[Peace-discuss] LaRouchite speaker

Mon Jan 10 09:59:51 CST 2005

What is appalling is that whoever organized this event has allowed for this 
to happen the second time.
Remember, Bevel came a few years ago to speak at an event that was 
co-sponsored by AWARE:
http://208.5.125.166/ngsearch/index.cfm?&page=displyStory.cfm&yearfolder=the02news&file=111202%5Fngstory%5F12688%2Etxt&search=Bevel&theorder=asaphrase

Tactically, he makes himself very available to progressive organizations 
(peace, animal rights, and environment), and his historical association with 
MLK makes it seem perfect that he is willing to talk. But his goals are, in 
fact, very different than any progressive organization's. He is part of a 
historical movement of right wing black nationalists who have aligned 
themselves with right-wing , racist, white fascists. The goals of the two 
groups are inherently the same: separation of the races.
This is, of course, not the goal of any group claiming to be anti-racist.

I am absolutely shocked that no-one spoke up sooner, since we just went 
through all of this a few years ago.

-
matt

>From: "Dan Schreiber" <dan at sourcegear.com>
>To: "C. G. Estabrook" 
><galliher at alexia.lis.uiuc.edu>,<peace-discuss at lists.chambana.net>
>Subject: RE: [Peace-discuss] LaRouchite speaker
>Date: Mon, 10 Jan 2005 09:22:22 -0600
>
>Thanks for the link Carl - I had seen this one
>(www.publiceye.org/rightwoo/rwooz9-22.html) and read it closely.
>
>It links Bevel with various people and organizations, who are in turn 
>quoted
>as saying or doing very inflammatory anti-progressive things.  However, the
>only quote on Bevel himself is his saying "it was a tactical coalition 
>based
>on agreement that the main danger in the world was communism".  While I
>don't agree that the main threat in the world is communism, this belief
>isn't something that would cause me to dismiss him outright.  It also looks
>like the article is a bit dated - it talks about Bevel being LaRouche's
>representative for anti-Gulf War I protests.  This appears to be the same
>time period that he ran for vice president, and the cause cited for the
>association was anti-war - is this another tactical alliance?
>
>Again, as I mentioned in the meeting last night, I am not an expert on 
>Bevel
>or LaRouche or Moon, and it is certainly possible that Bevel holds beliefs
>that are abhorrent to progressives.  But I still haven't seen actual quotes
>from Bevel himself, nor have I seen much beyond the word "associated" with
>LaRouche/Moon.  I have not seen data that says  he is a member of their
>organizations that makes decisions about their directions.  And, if he is
>part of their orgs, is he a Colin Powell or a Dick Cheney?   Finally, there
>is no doubt he is an icon of the civil rights movement, which does give him
>political capital on issues like this.
>
>I guess for myself, I'm a bit touchy about being judged based on
>associations, which is why I want to see more info about Bevel himself, and
>why I am resisting calling him a LaRouchite.  I am a Christian, and yet 
>that
>lumps me in with the worst kind of intolerance.  I consider myself a
>pragmatic progressive, but it wouldn't be hard for someone to portray me as
>a few degrees away from violent anarchists, whose tactics I abhor.  I want
>people to judge me based on my own beliefs and actions, and not necessarily
>those of organizations I have been associated with.
>
>So, Carl, I appreciate and understand that it would be easy for others to
>portray him as a LaRouchite and therefore AWARE's good name could be
>compromised.  But I see that as a different issue from whether *I* should
>see him that way, and I am still at the point where I would like to see 
>more
>evidence.  I can see why you would come to the conclusions you have, but
>hope that you can also see why I would want more evidence of Bevel's
>personal stances before deciding.
>
>Respectfully,
>Dan Schreiber
>
>
>
> > -----Original Message-----
> > From: peace-discuss-bounces at lists.chambana.net
> > [mailto:peace-discuss-bounces at lists.chambana.net]On Behalf Of C. G.
> > Estabrook
> > Sent: Sunday, January 09, 2005 9:57 PM
> > To: peace-discuss at lists.chambana.net
> > Subject: [Peace-discuss] LaRouchite speaker
> >
> >
> > I can't believe that AWARE is considering contributing to the honorarium
> > of a speaker associated with the LaRouche movement.  But I also have
> > trouble believing that the organizers of the "Forgiveness Weekend" would
> > damage their own cause by featuring such a speaker.  His associations
> > can't be kept hidden.
> >
> > I think most people in AWARE are sympathetic to what they understand to 
>be
> > the goals of the rally -- but those goals are seriously undermined by
> > having a representative of a neo-fascist movement as a prominent 
>speaker.
> > It will produce some very bad publicity.
> >
> > LaRouche is a nut and his movement has the aspects of a cult, but that's
> > not a reason to dismiss it.  (It's in a position not dissimilar to that 
>of
> > the National Socialist German Workers' Party in the 1920s, under the
> > liberal Weimar Republic.) Those who have been around town for a while 
>will
> > remember how it wrecked the Democratic party in this state in 1986.
> >
> > On Bevel's long association with LaRouche (and other far-right causes) 
>see
> > <www.publiceye.org/rightwoo/rwooz9-22.html>; and from LaRouche's side,
> > <www.larouchepub.com/pr/1996/mississippi_tour.html>.
> >
> > For more information on LaRouche's neo-fascism, see
> > <http://www.disinfopedia.org/wiki.phtml?title=Lyndon_LaRouche> and 
>"Lyndon
> > LaRouche: Fascism Wrapped in an American Flag" by Chip Berlet at
> > <http://www.publiceye.org/larouche/nclc1.html>, both with further links.
> >
> > At the next meeting I intend to speak against the plan to use AWARE 
>money
> > to pay some of Bevel's honorarium.  I understand he's getting $1000, and
> > I'm afraid it won't do any good just to ask that our money not be used 
>for
> > any of that: funds being fungible, the AWARE money would just free other
> > money and so would necessarily be supporting him.
> >
> > I hope other members who think AWARE should not be paying for an 
>extremist
> > of the far right will come and speak at the meeting as well.  If AWARE
> > should decide nevertheless to do so, I'd have to withdraw from the
> > organization, and I would regret that.  It would have only one good 
>effect
> > for me, as I mentioned to someone after tonight's meeting: I'd get my
> > Sunday afternoons back -- they'd no longer be devoted to writing "news
> > notes"...
> >
> > Regards, Carl
> >
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>
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