- BAMN
Background
BAMN's Principle #3 states,"BAMN is committed to making real America's founding declaration that 'all men are created equal.' Real equality of rights and opportunities for women and [minorities] requires active, positive measures, [as well as] a national policy of affirmative action." [ [http://www.bamn.com/1/principles.asp Principles ] ] .
To accomplish its goals, BAMN advocates maintaining "a national policy of affirmative action." The acronym "BAMN" currently stands for "Coalition to Defend Affirmative Action, Integration & Immigrant RightsAnd Fight for Equality By Any Means Necessary", although it originally stood for "The Coalition to Defend Affirmative Action By Any Means Necessary". The original purpose of BAMN was to defeat the University of California Regents plan to end affirmative action in the UC system.
BAMN was one of 44 parties to intervene in the "Grutter v. Brollinger" affirmative action case. [Grutter v. Brollinger, 137 F. Supp. 2d 821, 825 n.4 (E.D. Mich. 2001)] BAMN's activism also includes challenges against the
Michigan Civil Rights Initiative as well as rallies, protests, and a March on Washington.Controversy
Terrorism Investigation
The American Civil Liberties Union has reported that the
FBI has investigated BAMN for potential involvement in unspecified "terrorist activities." According to the FBI, the group's protests were discussed in a meeting about terrorist activities. [ [http://www.statenews.com/article.phtml?pk=31230 State News] ] [ [http://newstandardnews.net/content/index.cfm/items/2298 News Standard] ]Criticism
The group has also been criticized for busing in students from the Metro Detroit area to BAMN protests. The most notorious of these happenings occurred when the language of Prop 2 was being certified by the State Board of Canvassers and the rally that BAMN led with school-aged children in Lansing flipped tables over and threatened the signers of the ballot. [ [http://www.chetlyzarko.com/essays/boc-12142005.html Video and photographs documenting table flipping episode.] ] A BAMN leader has been accused of displaying a knife during a disagreement. [ [http://www.opinionjournal.com/diary/?id=110009275 Opinion Journal] ]
References
ReflistExternal links
* [http://www.bamn.com BAMN website]
* [http://www.chetlyzarko.com/bamn-terror.html Page documenting "BAMN Terrorism"] by former-Proposal 2 Treasurer and Media Director Chetly Zarko, and [http://chetlyzarko.com/b2evolution/index.php?cat=38 blog category regularly documenting BAMN] .
* [http://www.chetlyzarko.com/essays/boc-12142005.html Page documenting infamous "Table-flipping" episode where Massie and Driver lead a mob into frenzy] and eventually into flipping over a Michigan Board of Canvassers table onDecember 14 ,2005 .
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