Targets Pat Buchanan

La Raza Campaigns to
Push Critics Off the Air

he leader of one of the country's most powerful corporate-funded Hispanic advocacy groups called for suppression of debate on immigration and denounced criticism of Hispanics as "unacceptable in a democratic society."

In a letter designed to mobilize supporters nationwide to pressure television networks, the president and CEO of the openly racist National Council of La Raza demanded that immigration restrictionists such as author and columnist Patrrick Buchanan be barred from television programs. Signed by La Raza President Janet Murguia, the letter urged supporters to send petitions to television network executives telling them to stop "politicizing the immigration debate at the expense of the Latino community."

Buchanan is the author of recent books that strongly criticize America's open immigration policies, and has called for a moratorium on immigration. Two of the books, State of Emergency and Death of the West were national best-sellers.

Murguia says that Buchanan's appearance on CNN to plug his books is one example that illustrates "how the immigration debate has led to inhumane and degrading treatment of immigrants, including millions of Hispanic Americans," and urges readers to help stop what she calls "the current Hispanic hate atmosphere in the country."

The letter raises disturbing questions about the role of giant U.S. corporations in a major assault on America's tradition of free speech and open debate. La Raza's activities are openly underwritten by some of America's largest and most well-known corporations. La Raza says those corporate donors are "partners" in its strategy. According to La Raza's web site, many corporations have pledged what La Raza calls "multiyear, multimillion-dollar commitments" on behalf of the group's "long-term strategic efforts." La Raza calls those donors its "institutional corporate partners," and they include such wealthy companies as The Allstate Corporation, Wal Mart Stores, Inc., Bank of America, The Coca Cola Company, Ford Motor Company, General Motors Corporation, State Farm Insurance Companies, UPS, and others.

Other corporations, described by La Raza as "corporate programmatic supporters" are also called "partners" in activities that include "civil rights and advocacy." Those corporations include Toyota Motor Corporation, Wells Fargo & Company, Eli Lilly and Company, Pfizer Global Pharmaceuticals, The Home Depot, Inc., Exxon Mobil Corporation, Verizon Communications, American Express, GEICO, State Farm Insurance, Microsoft Corporation, and many others.

Besides bankrolling La Raza's campaign to cleanse broadcast outlets of opposing viewpoints, La Raza's corporate partners are also comfortable with the rest of the group's radical agenda. That includes amnesty for all illegal aliens, affirmative action for Hispanic workers, foreign language ballots to make it easier for foreigners to vote, and reduced tuition rates for illegal aliens who want to attend college.