaliation. But following VHP calls for demonstrations, an orgy of
violence ensued with some rioters burning people alive in their houses.
"The Gujurat State administration has been accused of delaying deployment
of the military to restore order and prevent further violence," said MRG's
director Mark Lattimer. "The violence was absolutely appalling, but sadly,
it was not surprising."
Human rights groups within India have also expressed concern over the
Gujarat government's failure to rein in anti-Muslim rioters who have
continued their campaign of violence.
"It is of utmost importance that the state government takes quick action to
prevent the rhetoric of hatred and encouragement of violence from
occurring," said the People's Union for Civil Liberties (PUCL), reacting to
news reports Wednesday that 13 more people had been killed.
The Gujarat massacres are linked to a long spell of violence that
surrounded an uprising by radical Hindus in the early 1990s at a sacred
site in Ayodhya, in the northern state of Uttar Pradesh. At least 2,000
people, mostly Muslims, were killed in fighting over the city's 16th
century mosque, located on a site where Hindu fundamentalists were seeking
to build a temple.
Destruction of the mosque prompted a national and international outcry,
which kept the pro-temple Ram movement underground for nearly 10 years. But
in recent months, VHP activists have reignited the temple campaign. Hindu
activists killed on the train were members of this group on their way back
to Gujarat from Ayodhya.
The most recent spate of violence has, in addition to the deaths, caused
losses worth US$396 million to the economy of Gujarat, one of the most
industrialized states in India. It has also led to the internal
displacement of 35,000 Muslims.
Amnesty International said it had received reports that police were
obstructing the work of nongovernmental organizations bringing relief
supplies for those driven to seek refuge in makeshift camping sites.
"We are concerned that without these essential supplies, and the presence
of neutral organizations to calm the situation, more people may die," the
group said this week.
MRG called for negotiations between leaders of local Hindu and Muslim
communities in order to reach a long-term solution to the problem.
"Instead of allowing politicians to lead the debate, let the community
leaders have a dialog," said Lattimer. "It's important for a country like
India, which has such strong secular traditions, to ensure that the rights
of its religious minorities are respected."
- - - - -
07) One Dead, 32 Hurt in India Violence
Chandra Banerjee (AP)
10 Mar 02
CALCUTTA, India - Hindu activists on Sunday fought police trying to enforce
a ban on large gatherings imposed after India's worst religious violence in
a decade. One activist was killed and 32 people, mostly police, were
injured.
Police and paramilitary forces were attacked when they tried to break up
the crowd at a train station in Paldi, 12 miles south of Calcutta. Police
responded by beating the group back with wooden sticks, lobbing tear gas
and finally opening fire, said local government administrator Alapan
Bandopadhyay.
Dozens of Hindu hard-liners were defying a ban on congregations of more
than four people. The ban was imposed after more than 700 people were
killed in Hindu-Muslim clashes earlier this month.
A member of the fundamentalist World Hindu Council, which organized the
ceremony, was killed in the shooting, and 32 people including 25 police
officers were injured. Most of the injured activists had bullet wounds in
their legs, while policemen were injured by rocks and other objects hurled
by the mob, Bandopadhyay said.
Members of the Hindu group were preparing to hold a religious ceremony in a
show of support for a disputed plan to build a temple on the site of a
razed 16th-century mosque in western India. The mosque was destroyed by
Hindu fundamentalists in 1992.
The planned ceremony involved throwing offerings of flowers, wheat, butter
and twigs into a fire while chanting Hindu hymns.
On Feb. 27, Muslims torched a train car filled with Hindus returning from
the site of the planned temple in Ayodhya, touching off India's worst
religious violence in a decade.
Also Sunday, Muslim leaders meeting in New Delhi rejected a proposal to
allow the World Hindu Council to hold a prayer service near the disputed
site on March 15.
"The Babri Masjid (mosque) site is not to be sold, gifted or bargained,"
Syed Shahabuddin, a member of the All India Muslim Personal Law Board, was
quoted as saying afterward by the Press Trust of India (news - web sites)
news agency.
Hindu hard-liners had initially planned to begin construction of the temple
on the mosque site on March 15 but have since said they will wait for the
Supreme Court to rule on the dispute.
Thousands of police and paramilitary troops are guarding Ayodhya, 345 miles
east of New Delhi, to prevent further religious clashes.
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NEWS ON REPUBLICAN HOMOPHOBIC ORGANIZING
08) Anti-gay mailings disrupt Texas GOP
Ann Rostow (PlanetOut)
7 Mar 02
With less than a week before the March 12 Texas primary election,
Republicans in the Lone Star state are up in arms about a series of
mailings sent by the far right Free Enterprise Political Action Committee
(FreePAC).
The fliers targeted about two dozen GOP moderates, accusing several of them
of supporting the "radical homosexual agenda," assisted suicide and other
propositions. At least three lawmakers who voted for the Texas hate crimes
bill in the last session were attacked with hit pieces showing two men
kissing, two men getting married or photos of parade-goers in leather.
In addition to being characterized as pro-gay, state Rep. Brian McCall was
accused of advocating classroom discussions of gay sex.
"Do you want young school children to be allowed to read the North American
Man/Boy Love Association magazine in the classroom?" asked the McCall
flier.
State Sen. Jeff Wentworth was described as "extremely liberal."
Superimposed on a photo of several teenaged girls was the text: "They can't
vote. They can't drive a car. They can't buy alcohol or cigarettes. But
Jeff Wentworth believes teens are responsible enough to abort their own
children."
In a press conference Wednesday, Lt. Gov. Bill Ratliff, (who is running for
the state senate), called FreePAC's mailing "political pornography," and
asked lawmakers from both parties to join him in condemning the half-
million-dollar campaign.
"This type of hate mongering is reminiscent of the Nazis," said Ratliff.
"This type of hate mongering is reminiscent of the Ku Klux Klan." In fact.
one of FreePAC's six-figure contributors, according to Ratliff, is James
Lightner, who has financed former Klan Grand Dragon David Duke on five
separate occasions.
Several top state Republicans, including Gov. Rick Perry, Comptroller
Carole Keeton Rylander, Agriculture Commissioner Susan Combs and former
state Supreme Court Justice Greg Abbott, are among those speaking out
publicly against FreePAC. Perry called FreePAC's tactics, "divisive and
unacceptable," while the Republican Party of Texas spokesman Ted Royer said
the state GOP "does not condone tactics like these that diminish our public
discourse."
- - - - -
09) Texas' Lt. Gov. Ratliff says top GOP leaders not critical enough of
anti-gay ads
Jim Vertuno (AP)
7 Mar 02
AUSTIN, Texas -- The lieutenant governor and more than 20 legislators are
condemning a conservative group's anti-gay political fliers and criticizing
the governor and other top Republicans for not taking a stronger stand
against the attack ads.
One of the fliers, targeting Lt. Gov. Bill Ratliff, shows photos of men
kissing and says Ratliff supports "the homosexual agenda." Similar fliers
target fellow Republicans facing primary challenges.
Ratliff, who is married and has three children, called the attacks
"political pornography" and likened them to Nazi and terrorist propaganda.
In the rare infighting just days before the Republican primary, Ratliff on
Wednesday criticized GOP Gov. Rick Perry for not doing more to distance
himself from the attack ads.
Perry had said on Tuesday that the ads were "divisive and unacceptable."
"I disagree with the lieutenant governor that I did not go far enough and
strong enough," Perry said Wednesday. "I think sometimes we get a little
carried away with political rhetoric."
Ratliff, a senator who replaced Perry as lieutenant governor when former
Gov. George Bush became president, is seeking re-election to his Senate
seat. He decided against running for lieutenant governor, saying he was
uncomfortable with the politics of such a campaign.
Perry is unopposed for governor in the GOP primary.
The fliers were sent by the conservative Free Enterprise PAC, a group that
says it is nonpartisan and dedicated to electing conservative politicians.
FreePAC chairman Richard Ford stood by the mailings and questioned whether
Ratliff was attempting to stifle free speech.
"Judging from the legislators' reactions, we have told the truth. Every
record vote was documented," Ford said.
Ratliff was joined Wednesday by more than 20 members of the House and
Senate in denouncing the mailings. Among the group were Republican Sens.
Jane Nelson and Todd Staples, who FreePAC ranks as the state's top two
conservative senators.
Nelson said she asked FreePAC to take her picture off its Web site.
"I don't want people to think I'm supporting putting that type of material
in mailboxes," she said.
In addition to the governor, the group criticized Land Commissioner David
Dewhurst, who vying to replace Ratliff as lieutenant governor, for not
taking a stronger stand against the ads. Dewhurst contributed $85,000 to
FreePAC in 1994-1999. He spoke out against the ads Tuesday, but Ratliff
said he should have gone farther.
"Lieutenant Governor Ratliff is understandably upset about being the target
of negative mudslinging," Dewhurst said Wednesday.
Texas Democrats also jumped into the Republican fray, calling on Perry and
other state Republicans to sever all ties with FreePAC.
"The Texas GOP should denounce this extremist outfit and quit doing
business with it," said Democrat Party Chairwoman Molly Beth Malcolm.
* * * * *
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FASCISM:
We have no ethical right to forgive, no historical right to forget.
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