BAMN Too Extreme Even For Extremists

It seems that the riotous and anarchistic antics of By Any Means Necessary are unsettling even to the most ardent revolutionaries in the Workers’ Movement. Robert Blumn, a self-proclaimed 40-year “revolutionary Trotskyist,” writes in the Michigan Daily:

“…BAMN is now frightening and alienating the populace of Michigan with its opposition to the ballot as a way of gauging whether the citizens of Michigan want these special divisive privileges maintained.”

It’s saying something when the self-avowed extremists call you extreme!

No wonder One United Michigan is doing a two-step to distance the opposition from BAMN. Try as it might, OUM can’t hide the fact that when it comes to action, it is BAMN who’s leading the opposition against ending race and gender special preferences, not the suits of mainstream corporate Michigan that OUM purports to represents.

Need proof? Just look at how much OUM and BAMN spent opposing MCRI. According to campaign finance reports filed recently with the MI Secretary of State, OUM spent about $21,000 while BAMN spent more than $341,000.

For those keeping score at home, BAMN outspent OUM 17-to-1 in 2005. WOW, that’s some major cash and a huge indication of who’s really behind the opposition to MCRI.

BAMN: "Shock Troops" of OUM

The mainstream media long has identified the radical group BAMN a core and important partner in the opposition front against ending race and gender preferences in Michigan. Here's more proof that BAMN and the opposition, One United Michigan, are working in concert....

Retired Detroit News columnist Pete Waldmeir - one of the last "Old-School" journalists in Michigan - hammered home the connection between BAMN and Citizens for a United Michigan, the precursor to OUM (More on the name change below.) You can read the complete column HERE, but the salient graf is this:

"The opposition, Citizens for a United Michigan, is formidable and well funded. Its executive director is retired Michigan National Guard Brig. Gen. Mike Rice (Ed. Note: What happened to him?????), who has lined up an impressive list of backers ranging from the state AFL-CIO to the Michigan Catholic Conference. Citizens for a United Michigan’s battle-hardened shock troops are provided by a group known as BAMN, the acronym for By Any Means Necessary."

When the Board of State Canvassers meets Friday, with BAMN's bussed-in protestors undoubtedly piqued for political performance, the question informed observers of this issue will be asking most is whether OUM consultant David Waymire will by holding the Marionette's lanyards of these Trotskyite usurpers?

This scribe has learned that Consultant Waymire has spent, of late, some considerable effort attempting to put distance between himself and BAMN. This effort came as news to BAMN national co-director Luke Massie, who intimated to the New York Media, in late December, of the coziness between the two groups. (read about it here)

Those following this issue should consider applicable the adage, perhaps he doth protest too much. Time will tell.

On to the OUM's name change...

As mentioned earlier, Citizens for a United Michigan was the precursor to One United Michigan; Consultant Waymire even was spokesman for the earlier group. But it seems the denizens leading that cause figured out - after only a year - the acronym for Citizens for a United Michigan created an unfortunate stag-film euphemism. Hence, opposition leaders must have saw a need to reformulate the coalition's name so as to not further upset the public's sensibilities.

BAMN & OUM...Zero Degrees of Separation

Everyday there is yet more proof the radical extremists of BAMN are the real opposition to a color-blind Michigan. One United Michigan, which purports to be the "official opposition" is nothing more than a Disney-esque facade to BAMN's violent and anarchist-based agenda, as has been demonstrated by the apparent fact that OUM can neither quiet nor rein in these Trotskyites.

Today, The Michigan Daily has an op-ed penned by three BAMN comrades entitled: "BAMN leads way against MCRI."

This latest piece of Leninist propaganda is full of grandiose claims of effectiveness on BAMN's part. But it is clear - and there is no credible voice stating otherwise - that BAMN IS the opposition, not OUM.

Oh, OUM and its paid consultants might say they are not connected to BAMN, but it takes no action to turn that rhetoric into results. Why? Ask Consultant Waymire. But one could reasonably conclude that OUM sees BAMN as such an effective foil against mainstream MCRI that, while it says there is no connection, it nonetheless gives tacit approval to these '60s-Wannabes and their antics.

BAMN, OUM Attached at the Hip?

In yet another example of how One United Michigan paid consultant David Waymire will say anything regardless of the facts, now comes this story from the New York Sun where Luke Massie states "on the record" that his radical and extremist group, BAMN, and OUM are coordinating their efforts. Here is the pertinent section from the article:

"Meanwhile, the disruptive tactics of Mr. Massie's group, By All Means Necessary, have led to it being disowned by the main coalition arrayed against the measure, One United Michigan. '...We do not work with them, (Waymire said).'

"Mr. Massie called the assertion that the two groups are unrelated 'not entirely true.' He declined to elaborate."

So, once again, inquiring minds want to know: Which is it, Dave?

No matter how much Waymire tries to disassociate himself from BAMN, the truth remains that BAMN and OUM are attached at the hip. OUM puts on the suit and shakes down corporate Michigan for funding while BAMN and its group of Marxist organizers is the voice of the opposition. Both are sides of the same coin, which is vociferously – and violently via BAMN – opposed to letting voters decide whether to end racial and gender preferences.

BAMN Threatens Violence...AGAIN

Luke Massie and BAMN, the leading and most dogged voice against letting Michigan voters decide whether to end race and gender special preferences, made it perfectly clear that if OUM and the opposition cannot win on the merits of their arguments, they will resort to violence and mayhem.

Here are some highlights from Massie's reaction to an upcoming Board of Canvassers meeting where state officials said they will take extra steps to ensure that BAMN and other opponents won't incite another riot to keep the panel from conducting the state's business, in this case approving language that will let voters decide whether to end the use of race and gender special preferences in university admissions, state contracting and government employment:

“Court order, shmourt order,” Massey said. “...(The court order is) illegitimate ... That type of court order should be defied.”

And again on the use of violence:

"Massey said it was 'absolutely not' out of the question for BAMN to disrupt the next meeting as it had the last one."

At the last Board of Canvassers meeting in December, Massie and BAMN incited about 300 high school students to overturn furniture and surround canvassers, disrupting the meeting and requiring 15 Lansing Police officers to restore order.

Click HERE to read of al Massie and BAMN's latest incendiary comments.

Luke Massie: Voice of the Opposition?

Can there be any doubt that Luke Massie of BAMN is THE voice of opposition to letting voters decide whether to end race and gender special preferences in college admissions and state hiring and contracting? He's quoted everywhere.

Where is One United Michigan (the purported opposition to the Michigan Civil Rights Initiative)? This group has been completely co-opted by Massie and his band of '60s radical-wannabes and Communist agitators.

It cannot not be a coincidence that OUM's silence on refusal to denounce more vociferously Massie and BAMN's lawless activities betray a complicit connection between the two organizations. Despite the opposition's chest-thumping over the members of its coalition, the fact remains that the most effective and most vocal spokesperson for OUM is Massie and BAMN.

BAMN and Workers of the World Unite?

Luke Massie, one of BAMN's leading agitators in Michigan also leads the Revolutionary Workers League. The Revolutionary Workers League is a Trotskyite organization aimed at destroying capitalism and American businesses.

BAMN is completely open about being linked to the Revolutionary Workers League. The IP addresses and phone numbers for BAMN and the Revolutionary Workers League are identical. Check out this interesting story about Massie, BAMN and the Communist movement:

http://mensnewsdaily.com/blog/2005/11/new-civil-rights-movement.htm

BAMN and Revolutionary Worker's League: Is there a connection?

The degrees of separation between BAMN and the revolutionary Workers League, a Leftist Trotskyite group based in Detroit, are nascent, at best. Below is a description of RWL and its connection to BAMN provided by a former BAMN member who runs the anti-BAMN blog: www.nobamn.com.

"Revolutionary Workers League: Formed in 1976 as a split from the Spartacist League, the RWL is a dogmatic and intensely militant Trotskyist group based in Detroit. Little is seen of them outside of Michigan and California state, and (like the Spartacist League) they demand the devotion of all their members. They have set up a network of puppet organizations: the National Women's Rights Organizing Committee (NWROC, founded 1980's), the Committee to Defend Affirmative Action By Any Means Necessary (BAMN, founded 1995), and others. These front groups are where the RWL's primary activism takes place. They often practice entryism -— entering larger organizations and trying to bend them toward their own ideology. The most recent case of this occurred in Oakland, California (far from their home base), where BAMN supporters tried to take over the local teachers' union, the OEA. A group that split with the RWL during the Gulf War, the Trotskyist League, would break from the RWL'’s traditional entryism and work with Solidarity and other groups, though maintaining their ultra-left stance."

http://www.nobamn.com/groups.html