Home
Sites of Interest
Join ACRC
Contact Us
|
|
Statement re: Gross Misjudgment by Southern Poverty Law Center
It was recently brought to our attention that the Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC) claimed an "alliance" existed between the Council of Conservative Citizens (CoCC) and the American Civil Rights Coalition (ACRC) in their Spring 2007 Intelligence Report -their annual "Year in Hate" review. The SPLC apparently based this “alliance" on a photograph taken during a public function with ACRC chair Ward Connerly and John Raterink, chair of the Michigan chapter of CoCC. The SPLC further implied that this "alliance" led to the successful passage of Proposal 2 (now included in the Michigan Constitution).
ACRC wants to make several points clear:
1) There is NO alliance between the CoCC, or any separatist group, and ACRC. ACRC chair Ward Connerly travels continuously throughout the country to discuss the elimination of unfair preferences and meets people on all sides of the issue. As such, there are frequent impromptu photo requests. In an interview by Media Mouse - a liberal media outlet based in Grand Rapids, MI - Connerly responded that he “didn't know of (Raterink's) background when he shook my hand and asked if he could have his picture taken with me at a public function."
2) While the CoCC spoke out in favor of Proposal 2, they had no role in the Proposal 2 campaign. Critics of Proposal 2 simply wanted to scare the public into believing that Proposal 2 was an extremist-backed initiative rather than an initiative about equality and fairness. As Michigan Civil Rights Initiative executive director Jennifer Gratz stated during an interview prior to the passage of Proposal 2, the Michigan Civil Rights Initiative "didn't ask for (the council's) support... Even a broken clock is right twice a day." Media Mouse noted that the SPLC "gives too much credit to the (CoCC) for their role in the passage of the measure" and that they "did little organizing around the issue." Regardless of what activity they undertook to advance Proposal 2, the CoCC acted on their own and to further their own interests.
3) The SPLC stated in its report that Connerly "rejected calls to denounce the CCC." Connerly did not denounce the CoCC because he knew nothing about them, and it would be irresponsible to condemn an organization without knowledge of their activities. Connerly did, however, provide his philosophy about separatist groups in general when asked his opinion by Media Mouse. "I have nothing but contempt for separatist groups based on race that have done so much to hurt black people throughout American history," he said. "Proposal 2 is about equality and fairness, not separation and preferences."
4) Lastly, and perhaps most importantly, the point needs to be made that what the SPLC has done in publishing this erroneous information was irresponsible, to say the least. It is unfathomable that an organization that has championed civil rights and justice for more than 35 years would publish a report without research and substantiation. If a smaller, local media outlet such as the Media Mouse could take the time to obtain both sides of this issue, then certainly a group such as the SPLC, with nationwide scope, could and should have done the same. This particular publication - the "Year in Hate" review - is reportedly read by 60,000 law enforcement officers nationwide (according to the SPLC website) and relied upon as a factual basis that, in some cases, leads to criminal convictions in hate crime cases. To link our organization to any of these groups is not only unacceptable, but seriously diminishes the reliability and respectability of the SPLC.
The ACRC requests that the SPLC retract its comments associating Ward Connerly and/or the American Civil Rights Coalition to the Council of Conservative Citizens or any separatist or racist group.
|
