ILLINOIS MINUTEMAN PROJECT--A Pseudo Public Meeting At MCC
Well, the Illinois Minuteman Project circus rolls into town tonight when they put on their $50-a-head show at McHenry County College featuring Ohio Sheriff Daniel Beck. You may remember these folks as the eye of the hurricane that blew through McHenry County this summer when they tried to put on the same show at a local hotel. This blog carried the ensuing drama blow by blow. Check the archives to get up to speed or refresh your memory.
I’ve been asked why the McHenry County Peace Group and the Latino Coalition have not publicized protests to this meeting. Good question. First, neither group ever denied the right of the Minuteman group, or anyone else, to meet. We only wanted to counter their support of draconian measures targeting immigrants and, inevitably, any one who looks or sounds like an immigrant. Secondly, we agreed that Latinos Unitdos, the recognized college student group, should take the lead in plotting a response.
In speaking to the press shortly after this meeting was announced, I made clear that we were not opposed to allowing them to have a forum. I did point out that when the Peace Group recently sponsored its Current American Issues forum on immigration with Salvadore Cicero, it was free and open to the public. No attempt was made to screen out Minuteman members or other opposed to a fair and equitable immigration policy. We accommodated written questions from the audience regardless of the perspective of the questioners.
On the other hand the Minuteman Project has gone out of its way to make its “public” meeting as private as possible. The $50 admission charge and the refusal to sell tickets at the door are meant to screen out attendance by any possible opponents. Minuteman front woman Rosanna Pulido, after denying that the high charge was meant to screen out opponents in the NORTHWEST HERALD was caught red handed admitting it in the DAILY HERALD.
When the group was planning its first meeting, it even returned the money of Latino Coalition leader Carlos Acosta and refused to allow him to attend even to observe. Acosta and others have secured tickets to the new program. It will be interesting to see if they will honor their commitment to the college for an “open” meeting or will try to deny them entrance anyway.
The group also will ban cameras and recording devises from the meeting so no record of what is actually being said by whom will likely be made public.
Another interesting question is whether the group can fill the auditorium with paying customers. $50 a head is quite a shot, even for many of their own supporters. One wonders how many tickets will be “comped” to loyal supporters to avoid the embracement of a half-empty house. Again, the wide spread use of free passes while soaking the general public would call into question their “public” meeting.
Latino Unidos students did take the lead and outlined ambitious plans for counter events. But the administration, probably fearing confrontations, refused to allow the group to use the commons area near the Conference Center to set up alternative literature and programming. They turned down a proposal to allow a teach-in in classrooms any where near the Minuteman event or to allow the group to invite high school students to attend. Hints were heavily dropped that any “disruptive” behavior by Latinos Unidos could result in the suspension of their recognition as an official student group.
When the group presented college President Walter Packard, with a petition containing over 400 names, protesting the use of the college as a venue for the event, Packard used the media to paint Latinos Unidos as advocates of censorship and the college as a bastion of free speech. But neither the President nor the College has ever explained how the Minuteman group’s restrictive admissions policy should qualify it to use college facilities under the tissue thin guise of presenting a “public” meeting.
Tonight Latino students, acting as individuals, will make their presence known to those attending the event. In the course of their normal activities-going to classes, the library, commons, and the parking lot-they can be observed wearing identifying t-shirts. Meanwhile supportive observers, including Peace Group and Latino Coalition members will be on hand to monitor the situation. No demonstrations or disruptive activities are planned.
But the Minuteman group and their allies will not be able to slink into McHenry County unnoticed.
Look to this space for coverage of what takes place tonight.