Bake Sale Shut Down As Offensive - Young Cons. of TX - Price by race

[dArKeR]

Southern Methodist University shut down a bake sale Wednesday in which cookies were offered for sale at different prices, depending on the buyer's race or gender.

The sale was organized by the Young Conservatives of Texas, who said it was intended as a protest of affirmative action.

A sign said white males had to pay $1 for a cookie. The price was 75 cents for white women, 50 cents for Hispanics and 25 cents for blacks.

Members of the conservative group said they meant no offense and were only trying to protest the use of race or gender as a factor in college admissions.

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2003/09/25/national/main575005.shtml

[northzax]

1. sheesh

smu must be so proud to have produced such fine people who SIMPLY DON'T GET IT.

[Girlfriday]

2. I'm speechless....

No, how about obscene!

[arwalden]

3. Disgusting!

[DemoVet]

4. Those poor downtrodden white christian males!

Someone ought to slap these whiny puppies around with a steel hose. Have you ever noticed how these types always gin up a non-existent problem and then find others to blame for it? As if the worst thing to be in this country is a white, christian male. If they's spend less time whining and more time working they, and all of us, might actually get somewhere.

[Stuckinthebush]

5. Fools

There is nothing more ignorant than a Young Republican.

[Girlfriday]

Hitler Youth...

...a more proper term for these a**holes!

[tlb]

80. Hitler Youth, baking cookies ?

Getting a little carried away.

[saigon68]

83. I wonder if they had the "negros" sweep the floor after the sale

Typical for this lot of racists.

[WoodrowFan]

18. sure there is

TWO young republicans. The ignorance multiplies itself....

[pansypoo53219]

23. old retardicans?

they can be ignorant too.
and they add evil to the mix.

[Maeve]

6. This is not the first time we've seen such a story

Someone back me up on this, but I am SURE we've seen the exact same story before--young conservatives getting shut down for racially/sexually pricing baked goods. Must be a new tactic to stir up campus colleges.

[demdave]

8. Read the article

Similar sales have been held by College Republican chapters at colleges in at least five other states since February.

[Maeve]

14. So it does--I was right!

Both in recognizing it and in thinking it was a new College Repub ploy.

[ninkasi]

11. You're right

When I saw this in LBN, it confused me at first, because it sounded so familiar. The same group has, indeed, used this same disgusting tactic before. Wonder if it was also in Texas?

[LynneSin]

43. The article stated this was used with other Young Republican groups

from the article:

Similar sales have been held by College Republican chapters at colleges in at least five other states since February

When I first went to college I was technically registered a republican (the day I registered the guy who did my paper work just had me sign and he filled in the box for my party). I saw all those yuppies running the Young Republican clubs and knew I was NOT one of them. But there were no Young Democrats. Fortunately the girl who lived across the hall from me was a daughter of some democratic bigwigs from Harrisburg. Young Democrats started about 2 months later with 30 new members!!! (and they were the laid back cool kids!)

[demdave]

7. The group sold three cookies during its protest, raising $1.50.

1 white and 2 blacks? 1 white woman, an Hispanic and a black? 3 Hispanics? I want a answers!

[Guaranteed]

75. Being conservative they probably sold two...

...cookies to women and embezzled one for themselves.

[lanlady]

9. the cookie prices reflect a different reality

Women get paid 75 cents to do the same job as the white guy who gets $1.00, while Hispanics and blacks are paid even less for the same work as Mr. Whitey.

[ClassWarrior]

28. I think you're onto something there...

College liberals should praise these groups for pointing out pay inequities in our society. Turn the tables on the bigots.

It reminds me of when the Equal Rights Amendment folks had a booth at my college and were selling ERA NOW pins. $1 for guys, .67 for women. (The difference in average pay.)

[TeeYiYi]

53. Unless I just plain don't get it . . .

. . . my first thought was that this is a good thing. Pointing out how we are all the same and should be treated equally — but are not. It reminds me of an experiment when I was in elementary school in the 60's. They had everyone with brown eyes raise their hand and then blue eyes raise their hand. Then it was announced that the kids with blue eyes were in fact genetically inferior to kids with brown eyes, worth less and to be treated accordingly by the other kids. No recess for blue eyes, linups put blue eyes at the back of the line. The teacher ignored blue eyed questions. It was a very painful day for alot of blue eyed kids but it made a point. At the end of the day, the experiment was explained and it had a real impact on kids who, before that day, knew nothing about racial or gender discrimination. I think this experiment was sanctioned nationwide. It may have been controversial. I'll have to google it sometime.

TYY --->> with blue eyes

[C_eh_N_eh_D_eh]

56. My 2nd grade class did the same thing.

As an aside, I've got a funny story about that. I guess the whole brouhaha was for Black History Month or something - being seven years old and a foreigner, I didn't really clue in to what was going on. Anyway, there was a short pageant about the Million Man March that was intended to educate us about the evils of prejudice. Unfortunately, being a small Catholic school in Leavenworth, Kansas, there weren't actually any black children in our school. The part of MLK was played by a tubby little white kid with thick glasses. All in all, a very confusing day.

[sandnsea]

37. exactly

The Democratic Club should have went on over and congratulated them for finally grasping income disparity!

[Skittles]

67. HOW ABOUT BUYING A CAR ????

WOMEN, BLACKS PAY MORE

[Kenneth ken]

74. that was pretty much my thought too. n/t

[lazarus]

79. sigh

That's not true. Women's wages on average are lower than men's, but are generally the same for the same jobs.

If that was true, I would have fired the men who worked for me and hired all women, to save labour costs.

[treepig]

10. i don't see why they were shut down

i don't really see anyone grieviously harmed here - so if they want to make asses of themselves, why not let them?

[TahitiNut]

40. Because discriminatory pricing is actually illegal?

The "law and order" folks are engaging in civil disobedience. :shrug:

[treepig]

41. really - discriminatory pricing is illegal??

what about the ubiquitous discounts for seniors?

and what about the 15% off if you show a military ID at the burlington coat factory or $750 cash back for military personel if you buy a generals motors product? (to give two of many examples).

[TahitiNut]

45. Well, I didn't write the laws.

In effect, you're arguing whether the exceptions typically written into the law are 'discriminatory' in the sense of the typical statute's definitions. Each state has a body of law, including Commercial Codes, that're somewhat similar in this regard. Discriminating (in pricing, red-lining, etc.) on the basis of race, gender, religion, or national origin is typically legislated against.

Whether you (or I) agree with the law isn't the issue. The issue is that these students were (almost certainly) acting contrary to such laws. Thus, it's civil disobedience. The school then is obliged to act. :shrug:

[salin]

42. Guess it depends on "harm"

free speech, sure. But no harm? Let's see, I am a student on this campus - and now publically am told that I must only have 25% intelligence/value compared to all of my white colleague/students - because the implied message is that to get in I had to be given 75% more value just to be equal in worth. I get to sit in classes with people who I may have suspected thought I was an idiot just because of my skin color - but who have now gone public with HOW stupid, inept and unqualified they believe I am (compared to them) just because of my skin color.

The problem is this is a university. They are to create an environment where students' can learn. All students. This event creates a hostile atmosphere - granted it was created by the students.

Not saying that shutting it down was the right or wrong thing to do - but to suggest that nothing was harmed... not quite true.

[treepig]

48. i think that bringing the racism of the young republicans

out into the open is way better than letting it fester in secrecy. shutting down the cookie sale isn't going to change these idiots' views. the only result is that fewer people are likely to know that they hold this viewpoint - and therefore might take something else (that's perhaps a bit more reasonable) that they propound just a little bit more seriously than they otherwise would or should.

and come on, it's a cookie sale by young republicans - just how thin-skinned do people have to be to be offended anyways? why not let these idiots sit out there all day and harrass them until they've had enough and leave of their own volition?

[salin]

61. Already said that I am not siding

with or against the U.

Am pointing out that there is an effect - to completely dismiss it as the problem of those on the receiving end is a bit unfair - its THEIR fault if they aren't thin skinned enough. I went to a very conservative predominantly white (98%?) college - by many accounts it was already a stifling atmosphere for nonwhite students. This kind of stunt would have made it down right hostile.

Oh wait. It did. A few years after I graduated when a fraternity theme-party did ghetto/pimp theme - complete with blackface and harsh stereotypes.

Ironically after that there was a bigger push (and money invested) in competing for ambitious top students of color. However I doubt this will be the result at SMU.

[piece sine]

71. and may I add....

These dorks were just handed a million bucks worth of free PR. Their little street-theater stunt is getting LOTS of attention. Threads on many many sites, some not even political. Reuters International ran it around the world. "Free media!" is actually very valuable. For the cost of a few boxes of cookies, the Freeps REAPED headlines to make their point. They're taking showy cues from PETA and ACT-UP to get in people's faces.

[Wednesdays]

46. No one harmed?

Let's sell houses for $200,000 to white folks. But for the same houses, non-white people must pay $250,000.

No one is harmed, right?

[treepig]

49. umm, actually the non-whites would be getting the houses

for $150,000, $100,000, and $50,000 (and be feeling damn insulted in the process . . . ) under the young republicans pricing scheme.

or, if they did have to pay $250,000 - wouldn't that enhance their self-esteem??

[Wednesdays]

70. Not in the real world.

See responses 30, 33, 34, 36, and 55.

[Selwynn]

58. I agree

They have a right to express their point of view, and I think its a very compelling way to make their argument. It's an argument I don't agree with, but Affirmative action isn't like the greatest thing since sliced bread -- its the best solution we have so far come up with to dealing with the continuing remenants of racial prejudice and inequality, and its not a great one at that... its just the best we've come up with so far.

So I'm really not beyond hearing creative expressions of other points of view that don't agree with me that it is the "best" we have so far, and think it does more harm than good - they could be right, and I am a least willing to keep an open mind.

Personally I thought it was a very creative way to make their point, and I'm ok with people who disagree with me. :D

[sonias]

12. hope these repuke cons don't have children

They are the ones that teach intolerance and hate. They want to live in a monolithic culture with no appreciation for diversity and love of all humanity. They fear all that is different.

Blessed are the "mixed" for they shall inherit the Earth.

Sonia

[Catherine Vincent]

13. Tom Delay probably gave them the idea to do this.

[bushisanidiot]

15. The Pukes Are trying to get rid of Affirmative Action

and if AWOL get's another 4 years you can bet there will be a big push for it beginning in December '04.

All this crap is, is bad press for the repukes who are clearly the party of exclusion. When all the major CEO's in the country have brown faces maybe I'll listen to the poor white guys who can't find a job..









I refuse to brake for white guys with briefcases. They can wait in the cross walk til I go by.

[DemoVet]

21. Actually, they're not trying to get rid of affirmative action,

they're just trying to get it back to the way it used to be, when there were quotas for white christian males (nearly 100%) and for everyone else (jack/sh*t %).

[SOS]

16. There should have been

a very special cookie for sale available only to wealthy white males who got into Harvard Business School despite having a 2.0 undergrad GPA. The GWB cookie! Price: 5 cents.

[yolatengo]

19. no...

The cookie in that case is still $1, but Harkin Oil paid for it, then took
a tax writeoff. GWB still got to eat the whole cookie though.

Bigby

[Nevernose]

20. Price five cents

You hand them your dollar, get a cookie with a bite out of it, and no change back.

[Gman]

17. I didn't know there were any students other than white students

at SMU, except for a few African Americans recruited to play football. I'm sure at SMU these football players are referred to as "colored" so as to not stigmatize SMU.

[skypilot]

22. The black cookie buyers...

...should have bought out all the cookies at the rock bottom .25 cents price and then resold them to the white students for $1.00. Money grubbing Repukes should be able to appreciate that.

[Fish Eye]

59. Nice one!!

.

[saigon68]

24. What assholes

David C. Rushing, 23, a law student and chairman of Young Conservatives of Texas at SMU and for the state

Bet this guy will be appointed as a FEDERAL Judge some day..

[FlaGranny]

25. For some reason, this reminds me of an old TV show.

Could it have been Twilight Zone or Outer Limits? The show was about a future/different world? when whites were the minority. It should be shown to young Republicans. It was a good illustration of what can happen to minorities, just because they are minorities, and written in a manner to hit home with the "majority" if I remember correctly.

[DulceDecorum]

32. The "majority" is a rapidly shrinking minority

WHAT IS THE EUÆs DEMOGRAPHIC CRISIS?
The UN report on population in 1989 put it succinctly.
'Europe is literally melting away like snow in the sun'.

EU countries face an unprecedented fall in population from about 2010, becoming noticeable by 2025 and grave by 2050.
http://www.independence.org.uk/html/speeches_info_25.html

Meanwhile, the populations of Asia, Africa and Latin America are growing larger and larger.
In many many "European" nations, those who perform the pink and blue collar jobs are noticeably brown. You can see this trend VERY clearly if you visit any nursing home in the US, and most especially on a weekend when the "desirable" folk are out buying their one dollar cookies at the country club.
The young republicans argue against affirmative action but they are not heard to lament on GRANDFATHER CLAUSES which is affirmative action for their ethnic persuasion. The grandfather clauses were began because when they first instituted reading tests to determine voter eligibility, the whites failed them just as badly, if not worse than the blacks. So they came up with the notion that if your grandfather had been allowed to vote without having to do the test, then his descendants were exempt from the literacy test or the Yale entrance requirements as the case may be.
I say do away with ALL affirmative action, STARTING with the grandfather clauses. There will then be a LOT more seats open at Ivy league schools, once the inbredmayflowermadmen are rejected from even Devry and ICC. But this will not happenanytime soon, due to the inate ability of money to ride or walk.

[Not a robought]

26. They did it all for the nookie, c'mon

The nookie, c'mon
So they can take that cookie
And stick it up their.. yeah!
Stick it up their.. yeah!
Stick it up their.. yeah!
Stick it up their

Disgusting. I'm sure Tom Delay would be proud.

[dofus]

27. For all the complaining I hear from

white males, they're still the ones running the companies and country.

[Chovexani]

84. Sam Donaldson said something hilarious about that

At least I think it was Sam Donaldson. A while back I remember watching a news story on ABC, could have been This Week or a similar show, about the phenomenon of the "angry white male". Some Hitler Youth type got up there complaining about this very thing. Sam Donaldson said: "White males already have 90% of the jobs, are you mad you don't have the other 10% too?" :evilgrin:

Every time I see stories like this, I think of that quote and start to giggle.

[DBoon]

29. My idea of a bake sale

1. You get any item for free if your daddy owns an oil company.

2. You get the cookie for 50 cents if you are in the same greek organization as #1

3. Otherwise, you pay $1, but the seller can grap it back out of your hands anytime and eat it themselves if they wish

[AP]

30. Stupid RW'ers think of equal opportunity as a commodity. They think

the problem is that it's priced differently...that it's cheaper to get things if you're black. Poor, stupid righwingers. I pitty them.

[salin]

33. They should live for a month

in an urban, economically depressed community with no access to private transportation. They should see how much "less" it costs to buy groceries (and the high quality of the goods), how much "less" it costs to get a decent paying job, how much "less" it costs to feel safe, etc.

Clueless, racist jerks.

For those folks who keep floating the idea that Cheney will be dumped in favor of Condi - pay note. The College Repubs are still trying to keep stirring up the race card - this is NOT just about affirmative action. They LIKE the "southern strategy". The College Repubs - do not work alone. Remember Rove got his start as an office holder of teh College Repubs -working with, I believe, the RNC - that is how he came to some of the powers that be attention. Given that this type of event has occured at several campuses - I doubt it is just that they all came up with the idea. This is meant to do more than try to stir up antiaffirmative action efforts.

And it is a reminder that the GOP still LIKES the politics of the "Southern Strategy". No way they would risk losing that edge by nominating Condi as VP. No way that they would risk losing some of that (ugh) vote - because suddenly those folks are either not going to vote - or may feel less wedded to the GOP and start noticing that the policies of the GOP work against their economic interest. Funny how that happens when the ugly instinct reason for loyalty suddenly becomes nullified.

[sham]

39. I live fairly close to SMU.

And we are very close to the urban, economically depressed (predominantly Hispanic) communities you speak of. Probably 2-3 minutes by car.

Unfortunately, SMU is surrounded by green grass, large trees, mansions, BMWs, and high-end strip malls and boutiques. Most of these kids have never been anywhere near the other neighborhoods closer to downtown -- unless it's to pick up a bag of weed. They will never understand how hard it is to get through life on a day-to-day basis in those neighborhoods.

They are the same kids who shop at Urban Outfitters and buy trendy rap and neo-punk CDs at the local Virgin Megastore, and think they're being oppressed because it's so hard being white these days. I fucking hate them.

SMU is a southern indoctrination camp for wealthy young white Christian conservative racists. SMU is there for parents who are afraid of the "Liberal/Leftist Agenda" being espoused by most public universities these day. *snort*

[Elidor]

50. I used to live nearby as well

God, I hated those SMU brats when I lived in Dallas. And I can only wonder what they're whining about, seeing as how mommy and daddy are paying for their "education" anyway.

[salin]

62. My guess

is that they got rejected from other schools (you know, couldn't break the ivies, or into Vanderbilt) - and are certain that it was because of Affirmative Action - not their lack of qualifications.

[snippy]

34. They see no difference between providing someone with things and

providing someone with opportunity. These are the same selfish hypocritical hate mongers who object to welfare programs on the premise that "it is better to teach a man to fish than to give him a fish."

[Robb]

52. "Give a man a fish"

Two variations popular when I worked in the kitchen:

"Give a man a fish, and he eats for a day.
Teach a man to fish, and you've lost your monopoly on the fish market."

and

"Build a man a fire, and you keep him warm for the night.
Set a man on fire, and he'll be warm for the rest of his life."

:)

[judgegina]

31. I believe that SMU is Pickles alma mater.

n/t

[veganwitch]

35. a friend did something similar

though to bring notice to the wage gap between white males and minorities. while people (white males) said it was unfair, i dont think anyone was disgusted by it.

ill have to ask.

[Aristus]

36. This protest would only make sense if beforehand, they had

opened a booth with cookies for sale to white folks only. Black people would have been beaten up, attacked with fire hoses and set upon by police dogs if they had dared tried to purchase some baked goods. Young Repubs become old repubs. Too bad they don't know a frickin' thing about history!

[salin]

38. Hey is that Chief Renquist behind that table/booth? n/t

[SilasSoule]

65. That's the best comeback Idea I've heard on this thread...

[LynneSin]

44. They raised a whole $1.50 from 3 people

Great fundraiser.....

NOT!!!!

[MaineDem]

54. Actually it sounds like us

That sounds like the amount our local Dem committee makes on bake sales. :D

[qanda]

47. Why shut them down?

I'm a Black female, can I get a cookie for 15 cents? I don't think shutting them down does anything positive. Let them exercise their lesson in futility. They are still young and years from now they will hopefully realize just how ridiculous this was. If not, then maybe they can be President.

In the meantime, could someone please point out to them that we all pay the same amount for goods and services in this country, regardless of our ethnicity-- the disparity is in the amount of money minorities and women make while performing the same jobs as their White male counterparts. You know, they may actually be onto something.

[peterh]

51. ya know…there’s a very valid reason why Liberals...

are labeled progressives and why conservatives, by definition, are stuck in their own quagmire of utter stupidity.

[LoneStarLiberal]

55. Sorry If I Offend Any SMU Alums or Students Here...

But this is stereotypical. I'm just up the road from SMU and have had several friends go to school there both for undergrad and law degrees. They all enter as individuals and leave as martyred wealthy assholes. I know that's a generality that is unfair, but it is my experience with SMU and it finds support in the experiences of others, including two SMU alums.

To those who don't know what SMU is, it's Southern Methodist University in Dallas. It's one of the Texas elite's destinations of choice for higher education where the children of the elite meet other children of the elite and propagate more elites.

It seems to be a higher education institution that reinforces most of the characteristics that lead people to firmly plant themselves in the Republican Party. Think about this: The Young Conservatives mentioned here probably have never thought long enough about this particular issue to understand that there are fundamental social and economic inequalities in our society that necessitate things like affirmative action programs.

And thanks to their being at SMU, chances are they never will be required to think that deeply about issues of importance.

And now let's start the outpouring of conservative moaning and martyrdom over "how liberals want it both ways" and "how free speech is only for liberals" or <insert your favorite rich martyr statement here>.

Edit: I sometimes lose sight of the simple fact that conservatives hate poor people (defined as anyone less wealthy than them) and people not of their ethnic group (and sometimes of their ethnic group). Conservatives embrace and expand inequality. It's just that simple.

[Vogon_Glory]

64. Don't Be Too Harsh on SMU

I shouldn't be too harsh on Perunalandia. I'd hesitate to call it a successful upper-class "bubble." When I went to SMU in the late 1970s--early 1980s, there were still a fair number of middle-class kids going there.

SMU does have that tendency to be a preserve for comfortable Republican-style thinking, but not quite as lilly-white as it may have been back in the early 1960's. Alas, about half of the student body are fraternity boys or sorority girls. These days, I'd say that somewhere above 5 to 10 percent of SMU's student body is Hispanic, mostly the sons and daughters of the more successful Mexican--American professional and business classes. I can't give the figures for Afro-American or Asian enrollment.

I don't doubt that the Young Conservatives of Texas would find SMU to be more fertile ground for recruiting than a shirtsleeves university not far from an inner city. But because of such unspoken things as intermarriage and fraternization, I doubt that 1980's-style anti-minority thinking is going to do that well in the long run--even at SMU.

[Selwynn]

57. Ok let's get the facts straight...

First of all, this was originally done by a orgnaization of young republicans or something like in California - they made it onto NPR actually, as a piece about the different sides of affirmative action. I don't agree with their argument, but in that situation, the leader of that group was incredibly professional, polite and articulate, her points were reasonable even though I don't agree, and frankly I have NO PROBLEM with somoene's right to that kind of expression of their ideas.

If the idea strikes you as racist and offensive, that is probably the whole point: that affirmative action is basically reverse-racism/descrimination and is not the correct solution to the problems of racial inequality in America. I don't agree with that, but I respect the rights of others to hold different opinions than me and express them intelligently in creative ways.

I honestly think it is a pretty effective way to demonstrate that side of the argument, and I am not so insecure in my own beliefs that I feel so threated by a little creative debate. :)

[bloom]

60. And they are probably fine with income differences of all the groups

!

[UnapologeticLiberal]

63. Didn't they do the same think at Berkeley last year?

That's what someone from Berkeley who worked at the Manchester Dean headquarters told me over the summer.

I am glad the university shut it down...at Berkeley, if you can believe it, they were allowed to do it.

http://www.deanforamerica.com/site/TR?pg=personal&fr_id=1090&px=1318480">The bat is finally moving! If it continues at its current pace we could reach $1,200,000 by midnight

[Skittles]

66. THEY JUST DON'T GET IT, DO THEY ????

THEY JUST DON'T GET IT.

[dArKeR]

68. My accidental abbrev. for Conservative. Let's use it. 'Con' 'Cons' convict

convicts.

I don't remember seeing this one used before?

[hueyfreeman]

69. Rich Whites should pay more....Tax the rich

Rich Whites should pay more....Tax the rich...they should have charged the same for all cookies...but given rebates and credits....and free cookies to those that didn't buy them...

[bleedingheart]

72. Just when I thought they couldn't get any more offensive

the conservatives prove me wrong.

[SayitAintSo]

73. The pricing mimics what the different groups make on the dollar in wages

BECAUSE of discrimination ....

Geez.....

[AP]

76. No. What they're saying is that if you're a minority, you get something...

for free, which others have to pay for.

They're saying that white students pay dearly for college, while black students are asked to pony up significantly less in terms of grades, extracurriculars and tuition to get the same thing.

They think of equal opportunity as an item you consume, rather than as something that levels the playing field so that a variety of ideas and experiences contribute, allowing the best to rise to the top, and so that all people willing to work hard get a chance.

[leesa]

77. Oh poor white males. They've had it soooooooo hard!

Poor widdo spoiled rotten babies. Here let me fluff your pillow and get your slippers after a hard day of golf.

[bluestateguy]

78. They did this at UT too

The YCT bake sale attracted numerous angry bystanders. I posted a thread about it when it happened, but the local and university media ignored the event.

[Darth_Kitten]

81. Were the women working the booth?

whilst these young conservative guys were taking long breaks? ;) After all, isn't doing monotonous, underappreciated jobs women's work? :evilgrin:

Some studies have shown that compared to young women, young men are really quite lazy. ;)
I don't know, just wanted to get a little shot in there. :evilgrin: :nuke:

[bleedingheart]

82. Yeah... the women baked the cookies, prepared them for sale

and cleaned up the dishes afterwards. Then they walked three steps behind the men to the table in order to sell them. In preparation they were wearing short skirts and tight tops to please their man...and stimulate people to buy these cookies.

All the while the white boys talked about their golf game and what they were going to do this weekend...

That is the scene I envision...