The right-wing sets traps; we are not obligated to walk into them

February 25, 2006

Guest Post by Morbo

Some students at Kutztown University of Pennsylvania are upset because two weeks ago, in an effort to mock Black History Month, the College Republicans held a bake sale where they charged students different prices based on their race or gender.

The Allentown Morning Call reported that 100 protestors held a march on campus and demanded that Kutztown President F. Javier Cevallos take action. Cevallos met with the protestors but pointed out that the principle of free speech means campus groups have the right to do offensive things. Reported the Call:

He asserted students’ rights to freedom of speech on both sides of the issue, even if some find it offensive. Cavallos promised to have a forum on the issue next week.

Akeesha Washington, one of the students organizing the protest, insisted that more be done. “College Republicans and other conservative groups have held these bake sales all over the country and other schools have shut them down,” Washington said. “We won’t stop until the university takes some action on this.”

It’s frustrating to read stories like this. The College Republicans set a trap, and the protestors walked right into it. Now the College Republicans can scream and whine that their free-speech rights are being violated, which is what they wanted to do all along. I can guarantee you the bake sale idea came from the playbook of a national conservative group. The fact that these sales have taken place at colleges all over the country proves it.

If I could say one thing to the students at Kutztown, it would be this: I don’t blame you for being offended. But there is a better way to respond. Ignore the stupid bake sale and deny the College Republicans the free publicity they seek. Better yet, hold a counter-event debunking right-wing claims about affirmative action. Use the event to expose the hypocrisy of the GOP, which seeks black votes yet tolerates these subtle forms of racism. Do something positive, proactive. In other words, stop letting the right-wing set the agenda and forcing you to react to it.

Be creative. Setting up a table a few yards away offering free cookies along with fliers about affirmative action and/or Black History Month would have been a nifty way to put the College Republicans on the defensive.

The proper response to stupid speech is not to shut it down. It’s to offer better speech. Right-wing groups are great at using cheap stunts to provoke confrontations. Progressives don’t always have to take the bait — even when it comes in the form of a tasty cookie.

February 25, 2006 at 10:16 am

Yup

I’m not surprised that F. Javier Cevallos did nothing. G. Gordon Liddy, E. Howard Hunt, J. Dan Quayle, J. Edgar Hoover, John Ellis Bush (Jeb)wouldn’t have done anything either. I know I’ve left out many of the other righties that all seem to hate their first name- and Jebbie hates both his first and middle names.

Morbius, Thank you for a refreshingly intelligent response to these types of provocations.

I just hope that others will listen to and follow your sage advise.

Well, I can see why the Republicans feel marginalized. Look at all those blacks holidng executive positions, making 25% more than whites, easily getting low interest loans, never having to be followed when they shop at a Macy’s, never stereotyped by the media, and when’s the last time you saw a black man ever get stopped by the police walking down a sidewalk in the suburbs? Damn affirmative action.

Organize an african-american student group to go buy all of their cookies at a reduced price. Then they won’t have anything to sell! Send them the message “You’ve made your point, you’re an idiot, now move along.”

As the organizer of the recent march at KU, I want to make it clear that I stated we were not marching in protest against the KUCR. That would be stupid and pointless to have a march against a bake sale. The march was to protest our administration. The fact that racially insensitive comments were made during the bake sale is what we were protesting. I understand freedom of speech, and the rights by ALL people to share their thoughts and beliefs. BUT, when you start pointing at people and saying they’re here because of Affirmative action, that blacks at KU are educational substandard, that Blacks get a free ride with little expectation, that’s when I will protest those statements, I will march until MY administration does something. Because just as they have the right to express themselves why don’t I have the same rights? I have never received any money, grants, or discounts because of the color of my skin, and for someone to assume that and accuse me of getting a free ride is unethical. SO I just want to make it clear this Silent March was not against an organization, but against the tolerance of racial comments at this University that just happened to be made by KUCR. If it were any other organization the students and I would feel the same way, and would have done the same thing. I’m so shocked that in 2006 people will defend comments that are clearly racially motivated and insensitive. I always thought the Civil Rights showed that I am just as good and deserving of the same freedoms as any other person. I guess that’s not the case at Kutztown, Berks county and all other surrounding counties that sent me rude messages.

Justin,

I “feel your pain” (to quote Clinton, not one of my favorite presidents), but free speech is free speech, even if it is hurtful (note: I’m not saying “harmful” as in shouting “fire” in a movie theater). “Sticks and stones may break my bones, but names will never hurt me.” Several people here had better ideas: put on a neighboring cookie giveaway or buy up all the bigots’ cookies. I have no idea of the logistics involved there, but organzing a boycott might be another tactic (with or without Christian or patriotic support). Of course, any of these would prove more costly in money, time or effort than a protest march, but it’s like letter-writing vs. email: you want results, you pay.

I disagree with Morbo on one point: I do not think that this bake sale is subtle racism. There seems nothing subtle about it to me, and it is offensive. Still, these jokers have a right to express themselves. It is my understanding that College Republicans is the “Farm Team” for people who will want to run for public office – or work for those who do – when their college days are over. I think the best way to deal with the bake sales is to get all participants on the record. What are their names? What is their objection to a month dedicated to the celebration of the history and contributions of black people in this country and in the world? Do they feel that such recognition detracts from celebration of the history and contributions of others? Is Black History Month another form of affirmative action? Have they held bake sales to protest other “X” history months? Where do they draw the line on that? How do they square their party’s overtures to African Americans and other people of color with a bake sale that is clearly meant to humiliate members of those communities? What are their backgrounds? Who are their parents or other connections? Have them describe their beliefs about affirmative action. How has it harmed them? Do they think that society offers minorities a truly level playing field? Get them to make stupid, racist statements that expose their mindset and make it clear that for all of Ken Mehlman’s platitudes and Dubya’s penetrating questions about “What have the Democrats done for you lately?” the Republican party remains at is core a party that wants to keep blacks in their “places.” Let them talk themselves into an embarrassing record that can bite them later in their careers when they have to explain their youthful “sense of humor.” Let their free speech get on the record.

Raw story on Ann Coutler’s antics on a college campus.
“One comment that drew strong audience reactions came from a young man who asked her if she didn’t like Democrats, wouldn’t it just be better to have a dictatorship? Coulter responded with a jab at the way the student talked.
“You don’t want the Republicans in power, does that mean you want a dictatorship, gay boy?” she said.”

The right wingnuts are scared and grasping for distractions by using hate tactics. We only need to step aside and not engage so it’s clear who let the fart.

My wife works at Columbia, and the little right-wing creeps there did indeed have an “affirmative action bake sale” a couple years ago. So it’s likely that some clever slimeball who aspires to be the Karl Rove of 2028 came up with this one.

Let me add my voice to Morbo’s and others’ who argue that the best way to show the absurdity and mean-spiritedness of these douchebags is through more speech. This is one of the easier arguments out there to win, and the issue deserves full engagement rather than knee-jerk reaction.

Proper response… would have been send over whoever it is that gets the best price (based on race/gender) and buy all their production for the day. Then give it away.

Proper response… have pairs of customers go to the booth. ( mixed with people of high price and low price status)… Have the low price customer buy two cookies and share with his/her partner saying “we need a uniter not a divider”.

I agree that someone who would get the lowest price buy all their production. If they refuse to sell to one person, have several ready to go. The whole premise of the sale is that certain people get the best price. It would be very amusing if they fumble and try to impose quotas requiring that at least some of their product be purchased by whites. You win either way.

Then take all the product, set up another table nearby, and sell the baked goods at the highest price (white males, I guess). Make sure you have some people ready to buy the goods in case initial demand is low. Use the profits to do something cool and constructive, like sending the money to a community center.

Congratulations! Those conservatives are now your dead cheap suppliers. They look like chumps, you’ve sold baked goods for fair market value, and the profits are doing good.

I recently heard an interview with the author of a book about a black stage actor in New York City back in, I think, the 1920’s. He was apparently an utter genius on the stage, became a celebrity, and was quite well paid, but the racial attitudes of the time were still amazingly ignorant.

One night after a show, a white man (I think it was another famous historical person) wanted to buy him a drink, so they went up to the bar and the white man ordered two whiskeys. The bartender put one drink on the bar and said, “That’s fifty cents for you, but for your friend, it’s fifty dollars a drink.”

The actor (damn, I still can’t remember his name) pulled out a $500 bill and said, “I’ll have ten.”

-F.

Old issue, definitely out of the playbook.

When it last reared its head, back in 2003, cartoonist Lalo Alcaraz had the killer response (sorry, can’t find a free version of the ‘toon, but it dates to 9/26/03)

Next to the Young conservatives’ booth, the “Students of Color Coalition” have set up their own booth, offering “White Privilege Piggy Back Rides”

Prices: White Males: Free!
White Females: $0.25
Everybody Else: You give the Ride

In response to having a bake sale to prove the KUCR’s false facts (haha) were indeed false, we did have one. The Feminist Leadership Alliance with help of the Social Welfare Club had a bake sale doing just that. We handed out pamplets stating the facts.

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