KC's Hispanic Activists Continue Their Harassment Of Minuteman Grandma
10/30/2007
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It looks like life isn't going to get any easier for Frances Semler, the 73-year-old park board member whose membership in the Minuteman Civil Defense Corps caused the National Council of La Raza (The Race) to cancel its 2009 anarchists convention in Kansas City. Local Hispanic activists, no doubt with the urging of the Mexican government, say they will continue to work for Semler's removal from her appointed position, [Hispanic advocates will continue to seek Frances Semler's removal from park board, by Bill Graham, The Kansas City Star, Oct. 28, 2007] ”This organization [Minuteman] is creating so much hatred and divisiveness in our communities,” said Dolores C. Huerta, a cofounder of the United Farm Workers of America. ”These hysterical attacks on the immigrants, particularly people of color, have turned into discrimination against the whole Hispanic community." Huerta, who was in town to receive a "peace" award from a local church, typifies just how far the UFW has strayed since Cesar Chavez fought tooth and nail to prevent illegal workers from undermining his organizing efforts on behalf of migrant workers. Added Charles Lona, a Hispanic community leader, ”The mayor [Mark Funkhouser] is supporting a racist, violent organization. That’s the way we feel.” Making this story even more troubling is the Star's ongoing policy of blatant bias in favor of those who consider the rule of law a major roadblock to their agenda.

During my phone conversation with reporter Bill Graham (e-mail), he attempted to defend his one-sided coverage here with the argument that events were moving very fast on an almost daily basis. Huh?

C'mon, Bill! This story has been bubbling along since July, and you and your colleagues still haven't figured out how to pick up a phone to get a few quotes from our side of the issue? And why, for heaven's sake, didn't you bother to contact the Minuteman organization so they could respond to the unfounded charges of racism?

I don't know whether it did any good, but I politely reminded Graham that my organization is available to him and others at the Star to provide them with perhaps a smidgeon of balance. One can only hope . . .

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