Much ado about Moore

By: Darren Ramalho -- Staff Writer

     According to UCLA’s mission statement, it is the intention of this university to “strive at once for excellence and diversity, recognizing openness and inclusion to produce true quality.” UCLA had no problem hosting liberal activists such as former President Bill Clinton and Governor Jerry Brown during the previous academic school year, but the campus was in uproar when conservative speaker David Horowitz came to campus in May 2011. Is this openness and diversity?
     ASUCLA and USAC’s Campus Events Commissioner has fueled the continued bias for liberal speakers, hosting leftist documentary maker Michael Moore during Zero Week on September 20, 2011 in Royce Hall. Moore was promoting his first autobiographical work, Here Comes Trouble: A Memoir of Childhood. Campus Events attempted to sell tickets for $12 per person, but eventually had to provide at least 70 free tickets as a result of low ticket sales. Spectators from a variety of backgrounds came to the event, including students, parents, grandparents, and documentary enthusiasts.
     As Michael Moore approached the podium in Royce Hall, at least 300 students gave this college drop out a standing ovation. Moore, wearing an oh-so-classy orange baseball cap, jeans, and black sweatshirt, started the evening discussing current political issues. One issue addressed included the execution of Troy Davis, a Georgia man convicted of murdering a police officer in 1991. Moore, outraged that Davis was to be executed, stated: “Why exactly do we want to keep the South?” This led to further statements of deep resentment, deeming the South as “f**ked up people,” claiming that after the slaves were freed to fight the Civil War, “…[their] master’s heads could have come off right and left on the road.” Moore feels this action would have led to “an African nation on our borders.”
     Of course, this wouldn’t be a completely atrocious Michael Moore lecture without the opportunity to attack the Republican Party incessantly. Despite record high spending and deepening deficits from our federal government, Moore claims America is not broke.  “The wealthy made off with all the cash, [they are] hoarding the cash.” Not only are the wealthy “hoarding” the American economy, the Republican Party serving in Congress, “[drove] the economy into the toilet” and “f**ked this place up.”  Despite making many factually errant statements that led to frequent applause, Moore failed to acknowledge the projected $1.2 trillion deficit credited to the Obama Administration. Generalizations are not rewarded with the same credibility as researched analysis, Mr. Moore.
     These statements were made within the first hour of the evening. Following this, our documentary-making, pro-socialism guest read excerpts from his new book, recollecting his time as a man on welfare until he found inspiration to film his first documentary. Throughout the reading period, the audience remained silence, in a state of zombie-esque simple awe and admiration. Following this drawn out reading, Moore spent the final portion of this lecture answering questions from the audience. Many were aspiring documentary filmmakers while others solicited Moore’s opinion regarding the Republican primary. Moore had no hesitation in quickly criticizing Minnesota Representative Michele Bachmann and Texas Governor Rick Perry, claiming these debates were only promoting the need for the Democratic Party.
     Outside of Royce Hall, the Revolutionary Communist Party attracted college students, seeking donations and selling publications for $10 describing the need for a revolution in the United States. One of the women demonstrating outside the Moore event expressed her support for Michael Moore, but she truly wished Moore would shift focus on finding solutions to our current government problem.



Darren Ramalho is a second year political science and English major, public affairs minor and all around overachiever. He can be reached at thebruinstandard@gmail.com