Tennessean/USA Today Use Hate Group as a Source
This article about the cost of illegal immigrants to the U.S. Health care system in today’s Tennessean—with a byline by a USA Today reporter—cites statistics by the Federation for American Immigration Reform (FAIR.) Last month the Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC) officially named FAIR a hate group because it accepted a $1.2 million gift from what the SPLC calls an “infamous, racist eugenics foundation.” (Eugenics is the Nazi utilized theory of culling inferior races from the gene pool so that a “pure” race of people can be bred.) This long-form investigative piece by an SPLC reporter also cites bigoted statements by FAIR founder John Tanton against Catholics and his comparison of immigrants to an aggressive bacteria that will one day overwhelm the American Petri dish. The group is also a big advocate of the Aztlan theory.
Despite all of that, FAIR has great influence in the American immigration policy debate. Its members have been called to testify before the U.S. Congress, and according to the SPLC were quoted almost 500 times in mainstream media outlets in 2007. FAIR has also hosted press events—such as this one in Iowa this month (last item)—where conservative talkers like Steve Gill do live broadcasts starring major party candidates and FAIR spokespeople. And of course, Phil Valentine quotes their figures and study results dutifully, and has even written this column for FAIR's website about the impact of illegal immigration on Tennessee.
FAIR and other groups founded by Tanton have been credited with starting a grassroots wildfire that ended up killing last year’s bipartisan comprehensive immigration reform package then making its way through Congress.
It’s a good bet that most of the people who were prompted by FAIR’s media push to call or fax their elected officials and advocate for the FAIR agenda had little knowledge that they were acting on behalf of a man with such dark motives. But shouldn’t the Tennessean—or for that matter USA Today—know better?
Comments
Simply put, yes. The Scene would have known better, but I've come to expect mediocrity from the Tennessean.
Posted 01/22/2008 at 03:44:12 PMIt appears that the Scene is as lazy as the Tennessean in checking the allegations that it relies upon in designating "hate groups" when it applies the term solely on the word of an advocacy group that does very little, if anything, to actually reduce poverty...except perhaps for those it employs.
FAIR has responded to the allegations that it accepted money from a supposedly racist group 15 years ago by pointing out some others who have accepted money from the same foundation who avoided the "hate group" designation by SPLC.
Link (edited by Pithmaster to fit blog format).
Based upon the fact that former Klan member and U.S. Senator Robert Byrd is a leading member of the Democratic Party, will the SPLC apply the same "hate group" designation to the Democratic Senate Caucus that they have applied to FAIR based upon an equally tenuous connection??
Posted 01/22/2008 at 07:31:37 PMI can’t believe you would defend the Pioneer Fund, Steve. They spend quite a bit of space on their website talking up the IQ deficiencies of blacks, especially when compared to whites and Asians. While Pioneer has given money to a few scientists at big-name schools, take a look at the dates of some of those grants. Some of those scientists are long dead(!). A closer reading reveals that Pioneer funded studies have “proven” that criminality is inherited, that class differences are actually genetic and that blacks aren’t as smart as whites.
Here’s a link: http://www.pioneerfund.org/Grantees.html
Granted, FAIR may have taken the Pioneer money fifteen years ago, but I wouldn’t call $1.2 million a “tenuous connection.”
Also, how could a serious news outlet quote anybody who advocates the Aztlan theory with a straight face? Such advocacy may not be “hate,” but it sure is stupid. FAIR has also compared Muslim American politicians to Osama Bin Laden. Classy!
As for Robert Byrd, his connection to the Klan is hardly tenuous. The fact that his party is OK with that says more about American politics than you or I need to here.
Posted 01/23/2008 at 11:42:45 AMI wonder if the Southern Poverty Law Center has "officially" labeled the ACLU as a communist group due to the fact that one if it's principal founders, Roger Baldwin, explicitly endorsed communism.
I doubt it.
Posted 01/23/2008 at 12:52:09 PMThat’s really weak. You’re equating communism with racist hate-speech? And bringing up the ACLU? Gawd. Are you now or have you ever regurgitated old talk radio chestnuts…
Posted 01/23/2008 at 01:02:49 PMWhat I'm doing is pointing out the selectivity of the SPLC in their "official" pronouncements based on their own agenda.
I have seen the SPLC cited as a source in the Tennessean and other places (like here) as if they were some universially recognized authoritative source rather than merely another advocacy group themselves - which, in fact, is all that they are.
As for equating communism with racist hate-speech, no not at all. Communism is far far worse than racist hate-speech. Stalin, Mao and Pol-Pot killed a hell of lot more people than the KKK ever did.
Posted 01/23/2008 at 01:51:46 PMThe SPLC is no doubt an advocacy group with an agenda. They are also an authoritative source. They can be both because they don’t peddle lunatic theories like Aztlan or accept money from creepy eugenics groups. I’m with you on the communist thing but it’s still retrograde to run around shouting “Look he’s a Commie! They hired a Commie!”
Settle down Tailgunner Joe.
Posted 01/23/2008 at 03:48:55 PM"They are also an authoritative source."
That's merely your opinion.
Posted 01/23/2008 at 03:54:06 PMThat's merely your opinion.
Gilbert the broken record.
Posted 01/23/2008 at 04:18:34 PMIt’s a fact. If you know a better source for info on white power, neo-Nazi, KKK and black nationalist groups name it. Because they have more data on all of these groups than anyone else, they are, by definition authoritative.
Posted 01/23/2008 at 04:31:30 PMWell you believe whatever you want, P.J.
And I will refrain from accepting your opinion that all the data you claim this liberal advocacy group has is accurate or comprehensive or that their analysis of anything is in any way "authoritative".
Posted 01/23/2008 at 09:43:16 PM