Controversy erupts over Campus Republicans @ UC Berkeley over their racist bake sale

http://www.cnn.com/2011/09/25/us/califor...?hpt=hp_t2

(CNN) -- Campus Republicans at the University of California Berkeley have cooked up a storm of controversy with their plans for a bake sale.

But it's not your everyday collegiate fundraiser they've got in mind. They've developed a sliding scale where the price of the cookie or brownie depends on your gender and the color of your skin.

During the sale, scheduled for Tuesday, baked goods will be sold to white men for $2.00, Asian men for $1.50, Latino men for $1.00, black men for $0.75 and Native American men for $0.25. All women will get $0.25 off those prices.

"The pricing structure is there to bring attention, to cause people to get a little upset," Campus Republican President Shawn Lewis, who planned the event, told CNN-affiliate KGO. "But it's really there to cause people to think more critically about what this kind of policy would do in university admissions."

Lewis says it's a way to make a statement about pending legislation that would let the California universities consider race or national origin during the admission process.

But the young Republicans have been on the receiving end of a fierce backlash. Reaction has been so negative they've been forced to cancel their customary lunchtime tabling duties, according to KGO.

Lewis told CNN's Don Lemon that they expected a certain amount of opposition but not the level of outrage they experienced.

"We didn't expect the volume, the amount of response that we got," Lewis said. "In the first few hours, hundreds of posts on our Facebook page. And the tone of some of the responses -- we expected people to be upset. We didn't expect personal threats to

be made. They were implicit and explicit threats made to the organizers of the event, from burning down the table to throwing our baked goods at us and other kinds of physical threats."

Tim Wise, author of the book "White Like Me: Reflections on Race from a Privileged Son," calls the bake sale a "sarcastic and rather smarmy slap at people of color."

"There are a lot of ways to make a point about your disagreement with affirmative action," Wise told Lemon Saturday night.

"I get the joke," he continued. "How very original. It's been done for 15 years. The point that I think needs to be made ... is that by the time anyone steps on a college campus ... there has already been 12- to 13-years of institutionalized affirmative action for white folks, that is to say, racially embedded inequality, which has benefited those of us who are white. And it's only at the point of college admissions that these folks seem to get concerned with color consciousness."

Lewis insists, however, that Campus Republicans will go ahead with their bake sale and are committed to their controversial pricing structure.

Seems like Campus Republicans be raging over that policy. U Mad Campus Republicans?

P.S. I do get what they're getting across, but I find this extremely distasteful (no pun intended).

They make a point. I also don't see what's so distasteful. People need thicker skins.

I'm way more interested in this:

"Lewis says it's a way to make a statement about pending legislation that would let the California universities consider race or national origin during the admission process."

What the **** is this? Why, since the stuff in Arizona, politicians in the United States only think of creating laws that are racist, and violates my human rights?

Ugh, soon they will make "camps" for all latins, asians and every other no-white people.

wtp IS WRONG WITH PEOPLE LATELY?

Must be nice to be a Native American woman at UC Berkeley.

But yes, they are making a point. I don't see why people would be so angry about it.

Because when white people protest inequality they're racist bigots.

I see nothing wrong here, I guess those outraged really want racial inequality, or did not pay attention to the details.

 Shenanigans response

ITT: Sucks to be white.

Native American women get free baked goods?

I get the point they're trying to make. A bit...umm...edgy?
I don't think this was an appropriate way to get the point across though...

I get the point they're trying to make. A bit...umm...edgy?
I don't think this was an appropriate way to get the point across though...

the kids are protesting racial preferences when it comes to admissions for college. They decided to protest in a way that everyone can see and understand: A racially charged bake sale! Those cookies better be worth the dollar I would be paying.

Wow, i'm surprised myself at the level of backlash these guys are receiving. I can't really rationalize it without assuming that those condemning their method of protest merely didn't hear the full story. Shame. Oh well, while their method isn't super tactful, it certainly brings attention to an issue I hadn't heard of before, and kind've bothers me.

How dare you make a bake sale that gives people of increasing minority a lower cost to purchase food!? An outrage!
Minorities have access to special scholarships and are more likely to receive financial aid, and now they might be more likely to be admitted into universities? No problem here.

Wut?


Edit: Did I read the reactions wrong? Please oh please tell me I did.

the kids are protesting racial preferences when it comes to admissions for college. They decided to protest in a way that everyone can see and understand: A racially charged bake sale! Those cookies better be worth the dollar I would be paying.

Not enough money to by their cookies.

Still free speech and a protest and like all other protests it's charged with negative energy. As long as the idiots who threatened to kill them don't act on it, I think it's fine. It's only really hurting people's "self-esteem", but if you get all wriled up over a bunch of cookies and a protest by a minority political group on the campus, you need to chill the hell out and get over yourself.

Protest makes some sense at least. I don;t like being treated differently because I'm Asian, but everyone pretty much knows that race plays a factor in admissions.

This was actually amusing to me.

I feel slightly bad.

Because when white people protest inequality they're racist bigots.

rick said it.

This is why I think those guys are getting the backlash (note that I may not be right, this is just how I see it):

1. Campus Republicans
2. Lots of people see them as racist, and given how Republicans are viewed nowadays, this heightens tensions to a whole new level
3. UC Berkeley is known to be a heavily liberal-leaning campus (as seen in the student protests during the 1960s there)
4. ????
5. GeeGee

Wait, so are white people backlashing over their outrageous cookie prices, or are those coloured folk backlashing because they get a discount? Because I actually highly doubt anyone backlashing actually realises this was a protest against affirmative action.

Wait, so are white people backlashing over their outrageous cookie prices, or are those coloured folk backlashing because they get a discount?

Well here's what the Campus Republicans are getting across:

Whites --> has the most expensive baked goods ---> it would be harder to purchase them --> imply that they are getting gimped by the current admissions policy. In other words, its much tougher for them to get in

In contrast.....

In the listed minorities --> its implied that as the prices get lower, its "easier" to purchase it --> In other words, those minorities "supposedly" have a much better chance of getting in because of their ethnicity.

tl;dr - they be b'itching about how minorities have an easier time getting in, basically. And since they look like they're "targeting" certain minorities, it opens them up to accusations of racism.

EVERYONE must have equal chances of entering. That legislation is out of place. Just because I'm mexican I can't enter? Race, nation of origin, etc. should never be considered to enter a University. Grades, will to learn, knowledge, etc. are the stuff that the University should consider.

I think that the politician behind the bake sale went a bit too far, but that legislation... just no.

EVERYONE must have equal chances of entering. That legislation is out of place. Just because I'm mexican I can't enter? Race, nation of origin, etc. should never be considered to enter a University. Grades, will to learn, knowledge, etc. are the stuff that the University should consider.

I think that the politician organizers behind the bake sale went a bit too far, but that legislation... just no.

Fixed for relevance

EVERYONE must have equal chances of entering. That legislation is out of place. Just because I'm mexican I can't enter? Race, nation of origin, etc. should never be considered to enter a University. Grades, will to learn, knowledge, etc. are the stuff that the University should consider.

I think that the politician behind the bake sale went a bit too far, but that legislation... just no.

Um. I don't think you understand the point of "affirmative action." Your being a Mexican would make it easier for you to be accepted to the university compared to someone who is white or Asian.

It's stupid regardless.

Um. I don't think you understand the point of "affirmative action." Your being a Mexican would make it easier for you to be accepted to the university compared to someone who is white or Asian.

It's stupid regardless.

As I said before, EVERYONE must have equal chances of entering. I really don't understand why did the United States choose to make it easier for me.

Why can't you ignore the fact I'm "different"? Why can't I go by as just another human being?

Politics, just make me rage. I don't get what the United States try to achieve. They make easier for us to enter University, but is hella hard to get a visa.

Most of the time the accuse us of something without researching, and then I have to wait like half a year for them to make a "research".

Just wtp.....

I hope that legislation was thrown out of the window by now.