Kustra calls actions 'unconscionable'
BSU President Blasts College Republicans
By Sharon Fisher, 3-22-07
In an email message to all BSU students (of which I am one) and faculty, president Bob Kustra sharply criticized the actions of the BSU College Republicans organization, which put up a flier last week—widely considered as racist—publicizing an anti-illegal immigration speaker.
“[A] handful of students have engaged in offensive and insulting behavior, most recently with nasty and hurtful fliers announcing a political speech they are sponsoring on campus,” Kustra’s message read, which went on to apologize to those “hurt and offended by this controversy.”
Kustra, who has previously come under fire by conservative students by what they say is an overly liberal slant in on-campus speakers, said “steps have been taken to ensure accountability in the approval process for any future event advertisements.”
Fliers advertised “America’s Illegal Alien Invasion,” a discussion by former Canyon County Commissioner and candidate for U.S. Senate Robert Vasquez, scheduled during Cesar Chavez week. The fliers also offered a free dinner for two at Chapala’s Mexican restaurant—which said it was not consulted and did not endorse the event—for the winner of a “food stamp drawing” that required climbing through a hole in a chain link fence and offering falsified identification documents.
While BSU College Republicans reportedly said the name “Chapala’s” had been removed after the restaurant complained, fliers advertising the original event, including the restaurant name, were still on campus as of Wednesday.
“I was shocked when I first heard what was on the flyer and assumed they would take immediate steps to rectify the situation,” Kustra’s email said. “That they have refused to do so, other than to apologize to a restaurant because they like to eat there, is unconscionable.” He called on the organization, “in the name of decency and for the good of the University,” to remove the fliers from campus.
Kustra—who as a university president has to walk the free-speech tightrope—said, “I will also respond positively to a suggestion that we host a forum to discuss fairly the complex issues surrounding immigration.”
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The little word illegal means a lot here. Conservatives are rightfully frustrated that there seems to be little success in stemming the flow of ILLEGAL immigration. It's impossible to know what the costs of that failure are - in social services or influx of potential terrorists and no-goods.
To me, this whole stunt seems rather juvenile... and it definitely backfired in their faces, didn't it? College kids are still learning about tact and diplomacy (hopefully)... being offensive certainly isn't the exclusive domain of "conservative" college students. (Correct me if I'm wrong.)
IMO, the LEGAL immigrants, particularly Hispanics, should recognize the damage that ILLEGALS are doing to their reputation. They should be speaking out against it, not pooh-poohing it (which seems to be the case). There is a natural human tendency to stereotype, unfortunately, and that hurts those who are legally in the USA.
(A comparison could be made with Muslim Land. The .5% of Muslims who are wild-eyed radical Islamofacists are severely damaging the reputation of the billion-or-so peaceful Muslims, and nobody has more to lose than those Muslims. To see the vast majority of them sitting quietly on the sidelines does NOT help their standing in the eyes of most non-Muslims.)
I believe the reaction to the Republican Students has been adequate at this point. Hopefully they're older and wiser now.
Indeed, there's been plenty of free publicity. That may or may not be good. (Michael Richards got free publicity, too.) Time will tell.
What about the university being the bastion of free thought, and free exchange of ideas? Does that only extend to the point of not offending anybody? (I believe the administration was correct in letting them post their stuff... and they should let the chips fall.)
With the BSU Dean coming out against them and changing policy to be more draconian, there is little positive that could happen to them.
Interesting if they've lost membership.