Welcome to our new feature, Encounters with the Left. This section will feature real encounters that ordinary students like Ruben and Adam Dancy  have had with the campus Left when they try to peacefully express their ideas that, God forbid, run counter to the ideas of the Left. Have you had an Encounter with the Left? Want to let the rest of your fellow students know? Email us at mrev@umich.edu

By Ruben Duran

You’ve really got to hand it to the aggressive liberal groups on  campus. They really go out of their way to shove their drivel down your throat. Being the “oppressed minority” that I am, I receive emails from leftist groups almost daily. What follows below are excerpts from a letter addressed to me from Ms. Agnes Aleobua, noted BAMN activist and DAAP affiliate. Listed below each of the selections from her letter are my responses. This was sent to an undisclosed group on campus. Man, they’ll let me get away with anything here, won’t they?

“I have read emails in response to the possible election of Bush to presidency. I also understand that people having been expressing that there is still “hope” because of the recount in Florida. No matter who wins the presidency we as blacks, minorities, women of all races, and progressive students on this campus have to draw the same conclusion.  We have to fight for anything that we want in this society. We have to be dedicated to building a new Mass Militant Civil Rights Movement that can not only defend the gains of the previous civil rights movement but we must also struggle to expand those gains.”
OK, for the second time now, I’ve heard this expression of anger and hate, that “we have to fight to get what we want.” In my “Day of Inaction” article, I directly quoted from Ms. Aleobua this same line (in context). Now that’s something; apparently, in this country you no longer have to work hard for what you want. Instead, you have to beat the crap out of someone. Now there’s progressive taste for you. And really, what is it with this “mass Militant Civil Rights Movement” business? It seems that members of the “Peace and Justice Commission” of the MSA love peace and justice...as long as it suits their tastes.

Basically, the remainder of the email described in detail how the students of the U of M should strike out against the lawsuits, and support BAMN, DAAP and all of their related movements. It also talked more about how minorities and women should “fight by any means necessary.” I took offense to this; I hate junk email.  I have much better things to do than allow my mailbox to be flooded by liberal drivel. So I did what every self-respecting quasi conservative would do. I wrote her back. The following is what I sent to Ms. Aleobua.

“Ms. Aleobua,
May I begin by saying thank you for these...enlightening email messages that you and other leftists flood my box with. I really had nothing to do tonight. Thanks for breaking the monotony. That said, I have a few questions/statements that maybe you could clear up for me. For the second time now, I have heard you use the (contextual) phrase “have to draw the conclusion (that we) will fight.” Maybe you didn’t catch my article. Why do you believe this? And if it is true that minorities and women have to fight, shouldn’t also white people who feel that they as well are discriminated against fight back? Is that not what the plaintiffs in this case are doing?

Citing this and other statements that I have heard you and your cohorts with BAMN and DAAP have made, it seems clear that you support Congressional legislation (affirmative action) and not the Constitution nor the Bill of Rights. If a person or group were to shout down your protests, wash off your chalk or tear down your signs, you would call them violent racists and say that they are sequestering your freedom of speech. Yet, my chalkings and those of my like-minded friends have, on more than one occasion, been perverted by your organization. When a protest was raised, the reply of, “well you’re shit (sic) is racist.” And that, madam, is a contradiction. It is evident that your group does not encourage true freedom of expression, but only that which supports your cause. The public beating and beratement of Adam Dancy is physical proof of that.

I therefore make two requests: 1.) Stop sending messages to my email account. They are unwanted and unsolicited. 2.) Truly work to integrate and end segregation; stop encouraging minorities to “band together” to fight “whitey” and instead work to truly integrate so Dr. King’s message will truly be realized (that people are judged by the content of their character, not the color of their skin). If there is to be TRUE integration, there must be no lines, no races and no “ethnic divides.” Instead there should be people. Just people.”

Simple enough, wouldn’t you think? Nothing aggressive. Just a few simple statements and questions involving what she wrote. I’ll admit, I have written some inflammatory things in the past, but this was perfectly innocent in comparison. Certainly nothing to warrant the response I received the very next day.

“F*ck you! You racist basterd! [sic] I am so tired of hearing your shit! And yes I read the bullshit that you wrote in the Michigan Review. It is amazing that there is so much sick shit that can pass for journalizm [sic]. Once again for you THE OPPRESSED PEOPLE OF THIS SOCIETY HAVE TO DRAW THE CONCLUSION TO FIGHT BY ANY MEANS NECESSARY!!!! [Caps in original] The plantiffs [sic] in the two anti-affirmative action lawsuits are racist just like you! The country and this university is still the haven for rich whit [sic] men. You are only complaining because people like me and my organization are challenging your white privelage [sic] in a thorough going way. Me and my “cohorts” standing for building a social movement that can end the tyranny of white privelage [sic] in this nation. What the recent article in the Michigan Review by your racist friend Adam Dancy is that he was trying to take and tear up the signs of high school students. And honestly his dumb ass will think twice before he trys to mess with 600 high school students from Detroit during a militant march. Furthermore I will continue to send out mass emails and I hope you get every last one of them. And I will continue to encourage minorities and the oppressed in this society to band together and fight racism. Finally how dare you use Dr. King to support your racist ideas of biological determinism and continued segregation. All I have to say to you is you better fucking watch what you say to me I’m a leader in the NEW MASS MILITANT CIVIL RIGHTS MOVEMENT! [Caps in original] In the majestic and powerful words of Martin Luther King “The whirlwinds of revolt will continue to shake the foundations of our nation until the bright of justice emerges”.

Well, first, I’d have to compliment her use of...colorful metaphors. It startles me how freely these campus liberals use foul language. That aside, let’s talk about a few of her points. More talk of fighting by any means necessary. That’s lots of fun. I’m sure Adam Dancy is just dancing in the streets because he had the opportunity to be beaten in public. It’s supported by Ms. Aleobua, yet, if the roles had been reversed, surely the “white oppressors” would be billed as Klan members and the beaten student would have been billed as a victim of a “hate crime.” Instead, my friend Mr. Dancy is warned to “not mess with 600 high school students” and I better “watch what I say” lest I get the business end of a Militant Civil Rights Movement.  Well what about my Civil Rights? And those of Mr. Dancy? Why won’t we benefit from the Militant Civil Rights movement? We’re being oppressed!