Thread: GAG ALERT : REBELS WITHOUT A CLUE

Rebels without a Clue

By: GAIL CHATFIELD - For the North County Times
SAN DIEGO / RIVERSIDE COUNTY, CALIFORNIA



Several months back, I just had to read the news item titled "Man hits patrol car after stealing ambulance" (Aug 11). One would have to be nuts to pull that caper.

A 19-year-old young man who had just received treatment for a cut on his foot at Scripps Memorial Hospital Encinitas actually stole a Carlsbad Fire Department ambulance and went on a joy ride through coastal North County.

His escapade ended with him being Tasered after he rammed a patrol car and crashed into a eucalyptus grove in a gated community in Fairbanks Ranch.

http://www.nctimes.com/articles/2007/08 ... 070211.txt

I read that the lad pleaded guilty earlier this month to one count of assaulting a police officer with a deadly weapon, a charge that counts as a strike under California's three-strikes law. He faces a maximum sentence of six years and four months in state prison.

His teenage prank was idiotic and dangerous and probably had his parents asking, "Why would you do such a thing?"

That is a question we also need to ask a few other youths who may or may not fully understand how similarly idiotic and dangerous their actions were.

Under the cover of darkness, miscreants used feces to paint a swastika and profanity on the student store window at Westview High School. Months before at that same school, a student wore a Halloween costume that some thought looked too much like a Klan robe. Over at Rancho Bernardo and Poway high schools, Jim Crow-like hangman's nooses have stealthily appeared no doubt to copy the incident at Jena High School in Louisiana. A while ago, other high school students viciously attacked migrant workers in McGonigle Canyon.

Are these acts to be seen as teenage pranks or are they some early stage of teenage terrorism? Certainly these acts were carried out by a few ignorant individuals and are not representative of the majority of the students at these campuses. Unfortunately, the seeds of hate and fear grow quickly. The Southern Poverty Law Center reports that the number of hate groups rose 40 percent over the past six years and anti-Latino hate crimes in California doubled between 2003 and 2005 .
http://www.splcenter.org/intel/intelrep ... sp?aid=845



Perhaps these individuals were not paying attention in their history classes during the discussion of the Holocaust or the civil rights movement. Perhaps they learned their intolerance at home or from friends. Or maybe they are fools looking for attention. In any case, they need to be stopped.

These covert acts of intolerance have caused the Poway Unified School District to toughen its policy on hateful behavior and harassment. Other schools are certainly re-evaluating their own policies. Nonetheless, each of us has a responsibility to make sure that our schools are a safe environment for learning and not a breeding ground for hate and intolerance.

Ultimately, it is up to the students and their generation as young adults to decide what kind of community, country and world they want to live in. Let's hope that tolerance, compassion, understanding and acceptance triumph over hate, bigotry, prejudice and violence.

Carmel Valley resident Gail Chatfield is a freelance columnist for the North County Times. Comment at nctimes.com.

http://www.nctimes.com/articles/2007/12 ... ogcomments

THIS IS WAR

Comments On This Story

Note: Comments reflect the views of readers and not necessarily those of the North County Times or its staff.

One more thing wrote on Dec 23, 2007 10:07 PM:
" If these kids were taught a sense of personal responsiblity then the others would flow naturally: tolerance, etc. How has this country gone so wrong? Did you know there are kids out there who never want to work? And guess why? Momma and Dadda give them everything from day one. Sad indeed. "

Ray wrote on Dec 24, 2007 7:41 AM:
" I don't consider the Southern Poverty Law Center an accurate source for any information. All too often this group labels honest law abiding citizens into racists, nativists and worse all in the name of fund raising. Anyone who does not agree with the positions of the SPLC can land their names in one of their intelligence reports, I know, I am one of those names. I hope I was responsible for at least a million dollar donation. No matter what you do, you can't legislate "like" and no matter what you do, there will always be dislike, nothing will change that not even the SPLC. "

Alf wrote on Dec 24, 2007 10:37 AM:
" There is a vast difference between the emotions of disliking or hating and the actions that are and have been carried out. You can not legislate thought. Holding people accountable for their actions is, in fact, a matter of law. The action of beating someone or the action of wearing an insulting phrase on a t-shirt or the action of wearing a costume that very closely resembles a kkk uniform or the action of placing nooses or the action of using feces to paint a swastika on public property are all actions that can, should be, are and will remain subject to the law, each action with its appropriate punishment. Merry Christmas! Alf. "

Ray wrote on Dec 24, 2007 12:35 PM:
" Remember most if not all of these instances of "nooses" "swastikas" appear on private property as in "holloween" and are really not an issue to most but the fringe element. As long as the "dislike" does not generate "violence" ignore it. Words don't harm, actions do. If I want to wear a sheet or a brown shirt, who cares. Tolerance begins inside ones self. "

To Ray wrote on Dec 24, 2007 2:01 PM:
" The things that Alf mentioned except the beating were reported to be on school grounds - public property. Your right about actions your wrong about wearing a sheet with a pointed hat to school. "

To: To Ray wrote on Dec 24, 2007 7:31 PM:
" While I agree that the concept of the sheet & pointy hat is certainly distasteful ... if that's all it takes to get one's panties in a wad then I feel sorry for you. I'm not Ray, but I do agree that Tolerance begins inside ones self. "

Skip wrote on Dec 24, 2007 9:35 PM:
" Ahhh ..... The McGonigle Canyon incedent was awhile ago. July 5, 2000, to be exact. "

Skip wrote on Dec 24, 2007 9:44 PM:
" This story is really in bad taste. I clicked on a link expecting to see a corroborating NCT story, but instead was taken to a Southern Poverty Law Center webpage with a pop-up asking for donations to fight the Minutemen. This is sick. "

Roberto1 wrote on Dec 24, 2007 10:08 PM:
" LOL!...I guess a rebel without a casue sez it all about the minus men eh? "

La Voz de Aztlan wrote on Dec 24, 2007 10:10 PM:
" Just Google " migrant workers attacked in McGonigle Canyon" and go to the "La Voz de Aztlan" for the whole story. Look around while you are there. An interesting site. "

Read the Hatewatch Blog wrote on Dec 24, 2007 10:14 PM:
" The results are no less tragic for being predictable: Although hate crime statistics are highly unreliable, numbers that are available strongly suggest a marked upswing in racially motivated violence against all Latinos, regardless of immigration status. According to hate crime statistics published annually by the FBI, anti-Latino hate crimes rose by almost 35% between 2003 and 2006, the latest year for which statistics are available. In California, the state with the largest population of Latinos in the country, anti-Latino hate crimes almost doubled in the same period. "

Add Your Comments or Letter to the Editor

http://www.nctimes.com/articles/2007/12 ... _23_07.txt

Add Your Comments or Letter to the Editor

Floyd wrote on Dec 24, 2007 10:27 PM:
" You're missing the best part of the situation! The students are tweaking the administrators of the school and getting the hoped-for knee-jerk response. Sure, the instigators are likely to be caught and punished, but the students have made their point and are probably snickering to themselves as they watch the antics of those in charge. The real question is: what can be done to improve the quality of the leadership of the school? "

Read "The Homicide Report" Blog, in the L.A. Times wrote on Dec 24, 2007 10:38 PM:
" Sure murders are down. That is the headlines this week, but check out this blog and see who the people are that are getting murdered and by who. "

Roger wrote on Dec 24, 2007 11:04 PM:
" Minutemen are omnipresent and varied. Minutemen are black, Latino, Asian and Caucasian. Minutemen are Christians, Muslims and Jewish. Minutemen come from all walks of life and age groups. Minutemen are teachers, professionals, computer techs, law enforcement persons, contractors, homemakers, plumbers, electricians, students, retired persons, and just about any other group of people you can imagine. "

Roger wrote on Dec 24, 2007 11:05 PM:
" When you ask just who these Minutemen are, you receive a myriad of responses, from “They are a bunch of red-neck vigilante racistsâ€

SP;C: a group that dresses its leftist agenda in tolerance clichés. wrote on Dec 25, 2007 12:49 PM:
" This is so typical of the left: A group that seeks border security and wants to do something about the crisis of illegal immigration is "anti-immigrant." "

Kat wrote on Dec 25, 2007 12:51 PM:
" What makes the Southern Poverty Law Center particularly odious is its habit of taking legitimate conservatives and jumbling them with genuine hate groups (the Klan, Aryan Nation, skinheads, etc.), to make it appear that there's a logical relationship between say opposing affirmative action and lynching, or demands for an end to government services for illegal aliens and attacks on dark-skinned immigrants. The late novelist/philosopher Ayn Rand called this "the broad-brush smear." What the Southern Poverty Law Center calls fighting hatred is more than just an opportunity to defame political opponents. It's good business. "

Comments On This Story

Sylvia wrote on Dec 25, 2007 1:09 PM:
" What do the Minutemen have to do with a 19 year old man stealing an ambulance? What do the Minutemen have to do with miscreants using feces to paint a swastika and profanity on the student store window at Westview High School? What do the Minutemen have to do with the Southern Poverty Law Center and their reports that the number of hate groups are on the rise? What do the Minutemen have to do with the discussion of the holocaust or the civil rights movement? Nothing! That's what. I just wanted to see if you were paying attention. "

YOU SHOULD BE SCARED, REALLY AFRAID wrote on Dec 25, 2007 1:15 PM:
" These covert acts of intolerance have caused the Poway Unified School District to toughen its policy on hateful behavior and harassment. Other schools are certainly re-evaluating their own policies. Nonetheless, each of us has a responsibility to make sure that our schools are a safe environment for learning and not a breeding ground for hate and intolerance. "

More SPLC Stuff wrote on Dec 25, 2007 1:35 PM:
" In a 2000 article in Harper's Magazine ("The Church of Morris Dees"), Ken Silverstein wrote that with Dees at the helm SPLC "spends most of its time-and-money on a relentless fundraising campaign, peddling memberships in the church of tolerance with all the zeal of a circuit rider passing the collection plate." The article also explained how the Center has amassed a fortune exploiting the victims of bias crimes. SPLC habitually overstates the danger of real hate groups. Thus, in one of his 1999 fundraising letters, Dees wrote "The danger presented by the Klan is greater now than at any time in the past 10 years." "

This Is A Hoot ! wrote on Dec 25, 2007 1:36 PM:
" The Center devotes considerable resources to watching the Klan. (Its publication HATEWATCH was formerly called KLANWATCH.) It watches Klansmen grow senile, go into nursing homes and die. "

Teenage Terrorism ? wrote on Dec 25, 2007 1:42 PM:
" This has got to be the silliest story I have read in awhile. OH WAIT I almost forgot this story ..... Race issues dominate PUSD board meeting ... http://www.nctimes.com/articles/2007/12 ... _10_07.txt "

"ODIOUS" wrote on Dec 25, 2007 2:08 PM:
" Odious : 1. deserving or causing hatred; hateful; detestable. 2. highly offensive; repugnant; disgusting. adj. Arousing or meriting strong dislike, aversion, or intense displeasure. "

Add Your Comments or Letter to the Editor

http://www.nctimes.com/articles/2007/12 ... _23_07.txt

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The Second Link Provided in this story :

doubled between 2003 and 2005

http://www.splcenter.org/intel/intelrep ... sp?aid=845

Comments On This Story

Randy wrote on Dec 25, 2007 5:07 PM:
" Hate speech is a legal fiction created to restrict the Constitutionally-guaranteed right of free speech! "

Judicial Watch is the Watch wrote on Dec 25, 2007 5:20 PM:
" Judicial Watch Announces List of Washington’s “Ten Most Wanted Corrupt Politiciansâ€

La Voz de Aztlan has produced a video in honor of the millions of babies that have been born as US citizens to Mexican undocumented parents. These babies are destined to transform America. The nativist CNN reporter Lou Dobbs estimates that there are over 200,000 "Anchor Babies" born every year whereas George Putnam, a radio reporter, says the figure is closer to 300,000. La Voz de Aztlan believes that the number is approximately 500,000 "Anchor Babies" born every year.

http://www.aztlan.net/anchor_baby_power.htm