MEChA, Aztlan, take responsibility for wildfires *** HOAX *** -- aliens steal relief supplies *** UPDATE ***

UPDATE::: It seems that the MEChA taking responsibility for for setting fires website is a HOAX. This certainly fooled me because the site looked authentic. When a reader called me on it, I thought I had made a simple mistake of mislabeling the site, but alas that's not the case. Thanks to Stormwarning:

Using a website titled CNNheadlienews.com (note the spelling of headline - aside from the fact that the real CNN Headline News’ URL is http://www.cnn.com/HLN/), the hoax makes a travesty of the law enforcement effort to determine who is actually responsible for the tragic and horrific fire that has claimed lives, property and displaced millions of people. This also does an injustice to the Hispanic community by falsely spreading information that a group such as this could have set Southern California ablaze.

While I truly dislike CNN as a news source, this is the real article on CNN.com - Fire chief: 25,000-acre blaze was set

Morning Coffee says:

Now whoever started this Hoax is thoroughly disgusting. They obviously have no respect for those who are fighting the fires, and no sympathy for those who have lost homes or loved ones in the fire.

I really hate being taken in by this Hoax and will attempt to better verify my posts in the future.

Amen to that. I usually look for multiple sources on a topic, but this had been picked up by so many other bloggers I made the mistake of assuming it was correct, as they must also have done. Thanks to Stormwarning, Nuke's News and Views, Center for Vigilant Freedom, and others. I'm notifying Chicago Ray and 123Beta also.

When we're wrong, we're wrong. Consider this a lesson to ME and to others.

ORIGINAL POST:

Radical Hispanic separatist organization MEChA ("Movimiento Estudiantil Chicano de Aztlan") is taking responsibility for setting the wildfires in California, confimed Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger. --(CNN) Also, Illegal aliens have been caught steeling relief supplies for victims of the fires.

California officials received a letter earlier today containing photographs of individuals holding Molotov cocktails, then throwing them into dry brush. The faces of the individuals appeared to have been digitally distorted.

Also included was a rambling manifesto, stating that the reason for the act of arson was that "Aztlán belongs to indigenous people, the Chicanas and Chicanos of Aztlán. We are sovereign and not subject to a foreign culture."

Orange County Fire Battalion Chief Kris Concepcion told CNN that the pattern of wildfires definitely indicates arson.

"The reason we think it is [arson] is because we found multiple points of origin," Concepcion said. "... Our investigators have confirmed that this is, in fact, arson."

Six illegal immigrants arrested at Qualcomm, from Chicago Ray

Los Angeles Times: Breaking News: "Six undocumented Mexican immigrants were arrested today by U.S. Border Patrol agents at Qualcomm Stadium, after a report that they were stealing food and water meant for evacuees,

Other news:

New Geospatial Data Appliance for Defense and Intelligence Operations

Northrop Grumman Corporation (NYSE:NOC) has added a new product to its suite of geospatial applications that will benefit U.S. defense and intelligence agencies and their international allies. The Commercial Joint Mapping Toolkit (CJMTK) Geospatial Appliance provides users with new ways of accessing National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (NGA) unclassified domestic and international products. The CJMTK Geospatial Appliance combines NGA products with commercial software, providing application-ready data for developers and end users of geospatial information. This enables access to a complete set of worldwide geospatial information used for supporting command and control, emergency operations, humanitarian assistance, conflict resolution, intelligence and special operations, and other defense-related activities.

U.S. and Mongolia Sign MOU to Increase Cooperation in Preventing Nuclear Smuggling , SOPnewswire.

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Smug Condescending Sophisticates Admit They've Been Lying Through Their Teeth About Israeli Security II - State Department Admits That Their Fatah Security Assistance Is An Abject Failure, Mere Rhetoric

Comments

[gary fouse]

My previous post on Mecha:

MEChA and its Imprint on California Politics

MEChA, which stands for Movimiento Estudiantil Chicano de Aztlan (Chicano Student Movement of Atzlan), is a student organization that was born in 1969 in California and has spread to college campuses all over the nation. One of their main stated aims is to assist young members of the Hispanic community in entering higher education, a worthy goal. Other aspects of its philosophy are more controversial and strike many as divisive in the extreme.

Rather than use my own or others' characterizations of MEChA's philosophy, let me quote from their national webpage (nationalmecha.org):

"MEChA is a student organization that promotes higher education, cultura and historia (culture and history) . MEChA was founded on the principles of self-determination for the liberation of our people. We believe that political involvement and education is the avenue for change in our society.

Each word in MEChA symbolizes a great concept in terms of la causa (the cause). Movimiento (Movement) means that the organization is dedicated to the movement to gain self determination for our people. Estudiantil (Student as adjective) identifies the organization as a student group for we are part of our Raza's (race's) future. At the heart of the name is the use of the identity: Chicano. At first seen as a negative word, now taken for a badge of honor. In adopting their new identity, the students committed themselves to return to the barrios, colonias (neighborhoods/districts), or campos (fields) and together, struggle against the forces that oppress our gente (people). Lastly, the affirmation that we are indigenous people to this land by placing our movement in Aztlan, the homeland of all peoples from Anahuak.

On campuses across Aztlan. MEChA and Mechistas are often the only groups on campus Raza and non-Raza (Race and non-Race) alike that seek to open the doors of higher education para nuestras comunidades (for our communities) and strive for a society free of imperialism, racism, sexism, and homophobia. An inspirational statement in El Plan Santa Barbara that speaks to these notes:

"MEChA must bring to the mind of every young Chicana and Chicano that the liberation of her/his people from prejudice and oppression is in her/his hands and this responsibility is greater than personal achievement and more meaningful than degrees, especially if they are earned at the expense of her/his identity and cultural integrity. MEChA, then, is more than a name; it is a spirit of unity, of sisterhood and brotherhood, and a resolve to undertake a struggle for liberation in a society where justice is but a word. MEChA is a means to an end" (El Plan de Santa Barbara).

* (Translations of Spanish words in parentheses are added by me).

The motto for MEChA is as follows: Por la Raza todo. Fuera de la Raza nada -For the race everything. (For those) outside of the race-nothing-Not exactly a motto designed to inspire confidence in MEChA's desire to promote harmony.

Aztlan is an Amer-Indian term referring to the present-day southwest area of the US. According to MEChA, this area is illegally occupied by the US. El Plan de Santa Barbara refers to the plan of action that was part of the 1969 beginnings of MEChA at the University of California at Santa Barbara.

As you can see, the language is right out of the 1960s, but still appears on MEChA's website today. Divisive? You make the call. Critics of MEChA claim that the organization still believes that the US southwest should revert back to Mexico and that MEChA is in fact, a racist organization that sets back efforts to assimilate recent Latin immigrants and promote harmony between ethnic groups. MEChA, of course denies the racism charges and stresses its present-day efforts to promote higher education among Hispanic youth. Of course, MEChA supports the cause of illegal aliens in the US.

One interesting sidelight is the prominance in California politics of many of MECha's former members. Many of the state's leading Democratic politicians belonged to the organization during their collegiate years. This has caused many critics to question the commitment of these figures to represent all of their constituents.

California's most visible former Mechista is LA Mayor, Antonio Villaraigosa, who was a MEChA ;eader while attending UCLA. After UCLA, he attended the "People's Law School", which Frontpage Magazine referred to as "a factory for the manufacture of radical leftist lawyers" (See Frontpage 9-10-2003/License to Kill by Lowell Ponte) Prior to becoming mayor, Villaraigosa was speaker of the lower house of the California legislature and later LA city councilman. Until the recent disclosure of the break-up of his marriage and affair with Telemundo reporter, Mirthala Salinas, Villaraigosa had attracted the most attention as mayor by openly supporting the city's massive illegal alien population, appearing at many of their marches and proclaiming on one occasion, "We clean your toilets!". Under Villaraigosa's stewardship, LA is one of several "sanctuary cities" around the US-that is- cities that will not cooperate with immigration authorities and will not allow their police to inquire about immigration status when they come into contact with suspects.

Until the recent love scandal broke, Villaraigosa had been considered a leading candidate to become governor-and then go on to national office.

In statewide politics, Assembly Speaker Fabian Nunez is probably the most prominent former Mechista. Nunez was previously the political director of the LA County Federation of Labor and later the head of government relations for LA Unified School District. As the Democratic Party's top legislator, Nunez has been a vocal supporter for the measure that would have allowed illegal aliens to obtain California drivers licenses. In the 1990s, he led protests against Proposition 187 passed by California voters that would have denied benefits to illegal aliens. In one protest in October 1994, which was organized by Nunez and his colleague, Juan Jose Gutierrez, protesters waved Mexican flags and displayed an American flag with 13 stars. Governor Wilson was called a "pig", and "Anglos" were called upon to go back to Europe. Nunez's opponents, to this day, consider him a "Reconquista" (one who favors the return of the southwest to Mexico.)

Cruz Bustamante, who served as Lt. Governor under the disasterous administration of Grey Davis, was also a MEChA member in the 1970s at Fresno State. When Davis was recalled by voters due to his gross ineptitude, Bustamante unsuccessfully ran to succeed him, losing to current governor, Arnold Schwartzenegger. A career political technocrat, who bounces from one position to another, Bustamante's campaigns have been controversial for campaign finance irregularities, i.e. diverting campaign funds into other causes, such as defeating Ward Connerly's Racial Privacy Initiative. Bustamante, not surprisingly, is a strong supporter of racial preferences. He did have one slip-up a couple of years back when, speaking before a group of African-Americans, he let slip the N-word, immediately offering profuse apologies. Did that end his political career? Hardly. He is, after all, a liberal Democrat. Those stories don't have legs, as they say in the news media.

State Senator Gil Cedillo, who represents East Los Angeles, was a MECha activist at UCLA in the 1970s. Like Villaraigosa, he followed UCLA by attending the aforementioned "People's Law School". Cedillo is derisively referred to by many as "One Bill Gil", a reference to his continuing promulgation of legislation that would give drivers licenses to illegal aliens.

Another former Mechista is Joe Baca, member of the US House of Representatives from the Inland Empire area around Riverside and San Bernadino (Rialto). Previously, he was a California state senator. Not long ago, he made headlines by referring to Rep. Loretta Sanchez (D-CA) as a "whore". This all evolved in connection with strife within the Latino Caucus in Congress as well as Sanchez's criticism of Baca's use of campaign funds.

One point I would like to make here is this: MEChA would deny that they are a racist organization. They would state that their main purpose is to facilitate and assist other young Hispanics in obtaining a higher education, as I said, a worthy goal. Yet, they should realize that many are troubled by the fiery rhetoric of their motto and the questionable language on their website. Also troubling is the langauge emenating from their founding in 1969 and the "Santa Barbara Plan". It implies that they are promoting separatism from mainstream American society. Let me quote further from their national website (nationalmecha.org):

"The Mexican-American (Hispanic) is a person who lacks respect for his/her cultural and ethnic heritage. Unsure of her/himself, she/he seeks assimilation as a way out of her/his 'degraded' social status. Consequently, she/he remains politically ineffective. In contrast, Chicanismo reflects self-respect and pride on one's ethnic and cutural background. Thus, the Chicana/o acts with confidence and with a range of alternatives in the political world. She/he is capable of developing an effective ideology through action" (El Plan de Santa Barbara).

Is this what MEChA still thinks today? Or is this just a slogan from the past? I would hope that the latter is the case.

Now for a little personal imput: I am not Mexican-American nor Hispanic. I am a 62 year old, white Anglo who grew up and went to school with Mexican-Americans in West Los Angeles. This term, Chicano, I recall well from my teenage years. It was a street word for Mexican-Americans- a term many Mexican-Americans still reject. Unfortunately, it became trendy in the universities during the 1960s, and today, some universitities still have what they call "Chicano Studies Departments". My wife is a (legal) Mexican immigrant who came to this country with her family about 40 years ago. I myself speak Spanish, and we have done everything we could to raise our children to speak Spanish and, while being Americans, not to ignore their Mexican heritage. But it comes down to this: While the Mexican influence has always been a part of the fabric of southern California and, indeed, the southwest, this is still the United States and the language that everyone needs to know is English. If there are voices in the Mexican-American community that encourage people to reject their American heritage, to not assimilate with other Americans-including other ethnic groups, then they are doing a huge disservice to their community. Whether we are succeeding or not, our goal should be to accept immigrants from wherever and encourage them to assimilate and become Americans. It should not matter whether their skin is white, black, yellow or brown-we are Americans. More than ever, we Americans need to stand together against the forces that wish to destroy all of us. The politics of ethnicity and the so-called community leaders who practice it are wrong. They are only dividing us all.

As to the above-mentioned political leaders, all of whom are Democrats, there is no record of any of them repudiating their past membership in MEChA nor any of the language that MEChA has used or still uses. They insist that in their political lives, they are representing all of their constituents, but none of them (that I am aware of) have publically stated that MEChA's language is intemporate or out of date.

As for MEChA, if your goal is to help other Hispanics obtain higher education, I am with you on that. If, on the other hand, your goal is to drive a wedge between Hispanics and other ethnic groups and further, to achieve some sort of "reconquista" of the southwestern United States back to Mexico, then you are dead wrong. You would not only be hurting our country, but your community even more so because you are creating an impediment to assimilation. Any Mexican-American family that wants to teach their children Spanish and about the Mexican culture is always free to do so, but that is a personal decision. This is the United States, and we are made up of many ethnic groups. Our task is to come together.

Gary Fouse
fousesquawk

[PALADIN]

DEB, SORRY ABOUT ALL THIS ARGUING AND SUCH. ----EDIT---WILL NOT BE RESPONDED TO AGAIN.---EDIT --- I COME HERE TO READ YOUR OPINIONS AND YOUR INFORMATIVE POSTS, AND I MIGHT ADD THE MAJORITY OF THE PEOPLE THAT VISIT THIS SITE HAVE OPINIONS THAT I SHARE. AM I ANGRY????? DAMN RIGHT I,M ANGRY!!!!!!! I STILL HAVE,NT FORGOTTEN THAT DAY 6 YRS AGO. I TRY TO SHED MY MEMORIES OF THE TIME I SPENT IN THE MIDDLE EAST TRYING TO KEEP THE PEACE AMONG THE EVIL THAT LIVES IN THAT PLACE. I,VE SEEN IT UP CLOSE AND PERSONAL, SO I SPEAK WITH SOME ( I STRESS SOME) AUTHORITY. WE WILL NOT DEFEAT THIS EVIL MENACE WITH BROWBEATING B.S. "LOGIC". WE MUST BE SMART, BUT TO OVER THINK AND TWIDDLE OUR THUMBS, WELL ONLY A FOOL WOULD DO SUCH. THE PRUSSIAN GENERAL VON CLAUSWITZ ONCE SAID THE HARDEST PART ABOUT LEADERSHIP , IS THE DECISION WHICH IS UNPOPULAR, BUT SERVES THE GREATER GOOD.

[suek]

You know...maybe the important thing here is that even though the site is a hoax, the threat was believable. Consider _that_!

[Debbie]

OK folks, I thought it was just me, that I had mistyped the site, but NO, it IS a hoax as Stormwarning stated.

When I'm wrong, I try to admit it and like others I was really duped on this one. Just the part about MEChA, not the rest of the information in this article.

I'm sorry and am posting an update now.

[Stormwarning]

Debbie, Paladin wins, but only because I won't do battle with an http://webpages.atlanticbb.net/~ezahurak/gfx/orig/asshole.jpg

You should edit your post. The MECha information was a planted HOAX.

[PALADIN]

BWHAHAHAHAHAAAAA!!!!!!!DON,T WORRY ABOUT ME GOING TO YOUR CRAPPY SITE, LOL!!!!!!!!!!!! IT AIN,T WORTH THE TIME OR EFFORT, IT,S ALL B.S.!!!!!!!!!!! OOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!! NOW YOUR TRYING TO SOUND MEAN AND NASTY, BUT YA KNOW WHAT PUNK........... IT AIN,T WORKING!!!!!!!!!LOL!!!!!!!!!!!!!I GOT YOU PEGGED AS A WEENIE, WHO HAS,NT DONE SH%T IN HIS LIFE!!!!!!!!!!!! THATS WHY YOU TRY TO SOUND SMARTER THAN EVERYBODY ELSE, BUT YA KNOW WHAT??????????? YOUR NOT!!!!!!!!!! BY BYE LIL MAN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Stormwarning]

And finally, and once and for all, the cited story and URL are HOAXES. There is no such website as http://www.cnnheadlienews.com/2007/US/10/25/fire.mecha/index.html

Its a hoax!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Nuke]

Debbie: I have been told that this website is not cnn. It looks like we've been had. In all likelihood is a hoax.

[Stormwarning]

Paladin, you now come under the heading of not knowing who you're playing with, so please don't.

Do me a favor and leave me a comment so I have your IP and email so I can ban you from my site. How's that? You have absolutely no idea who you're speaking to...or what I do, or what I've done. Not one iota of an idea. And finally, BTW, I never claimed to be a conservative...as Groucho once said (sort of), "I wouldn't want to be a member of a party that would have you." I'm a Republican...I don't have to qualify that.

[PALADIN]

MECHA IS NOT RACIST???? HMMM?? YOU BETTER DO SOME HOMEWORK LITTLE ONE. I LOOKED AT THEIR WEBSITE AND IT SEEMS TO ME THAT THEY DON,T LIKE THE WHITE ANGLO ESTABLISHMENT MUCH. B.T.W., I SEE YOU CALL YOUR PATHETIC LITTLE BLOG, STORMWARNINGS COUNTER TERRORISM. SO JUST WHAT DO YOU KNOW ABOUT COUNTER TERRORISM? NOT MUCH FROM WHAT I CAN TELL. WERE YOU A MEMBER OF SPECIAL FORCES????? , WERE YOU IN THE INTEL BUSINESS??? OR MAYBE YOU WORKED IN THE STATE DEPT???? LOL!!!!!!! HAVE YOU BEEN TO THE MIDDLE EAST?? I DON,T THINK YOU,VE DONE SQUAT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! YOUR AN IDIOT!!!!!!!!! YOU EITHER LIVE IN YOUR PARENTS BASEMENT, OR YOUR A LATTE LICKING GIRLY MAN!!!!!!YOU PROBALY RAN HOME TO YOUR MOMMY AFTER THE SCHOOL BULLY KICKED YOUR CANDY A$$!!!!!!!!

[Debbie]

Dkshideler: Thanks, my bad. It was CNN. Don't know why I stuck the Headline News in there. Must have been rushing. Much appreciated.

[Skunkfeathers]

Who cares what their race? Arson is a Class 1 felony. Arson resulting in death is a capital crime. Catch the recalitrant swine and throw them in the pen for life. Period, end of story.

[Stormwarning]

Looks like someone went to an awful lot of trouble to fool some people.

And by the way, in looking at the MECha website, it doesn't appear that they are a "racist" group...activist, yes...and they appear to be more into education and heritage than radicalism.

Viva Aztlán???

[Dkshideler]

Hey, I think maybe you got played. The URL above says "CNNheadlienews.com" not "headlinenews". As it happens there is no CnnHeadlineNews.com a CNN website, "http://www.cnn.com/2007/US/10/25/fire.arson/index.html"
mirrors the fake site almost exactly, including the other story links.

[Freedom Now]

Idiots! I didnt know that the indigenous people of America were Latin-o.

My white neighbors are indigenous too. They were born in California, but I moved here from NY. They have more claim to California than a Latino like myself.

People that obsess over race as much as MEChA and Aztlan are racists.

I remember meeting lots of white skinheads who defended themselves by saying that they are not racists, they are just proud of their race.

Despite these contrived arguments it is obvious that they were racists. La Raza is no different.