YAF Change in Leadership

Conservative, extremist politics at Michigan State University took a hit recently as Kyle Bristow decided to step down from his post as Chairman of the Young Americans for Freedom. The group, which has tried to host events like "Catch an Illegal Immigrant Day" and successfully hosted events by ultranationalists, vigilante border guards, and those of a similar ilk has been a blight to the university for a long time now.

We can only hope that Bristow's departure means the end of an era for the Young Americans for Fascism, or at the very least, a shift away from the lunacy that he brought to the organization. I personally hope that this timely departure, right after a hate speech bill was passed by ASMSU, will have a similar effect to Wiggins, former College Republican Chairman and YAF officer, leaving the College Republicans. Since Wiggins' departure, the group has been able to shift closer to its more moderate roots, and away from the extremism that it had so recently been.

Is this the end for Kyle Bristow? I doubt it. He is still a junior and has a year to go, as far as I can tell. He will by no means leave the spotlight, it isn't in his nature. We will no doubt see his cowboy hat-laden head at many more events, dishonorable speakers, and protests in the months to come.

I can only hope that this means a shift in ideology for the YAF, for their own good. While Bristow contends that it is a "leftist" organization, the Southern Poverty Law Center has never before labeled a university group as a hate group until the MSU Chapter of YAF. Talk about bad press for our school and our state. Maybe Kyle leaving will allow the other members of YAF to express themselves in a more civilized way, something that Bristow did not allow under his rule. He even instructed them not to talk to the press or disagree with any tactics or leadership (as if anyone would have the gall to oppose the great and powerful Kyle).

Still though, you have to give Kyle the limited respect that he deserves for being able to stick to his guns despite the ire of the entire Michigan State Campus and administration, however insane his guns are.

Finally, in full tribute to his only favorite Spanish words, I close by saying this about the regime change within YAF...

Viva la Revolucion!

CRs shouldn’t be blamed for YAF actions

After reading the letter, “MSU officials violate the anti-discrimination policy” (SN 10/18) I am distressed to find out that the MSU College Republicans were lumped with the MSU YAF in the anti-discrimination allegations by the Office for Inclusion and Intercultural Initiatives.

Knowing the background of what happened at the YAF event, I can’t possibly see how the College Republicans were involved. The College Republicans and YAF are two different and distinct groups, though they may not be seen that way. College Republican Chairman Ben Morlock has taken positive steps to distance himself and his group from the YAF.

The MSU Democrats fully support his efforts. The MSU YAF is a fringe group and does not represent what the majority of Republicans feel. This is by no means an argument that they be banned or silenced, I agree that they have a constitutional right to assemble, believe what they believe, and speak freely. The College Republicans have a right to be distinct from YAF.

As the President of the MSU Democrats, I would like to think that we would not be held responsible for fringe groups from our side of the political spectrum. The same should be true of the College Republicans.

MSU YAF Violates Anti-Discrimination Policy

William Allen and Frederick Fico apparently have been reading the Democrats’ playbook by attempting to tug at the heart strings of the common man, but in doing so engage in a unitary republican act – ignoring, forgetting, and lying about key details, all the while writing in a condescending manner perfected for the airwaves by the likes of Neil Cavuto or the President’s weekly radio address.

Granted, the MSU Office for Inclusion and Intercultural Initiatives may have been at fault by failing to provide the two groups key details on how and why they violated university policy. However, as neither a representative of the State News nor Michigan State University, only a representative of progressive ideals and common respect for fellow man, allow me to fill in the details. From the State News of September 20, 2007 “A student said he was kicked out of a Young Americans for Freedom meeting on Thursday and an Employee of the Southern Poverty Law Center said he was asked to leave prior to its’ start. Phillip Moon, a writer for the blog YAF WATCH, said YAF members told him he was not allowed in a private meeting based on his political affiliations. According to the university, all SRO’s must follow the following guideline: [SRO] shall not discriminate on the basis of race, color, gender, religion, national origin, sexual orientation, marital status, disability, height, weight, veteran status, age, political beliefs, or familial status.. My father may not have bought me an education at an Ivy League, but my excellent public school education would seem to indicate that YAF violated this policy.

Aside from their self congratulatory attempts to cast themselves in Mel Gibson’s next multi-million self-love affair, these advisers have written almost as cryptic of a letter as the Office for Inclusion supposedly sent. As opposed to listing possible ways that the Office for Inclusion could remedy the purportedly serious violations it has committed, these two, wait for it, faculty advisers, resort to little more than academic name-calling and

Yet, these advisers are not the only authors to make buffoons of themselves on the opinion page. Leo Madarang’s piece of minority inclusion in the Republican Party was enough to give me a second spit take of the day. Glossing over the ‘facts’ of the piece; it is true that the republican party has a grand history of fighting for the rights of minorities; but a titanic shift occurred in 1964. President Johnson singed the Civil Rights Bill, and with it, reportedly commented “We [Democrats] just lost the south”. Since that historic moment, the Democratic Party has been the better representative of minorities (albeit far from perfect), of the two major parties. Madarang subconsciously knows this by failing to provide one example of Republican assistance to minorities after the historic signing.

Meanwhile, those few abominations of minority republicans almost all share one thing in common – inordinate wealth. I am sure the minority republican voting levels in East L.A. or the South Side of Chicago hovers somewhere near zero. Furthermore, I will not even begin to touch the social acceptance of Republican Filipino’s - a quite religious and prosperous minority group.

While I would love to continue to point out the flaws in the arguments of these two pieces, I have to excuse myself; I must go back to my fourth job to insure Health Care for my children, before the President is able to take that away from me.

Sincerely,

Miles Greengard
Political Director, MSU Democrats
Junior; International Relations