June 20, 2000
Dear Mr. Netkin,
Your site concerning Antonio Villaraigosa is obviously well-thought out and deeply felt. I must disagree and I hope that I can give you a different perspective based on personal experience.
I'm a Jewish guy, a lawyer in private practice, very active in Jewish organizations
I've known Antonio for years - before he was involved in electoral politics. I first met him on the Board of Directors of the ACLU where I chair one of the Committees. And, by the way, I've agreed with him on some issues and disagreed with him on others. We were probably at different extremes within the ACLU.
I know him pretty well. He and his wife have been to my house for a non-political Shabbat dinner years ago. I've hung out with him in his backyard. I was at the hospital with him and his wife when she was sick about 8 or 10 years ago. I've been with him at the Jewish Federation Council's Super Sunday and watched him raise thousands of dollars for the Federation.
Antonio is certainly proud of who he is and where he comes from, but he is not against others. He has come a long way and overcome many things, including prejudice and discrimination. I would testify in a Court of law as to his character and veracity as a witness, and his honesty and integrity. I would also testify that he is not in the least anti-Semitic. He is also really a very nice guy.
Name withheld
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June 20, 2000
Dear Writer
Thank you for respectfully disagreeing with me.
I'm sure that Antonio Villaraigosa is a charming fellow. Even California Assemblyman Steve Baldwin, a conservative Republican from El Cajon, said he likes Villaraigosa personally, but wishes that he would clearly disassociate himself from Latino separatist groups
If you have perused this web site, you will see that I do not accuse Villaraigosa of overt racism or anti-Semitism. But by NOT naming and speaking out against the clearly racist (and un-American) views of MEChA (...brutal "gringo" invasion of our territories..), he runs a close second -- and that goes for the ACLU too.
Not only does Villaraigosa not want to condemn MEChA, he was quoted by the San Diego Union-Tribune on February 13, 1998 as saying "I was chairperson of MEChA 20 some years ago, (and) I'm proud of it, but I'm not the same person I was 20 years ago, anymore than you are."
Can you imagine what your and Villaraigosa's reaction would be if David Duke, who is also a charming fellow, said 'I was a grand wizard of the Ku Klux Klan 10 some years ago, and I'm proud of it, but I'm not the same person I was 10 years ago, anymore than you are.'
Pope John Paul II, on behalf of the Catholic Church, has courageously tried especially hard to mend relations with Jews, for not speaking out against the Nazis and the holocaust. As well as you say you know Antonio Villaraigosa, why don't you use the pope's example to encourage Villaraigosa to apologize for his involvement in MEChA and encourage him to make his stance clear that he publicly and unconditionally condemns them and all racist Raza affiliates.
Hal Netkin
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June 20, 2000
Hal,
As you point out, even Steve Baldwin likes Antonio. He would hardly get along with people like Steve if he was a racist and a separatist, nor could he have been elected Assembly Speaker.
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You might also not know the many things that Antonio has done for Jewish folks. For example, Alan Lowenthal, the Jewish representative of Long Beach in the Assembly, who happens to be related to my wife, would publicly tell you that he owes his election to Antonio. Hardly the act of a racist, anti-Semite or separatist.
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Anyway, I will gladly and publicly vouch that Antonio is not a racist, anti-Semite or a separatist, and I know him and his family pretty well, personally and for periods dating to before he was involved in electoral politics.
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Let me know when to show up - and crank up the cameras.
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I urge you to reconsider your position.
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Eternal Vigilance is the Price of Liberty
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Name Withheld
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June 20, 2000
Steve Baldwin likes Antonio Villaraigosa, but Baldwin also said that he wishes that Villaraigosa would clearly disassociate himself from Latino separatist groups -- which goes to show that a person can be likeable and at the same time hold racist views.
Being elected to Speaker of the Assembly only shows that the majority members, like the ACLU and Villaraigosa himself, don't consider that there is anything wrong with racism if it comes from La Raza. Villaraigosa was elected to the Assembly in the first place because his agenda (like issuing drivers licenses to illegal aliens, and his support for Special Order 40) appeals to the ethnic voting block in his district. But he will face the general Los Angeles electorate when he runs for mayor, who are more interested in what's good for all Angelinos and America, not what's good for certain ethnic groups or illegal aliens.
As a Jew myself, I wish Alan Lowenthal would say publicly that he was elected on the merit of his political agenda, and not because Villaraigosa vouched for him. One of my criticisms of Villaraigosa is that he uses divisive ethnic politics to romance certain electorate.
Your vouching that Antonio Villaraigosa is not a racist, anti-Semite or a separatist does not carry the weight that would be carried if Villaraigosa himself publicly declared his sentiments. Not too much to ask, is it?
As I have answered another writer: If Antonio Villaraigosa will publicly and unconditionally condemn MEChA's racist "El Plan de Aztlan" manifesto like he means it, publicly and unconditionally repudiate MEChA's goal of "liberating Aztlan" like he means it, publicly and unconditionally condemn the anti-Semitic "Nation of Aztlan" like he means it, and publicly and unconditionally declare that he is proud to be an American (just as he has declared on various occasions that he is proud to be a Mexican -- he is not a Mexican, he is supposed to be an American), I will publicly apologize to him and remove this MayorNo web site.
Hal Netkin
