GOP needs a dose of tolerance and compassion Editor:

The Daily Evergreen

Published: 11/15/2006

GOP needs a dose of tolerance and compassion Editor:

In response to Republicans building more walls. What kind of message does a fence send? How about “stay the f--- out.” Like many students and faculty, I was offended by the Republican wall; however, I was not surprised. Like the Arizona initiative to make English the official language of that state, symbols such as walls are invoked to mobilize the bigoted base of the Republican Party.

In defense of the wall, Kiley Smith, president of the College Republicans said, “We decided to do the fence because we don’t have to hold a forum.” She’s right. The image of a fence protecting America from foreign “invaders” is sufficient enough to get the xenophobic and bigoted members of the Republican Party to the polls. The proposed fence would span 700 miles of a roughly 2,100-mile border. A border fence that runs one-third of the border length doesn’t accomplish much in regards to American border security. What it does do is stir up racist sentimentalities among conservative voters before election time.

The same fears of immigrants have resurfaced throughout American history. The dominant Anglo population using the same fear-rhetoric that we see today has attacked many groups: Irish Catholics, Italians and Chinese are just a few. It’s unacceptable that in the 21st century, these insidious tactics are still used and that people can hide behind the transparent guise of “National Security” to conceal their bigotry. Our generation needs to end this shameful ideology.

Nick Anderson senior, English

We here at The Riot Act couldn't agree more and the fact that the editorial board jumped in and didn't even have their facts straight is pathetic but not surprising. You would almost think that the board now included in the psychotically extreme right wing of Pullman those people who always jump in without any information or fact... like palousitics.com's Paul "I need to go back and take my philosophy classes again because I missed the part about where I should attack the persons argument and not the person themselves" Zimmerman and Tom "I wonder if Schweitzer knows if I use my work computer to harass college students with my blog" Forbes. In the end I guess it doesn't really matter who works for the daily rag it has shown once again its conservative bias by not getting all of the information and by assuming that all there was, were "poor defenseless fellow republicans being attacked by a mob." Fact of the matter is The advocate has heard reports that CR president Smith also dropped some racial bombs. We will keep you updated as the developments continue to come in.