Editorial: Bruin Republican efforts could be better spent

The Bruin Republicans never should have launched an attack
against MEChA. The content and style of their campaign are both
insulting and nonproductive.

The BR leadership took its complaints to Bruin Walk and the
undergraduate student government after only minimal attempts to
communicate with MEChA. Furthermore, BR’s attack was
conducted with neither valid evidence nor an understanding of the
role of Undergraduate Students Association Council in settling
disputes.

BR launched its attack using a historical document from 1969,
which includes political ideas that BR has called racist against
Americans of European descent. The language contained in that
document is indeed strong, but as BR leaders have themselves noted,
MEChA here at UCLA has a history of commendable behavior and
community service.

If BR members were concerned about language in the document,
they should have tried harder to approach MEChA. If they had done
so, they may have learned that MEChA considers “El Plan de
Santa Barbara” to be its founding document, not the disputed
“El Plan de Aztlán.” BR members also may have
learned that their fears that MEChA plans to take back the
Southwestern United States absolutely are unfounded.

But BR did not pursue the right path. Instead, it decided to
start a massive public campaign, declaring MEChA to be a racist
organization ““ even comparing the group to Nazis. This
ridiculous comparison highlights the amateur nature of BR’s
approach to inter-group relations. Without fully understanding the
issue, BR was ready to confront a respected campus group with very
inflammatory language.

Non-BR-affiliated Republicans on this campus should be upset.
The Bruin Republicans’ name carries significant weight
““ for a freshman student or a student who is uninvolved in
student politics, it might appear the Bruin Republicans speak for
all Republicans on campus. In fact, the Bruin Republicans group
represents a relatively small ““ but loud ““ group of
students.

It is terrible that the BR chairman allegedly was spit on today.
Even if a people are presenting offensive ideas, their right to
free speech never should be infringed on through physical acts. And
MEChA must condemn the alleged spitter, who apparently has no
connection to the group.

BR, meantime, should end its public relations offensive. It is a
waste of the student government’s time, and it unnecessarily
inflames the campus.

Hopefully, in the future, BR will work toward more constructive
goals. There certainly are campus issues that would be valid topics
of discussion for Conservative students. Fee increases, the 2004
election, affirmative action and academic freedom issues are just
some topics that would be legitimate for campus debate. UCLA is
overwhelmingly Liberal and could stand to benefit from credible
Conservative voices.

But right now, BR members are just not credible. Their activity
this week was nothing more than useless public relations. With any
luck, it will be forgotten by next week.