Posts by Brian Tengel
A Tribute to Bo
By Brian Tengel, written on Nov. 17, 2006
A rally for legendary football coach Bo Schembechler will be held at 10:00 p.m. tonight on the Diag. All are invited to attend.
Schembechler died earlier this afternoon of a heart attack. He was 77.
“You Zionist, Racist Dogs”
By Brian Tengel, written on Nov. 10, 2006
Blaine Coleman, a fierce Ann Arbor activist, gave the City Council a piece of his mind last night.
As Mayor John Hieftje commenced with his introductory remarks for the council meeting, Coleman could be seen standing in the corner of the room, defiantly hoisting up a handcrafted sign, and anxiously awaiting his opportunity to usurp the podium.
When he finally got his chance, he held nothing back.
“You Zionist, Racist Dogs,” he screamed at the stolid council members, most of whom averted their eyes. “You greedy, white, zionist racists have stolen everything.”
With the surging veins in his neck visible from ten feet away, Coleman proceeded to fervently discharge his resolution, which is officially entitled, “Proposed Resolution and Ordinance to Kill Racism in Michigan.”
Here are the two central objectives:
- To fight the cancer of racism, the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor campus, is hereby required to admit every Black student, upon graduation from any Michigan high school, as soon as that student’s application is received, and tuition-free.
- To further fight the cancer of racism, the City Council hereby orders the immediate divestment of all City pension and other funds which may be invested in the State of Israel, and hereby asks the State of Michigan to sell its $5 million Israel Bond Immediately.
Coleman’s deluge of incendiary remarks persisted for the allotted three minutes, and then some.
Abruptly halted in mid-sentence by Major Hieftje’s strained, ‘Thank You,’ Coleman then stampeded back to his corner, grabbed his sign, and returned to the podium to show support for a fellow activist.
After her rant, which touched on the same topics as his, the two left the building in a fury, seeming disgusted with the reality that the “zionist racist” council members probably wouldn’t take them seriously.
Trouble in Tennessee
By Brian Tengel, written on Nov. 7, 2006
Voting got off to a rocky start in Tennessee, where Democrat and University Law School alum Harold Ford Jr. is battling Republican Bob Corker in a contest to capture a seat in the U.S. Senate.
The Tennessean reported that problems at the polls have prompted the Tennessee Democratic Party to file suit this afternoon to extend voting hours.
The party is frustrated by a short supply of voting machines, broken machines, seemingly eternal lines and delayed openings at polling places.
According to The Tennessean, many black districts have been affected by voting complications. That could could have consequences for Ford, who hopes to become the first black senator from Tennessee since Reconstruction.
OnPoint Polling and Research currently shows Ford trailing by a one-point margin.
Despite problems at the polls, voters shouldn’t be discouraged from casting their ballots, Tennessee Democratic Party spokesman Mark Brown told The Tennessean.
“Be persistent and vote,” he said. “This election is of the utmost importance.”
Connerly reflects on Prop 209 ten-year anniversary
By Brian Tengel, written on Nov. 7, 2006
In an article posted on ContraCostaTimes.com , Ward Connerly, the University of California regent who is behind Michigan’s Proposal 2, reflects on the ten-year anniversary of the passing of Proposition 209, a 1996 California ballot initiative which, banned affirmative action programs in California.
Prop. 209 prohibits the state of California from giving preferential treatment on the basis of race, sex, color, ethnicity, or national origin to any individual or group in public education, employment, or contracting — as would Proposal 2 should Michigan voters approve it today.
In the article, Connerly explains his problems with preferential treatment, saying he initially became frustrated when he discovered the University of California’s “diversity policies” in 1994.
“I felt they were discriminatory,” he said. “That they hid behind the argument that race was one of many factors when in reality, race was the factor.”
Asked if Prop. 209 has been successful, Connerly responded, “Without a doubt.”
He continued to explain that the proposition is “advancing the ball up the field” toward his ultimate goal, that everyone should be treated equally without regard to race, sex, color, ethnicity or national origin.
Since the proposition was passed, some colleges in California have seen in their minority enrollment plunge.
But Connerly said these dismal numbers don’t concern him.
“The whole thing is, people have to accept the opportunities that are available,” he said. “Make sure that the rules of competition are far, make sure that the admissions rules are fair.”
People upset with low numbers of black students at upper-level universities need to realize it is a family’s responsibility to educate their child, Connerly said. This has to start from when children are young.
“First of all, make sure that at the preschool level, that as a family you teach your children to read, to write, to do their ABCs, to do their multiplication tables,” he said. “The family has a responsibility to send those kids to school willing and able to learn.”