Thread: SB1108 Anti MECHA bill to go to house

The Appropriations Committee of the Arizona House of Representatives
has approved provisions to a "Homeland Security" measure that would
essentially destroy the Movimiento Estudiantil Chicano de Aztlan
(MEChA) and Mexican-American study programs in the state's public
schools, colleges and universities.

The anti-Mexican provisions to SB1108 were approved yesterday and the
bill is now scheduled for a vote by the full House. The provisions
would withhold funding to schools whose courses "denigrate American
values and the teachings of European based civilization." One section
of SB1108 would bar public schools, community colleges and
universities from allowing organizations to operate on campus if it
is "based in whole or in part on race-based criteria," a provision
Rep. Russell Pearce said is aimed at MEChA. Pearce is a Republican
and the Chairman of the Appropriations Committee out of Mesa,
Arizona.

According to Chairman Pearce, SB1108 would also bar teaching
practices that "overtly encourage dissent from American values" such
as Raza Studies at the Tucson Unified School District. In addition,
SB1108 mandates the State Superintendent of Public Instruction to
confiscate books and teaching materials that are deemed anti-
American. Chairman Pearce said some of the teaching materials amount
to "sedition" by suggesting that the current border between the
United States and Mexico disappear with La Raza taking over the
American Southwest. One book that would be confiscated mentioned by
Pearce is "Occupied America - A History of Chicanos" by Professor
Rodolfo Acuna.

http://immigrationbuzz.com/?p=2064

April 16, 2008 - 9:51PM
Measure backs 'American values' in state schools
Comments 9 | Recommend 3
Howard Fischer, Capitol Media Services

Arizona schools whose courses "denigrate American values and the teachings of Western civilization" could lose state funding under the terms of legislation approved Wednesday by a House panel.

SB1108 also would bar teaching practices that "overtly encourage dissent" from those values, including democracy, capitalism, pluralism and religious tolerance. Schools would have to surrender teaching materials to the state superintendent of public instruction, who could withhold state aid from districts that broke the law.

Another section of the bill would bar public schools, community colleges and universities from allowing organizations to operate on campus if it is "based in whole or in part on race-based criteria," a provision Rep. Russell Pearce, R-Mesa, said is aimed at MEChA, the Moviemiento Estudiantil Chicano de Aztlan, a student group.

The 9-6 vote by the Appropriations Committee sends the measure to the full House.

The legislation appears aimed largely at the Tucson Unified School District, whose "Raza Studies" program has annoyed some people. Tucson resident Laura Leighton read lawmakers sections of some books used in classrooms which she said promote hatred.

If the proposal becomes law, however, it would have a statewide reach. And that concerned even some lawmakers who voted for it, saying the language of what would and would not be prohibited is "vague."

Tucson school officials have said the program under fire has helped Hispanic students improve their academic achievement by building pride and focusing on their cultural heritage.

But Pearce, who crafted the measure, said the program doesn't stop there. He said taxpayers are funding "hate speech paid for by tax dollars."

And Pearce said some of the teachings amount to "sedition" by suggesting that the current border between the United States and Mexico disappear, with Mexico - and Hispanics - taking over the American Southwest.

Leighton had specific problems with a text called "Occupied America," a book touted by its publisher as examining Chicano history from the coming of the Spanish in 1519.

She read one line which said "kill the gringos." Another talked about a plan to take back the U.S. Southwest and deport all the Europeans.

A closer look, at the book, though, showed the line about the gringos was a quote from someone referenced. And that the plan to take back the area was not urging current action but instead detailing one pushed by Mexico in 1915.

Leighton, however, said she and others who reviewed the course work believe it is unacceptable.

"We find hate and revolution is being taught in their books," she testified. "We found a denigration and disparagement of American values and a subversion of our history."

Anna Graves said she believes schools are promoting a double standard with such programs.

"If we were to have a group of white citizens teaching white culture only for the white children, it would be totally and absolutely inappropriate in a country that is a country of diversity," said Graves, a Mexican immigrant now a U.S. citizen.

"I absolute deplore people who come from another country and do not want anything to do with the culture, the language or anything that has to do with the government," Graves said. She said they are in this country to send back money to relatives elsewhere and "are not here to provide loyalty."

Rep. Peter Rios, D-Dudleyville, said that kind of attitude ignores the United States as a "culture of diversity."

"What is the downside of students learning about their culture along with the American culture, value and mores?" he asked. Graves said nothing - as long as it's not just Hispanic culture being taught.

More to the point, Graves said it's the job of parents to teach children about their own ethnic background and culture.

"Not everybody had what you had," Rios responded. "So some of these children have to pick up some of this positive self-image building at the school because they're not getting it at home, they're not getting it in the barrios of the neighborhood."

And Rios suggested there was a reason to have programs aimed at teaching Hispanic youngsters about their heritage.

"At the end of the day, we all know the history books are written by the victors," he said. "And we didn't win too many of our battles coming from a Hispanic culture."

Pearce said nothing in the Legislature precludes teaching about various cultures. What he opposes, he said, are the "hateful, despicable comments" becoming part of public education. What would be illegal, Pearce said, are "race-based" classes.

"Nobody would stand here, I suspect, and try to defend the KKK teachings at a Tucson school or anywhere else," he said.

House Minority Leader Phil Lopes, D-Tucson, said lawmakers should butt out of the controversy. He said decisions of curriculum should be left to local school boards.

But Rep. Andy Biggs, R-Gilbert, said lawmakers are entitled to regulate the use of tax dollars taken from Arizonans and "demand that our publicly funded education teach and inculcate our youth, our children with the values that make America what it is, the greatest and most free nation in the world."

Biggs, however, conceded the language of what would be prohibited is "somewhat vague" and probably needs work.

Rep. David Schapira, D-Tempe, said it is more than vague. He questioned what it means to "overtly encourage dissent" from the values of American democracy and Western civilization.

School board and superintendents' lobbyists signed in as opposed to the measure but did not speak. Nor did Sam Polito, Tempe schools lobbyist, saying it made no sense to try to derail Pearce's bill in a committee he chairs.


http://www.eastvalleytribune.com/story/114048

Added to Home PAge
http://www.alipac.us/article3115.htm

I also added the original story to this thread.

I think Pearce should run for President. HE GETS IT!

But Pearce, who crafted the measure, said the program doesn't stop there. He said taxpayers are funding "hate speech paid for by tax dollars."

And Pearce said some of the teachings amount to "sedition" by suggesting that the current border between the United States and Mexico disappear, with Mexico - and Hispanics - taking over the American Southwest.

Rep. Russell Pearce is so correct in his assessment of MEChA and similar groups.

Think what the Dream Act would have accomplished--illegal immigrants with a college doorway to learn hate, sedition and political subversion with the aid of MEChA and similar groups.

LOL......my daughter and her friends tell me that all of the little "MECHA Morons"....as the kids call them.........at school are having a collective coniption over this. They are royally pissed

There was a cafeteria incident this past week in which a group of these kids got into with my daughter's table, spouting off with the usual name calling and trying to defend MECHA as a "community service club".

My daughter shot back asking where this "service club" of theirs was last weekend when the rest of us were out there for 24 hours during the Relay For Life raising funds for the Cancer Society. In fact, she told them, name just one event, one project, that their so called "service club" has EVER participated in to benefit the community, including the hispanic community.
The only answer they had was to call her a racist little bitch and tell her she needed to get off Mexican land and go back to Europe

And that kind of thing demonstrates exactly why this Bill is necessary. These groups have no place in our schools let alone being funded by tax dollars so our next step has to be going after their funding. Not a damned one of them....MECHA, LaRaza, LULAC, etc........should be being funded by us anymore than we'd fund any other racist group or organization dedicated to overthrowing this country.

I wonder if that idiot heading up Raza studies in Tuscon has had a stroke over this yet? I can't imagine he's taking this very well at all.

"Community service club." That's rich. What and who's community are they serving? What community is served by denigrating the United States and preaching hate?

Originally Posted by caasduit

The Appropriations Committee of the Arizona House of Representatives
has approved provisions to a "Homeland Security" measure that would
essentially destroy the Movimiento Estudiantil Chicano de Aztlan
(MEChA) and Mexican-American study programs in the state's public
schools, colleges and universities.

A good source for MECHA info is this wiki article: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MEChA

Michigan State University has received several tax-payer funded grants for the purposes of spreading anti-American hate. Our students have more and more problems finding good jobs when they graduate, but our corrupt federal government has seen fit to use our tax money to hand out to radical "brown power" activists and supporters of illegal aliens breaking our laws:

http://www.ccir.net/mecha.html

MEChA NATIONAL CONFERENCE, MICHIGAN STATE UNIVERSITY, 4/97:

"We must become a nation within a nation with a national plan of action as new soldiers in our struggle for national independence, and an emerging CHICANO nation."

"This is revolution at its basic level, moving the people toward more confrontational politics."

Julian Samora Research Institute at Michigan State University:

http://legis.state.nm.us/Sessions/07%20 ... HB1005.pdf

"House Bill 1005 appropriates $350,000 from the General Fund to the UNM Regents for expenditure in FY 2008 to support the Julian Samora Legacy Project, which is collaboration among the University of New Mexico, the University of Texas, Michigan State University and the University of Notre Dame to make the papers of Julian Samora more accessible for research."

"Dr. Samora co-founded the National Council of La Raza, one of the leading Hispanic organizations in the country, and served on many governmental and private boards and commissions, including the U. S. Commission on Civil Rights, the National Institute of Mental Health and the President's Commission on Rural Poverty. He edited Nuestro, the International Migration Review, and other journals. In 1989 Dr. Samora established the Julian Samora Research Institute at Michigan State University"

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_C ... of_La_Raza

On September 20, 2006, Representative Norwood issued a press release calling NCLR a "radical [...] pro-illegal immigration lobbying organization that supports racist groups calling for the secession of the western United States as a Hispanic-only homeland" and accusing the organization of undermining "the ability of state and local police to fight criminal illegal aliens."

Originally Posted by NoBueno

"Community service club." That's rich. What and who's community are they serving? What community is served by denigrating the United States and preaching hate?

I know.....that's a real eye-roller if I've ever heard one. "Community Service Club"........hmpf.

But, evidently that's the spin being put on it since news of the SB came out. I sure wish them luck with THAT harebrained contention. I mean, there's only how many years' worth of evidence out there proving that Mecha is anything but some service club? Are they going to change their website? All of their racist, anti-American literature and textbooks?

These people are something else again................

Mecha is NOT about hispanic culture, it is a racist organization to teach mexican fringe propoganda. It does incite hate against America and Americans and has no place in our public schools or anywhere OUR tax dollars go.