Americans celebrate Columbus Day in many different ways. New York City hosts a parade honoring Italian-Americans. Dallas-area children enjoy a three-day weekend, often using the opportunity to attend the State Fair. I like to honor Christopher Columbus’ historic voyage by attending class, then bitterly reading the Facebook statuses of my non-Longhorn friends who are thoroughly enjoying their much-needed fall break.
MEChA, the Movimiento Estudiantil Chicano de Aztlán — a Chicano student political-action organization — also has a unique way of recognizing Columbus’ arrival to the New World — holding demonstrations in honor of “Indigenous People’s Day” and protesting the genocide of Native Americans that followed Columbus’ discovery.
Because the group carries a reputation for extremism, one might expect a radical event, but MEChA’s campus demonstration Monday was refreshingly low-key. Campus political events are often nothing more than loud, indulgent events that make the sponsoring organizations look ridiculous and taint their ideas.
The main problem with many campus political events is that they are predicated on the singular goal of attracting attention. While exposure is a perfectly reasonable objective, organizations go about attaining it counterproductively.
For example, a conservative organization recently held an event in the West Mall to protest President Barack Obama’s health care reform agenda.
Obviously, health care reform is a complex issue that invokes disputes over the role of government in private industry, regulatory and bureaucratic intricacies, and even what constitutes basic human rights. How did the group choose to express its position?
Members dressed up as doctors and passed out apples with slogans tied to the stems under a giant banner titled “Obamacare,” or something to that effect. Not exactly the essence of high-minded debate.
As a member of University Democrats, I am very familiar with events of this nature. A satirical, attention-grabbing gimmick is intended to draw student and media attention, which will attract like-minded students to the organization.
By that standard, the “Obamacare” event succeeded. It was impossible to walk past the West Mall without noticing the display, and if I had reactionary political beliefs, I would have been attracted to the organization.
But the achievement of those goals does not justify a tacky and patronizing display.
MEChA’s Columbus Day protest demonstrates that a mature and simple event can obtain the same benefits as an ostentatious one — without the negative consequences.
MEChA’s event consisted of a woman dressed in Indian garb performing a traditional dance. In between dances, a group leader read the group’s argument over a PA system as other members distributed fliers.
MEChA’s positions are extreme. Among other things, the group calls for an organized resistance to classism and capitalism and claims to reside in Tejaztlan instead of Texas.
Despite its radical agenda, MEChA was able to command the attention of students without alienating any.
And because of the sensible and levelheaded event, students were much more open to MEChA’s ideas than they would have been if members had dressed up like conquistadors or posted pictures of dead indigenous people on A-frames.
It was fitting that the MEChA event was just down the sidewalk from the statue of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., whose effectiveness was largely based on his ability to attract attention and advance an agenda while indisputably commanding respect. There is nothing wrong with using humor to make a legitimate point, but gaining attention must be the means to support a cause, not an end in itself.
Luippold is a government and journalism junior.
Attention alone is useless
Published: Thursday, October 15, 2009
Updated: Thursday, October 15, 2009
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