UC Berkeley GOP student bake sale is mean-spirited

San Francisco Chronicle ^ | 9/27/11 | Chip Johnson

[SmithL]

I don't know about the political ethics or math skills of the UC Berkeley students who came up with the idea for an Increase Diversity Bake Sale, but they certainly know how to draw a crowd.

The student Republican group that sponsored a race-based bake sale set to be held on the campus today must have been counting on raising more than just the cookie dough.

There are few places in America more reactionary than a college campus, and among them, UC Berkeley is a leader.

A bake sale flyer posted on Facebook last week linked the price of pastries to the race, ethnicity or gender of the buyer so that "White/Caucasians" are charged $2, "Asian/Asian-Americans," $1.50; "Latino/Hispanic" $1; "Black/African Americans," 75 cents; Native Americans 25 cents and a 25 cent discount to all women.

The bake sale creators have no understanding of how race works in America.

In a country whose earliest beginnings relied on an economic system that placed a price tag on the value of a black man, and carried out genocide against its native inhabitants, you would have to be tone-deaf to promote such an idea. Unless of course, all you really wanted was some attention focused on your cause.

Student organizers said the point of the bake sale was to mock a bill now on Gov. Jerry Brown's desk that would allow university officials to consider race, ethnicity and gender as factors in its student admission decisions. Prop 209 prohibits public universities from considering an applicant's race, gender and ethnicity.

It may have been presented as nothing more than a bit of political theater created to shine a light on a legitimate policy issue, but it came off as mean-spirited.

[Gopher Broke]

Fox News story on this... http://video.foxnews.com/v/1184891495001/fox-news-debuts-new-election-technology/?playlist_id=86858#/v/1185209797001/racist-bake-sale-or-statement-on-affirmative-action/?playlist_id=87485

[ROTB]

You can email the Berkeley College Republicans at:

BerkeleyCollegeRepublicans@gmail.com

[GladesGuru]

As a member of a persecuted religious minority (Jew), with disabilities, and of advanced years (can remember when Jesus wore short pants), I want a full, written explanation as to why I have not yet received my free chocolate eclairs from the Berserkley booth.

I gotz rights AND entitlements! ! !

[WOBBLY BOB]

oldie, but a goodie:

“University Of Wisconsin Says It Faked Diversity Photo”

http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m1355/is_18_98/ai_66157053/

The University of Wisconsin at Madison recently admitted that school officials could not find an existing example of racial diversity during a sports event there, so a publicity photo on the cover of its 40-page fall admissions brochure was doctored to include a Black student among a crowd of White football fans.

[Jeff Chandler]

There are few places in America more reactionary than a college campus, and among them, UC Berkeley is a leader.

"That word. I do not think it means what you think it means."

[dfwgator]

Mean-Spirited = Disagreeing with a liberal.

[DTxAg]

Inconceivable!

[Timocrat]

There are few places in America more reactionary than a college campus, and among them, UC Berkeley is a leader.

Huh?

[Timocrat]

There are few places in America more reactionary than a college campus, and among them, UC Berkeley is a leader.

Huh?

[kevao]

There is a distinct difference between criticizing an idea in the public marketplace, criticizing a public figure and criticizing a group based solely on an ethnic, religious, social or economic difference. Rich or poor, white, black, Asian or Latino, it doesn't matter. You can only meet people one at a time.

You mean like the "rich," "millionaires," "billionaires," "corporate jet owners"?

[aruanan]

Rich or poor, white, black, Asian or Latino, it doesn't matter. You can only meet people one at a time.

It matters after dark in my neighborhood. There's been a lot of "one at a time" armed robbery.

[Fresh Wind]

Yes, indeed, it’s mean spirited to call out the hypocrisy of liberals.

[aruanan]

In a country whose earliest beginnings relied on an economic system that placed a price tag on the value of a black man, and carried out genocide against its native inhabitants, you would have to be tone-deaf to promote such an idea.

And you have to be an idiot to write a sentence like the one above.

[Melchior]

As a UC-Berkeley alum, this is the most rediculous assertion I have read in years.

[reg45]

“Mean spirited” is a code word for “honest”.

[blueunicorn6]

“Genocide against its native inhabitants”? Genetic analysis proves they’re Chinese. Stay up with the times, Chip.

[buwaya]

Correct. It is also Asians (mainly the students parents) who are the most bitter about this situation in California.

[HiTech RedNeck]

Modern public college campuses -- "reactionary"??? (they surely mean conservative by that).

It is to LOL

[MEGoody]

Actually, I think the students’ idea is brilliant. They certainly get their point across.

[Billthedrill]

The bake sale creators have no understanding of how race works in America.

Yes, actually they do. What their critics have is a fond illusion, a fairy story with themselves cast as the heroes. Taking away their fairy story and forcing them to look at reality may be "mean-spirited" but it turns out to be necessary.