The shenanigans of Alinskyian organizing

A common objection to finding one’s congregation joined in membership to an Alinskyian community organization is that it’s “too political.” The Alinskyian organizers (in my experience) will snap back that it is a nefarious lie.

So, I’ve been collecting stories about the “too political” activities of various Alinskyian community organizations. One of the most blatant concerns pro-abortion Congresswoman Loretta Sanchez (D-CA). On Sunday, August 2, 2009, Sanchez spoke at St Callistus Catholic Church, Garden Grove, California as part of an event identified as a “Healthcare Prayer Vigil” on the Orange County Congregation Community Organization (OCCCO) website.

OCCCO is an Alinskyian community organization, affiliated with the PICO National Network. An August 3 news release posted on the PICO website says OCCCO organized the vigil and calls Sanchez the event’s “guest of honor.” “Sanchez said the national healthcare reform package currently before Congress does not fully represent an attempt to make healthcare available to all U.S. residents. Sanchez said the current reform package instead focuses on varying federal subsidies to help families' with health insurance premiums.

‘We are also trying to cut down the increases in the cost of healthcare, which are averaging 15 to 20 percent a year,’ Sanchez said. ‘That is the real reason we need to reform our healthcare system.’” [“Fair healthcare cost focus of prayer vigil,” OCCCO release, 8-3-09]

Given Ms. Sanchez' rabid pro-abortion positions and the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops’ clear statement that “The Catholic community and Catholic institutions should not honor those who act in defiance of our fundamental moral principles. They should not be given awards, honors or platforms which would suggest support for their actions,” California Catholics were understandably disturbed that St Callistus gave the woman a podium to promote her political ideas. [USCCB, “Catholics in Political Life,” 2004].

Kenneth M. Fisher, founder and chair of Concerned Roman Catholics of America, wrote Bishop Dominic Luong, who attended the vigil: “It is very disheartening and damaging to the Pro-Life Movement in which I share a position of leadership to read and see that you paid absolutely no heed to the Holy Father’s and the USCCB’s admonition concerning not allowing pro-abortion, pro-sodomite, pro-pornography (she has no problem staging events at the Playboy Mansion) politicians such as Loretta Sanchez Brixey to appear as a keynote speaker at an event sponsored by the Saul Alinsky community organizing organization, OCCCO. OCCCO is an affiliate of PICO which is definitely such an organization.”

Georgeann Lovett, Director of Respect Life, Justice and Peace for the Diocese of Orange, responded that “the event was an OCCCO event, not a Loretta Sanchez event or an exclusively Catholic event. OCCCO is an interfaith organizing group that works through various congregations and some of our parishes, including St. Callistus, are participants. They have a good track record with helping the poor and families to lobby political and civic leaders to get them to do various good things they might otherwise not be inclined to do….All of the Orange County House reps were supposed to be invited to the prayer vigil, but, through an error on their part, Ms. Sanchez turned out to be the only one actually invited. That was a mistake and they admit that. …This event gave the parishioners at St. Callistus and people from other areas of Santa Ana the opportunity to speak to their legislator (Representative Sanchez is the Legislator for the 47th district which predominately covers Santa Ana) and ask her questions regarding healthcare. The event lasted for 1 hour and 25 minutes; she was allowed to speak freely for only 5 minutes. Constituents have every right to address their Congressional Representatives and these people were soliciting Representative Sanchez in supporting Healthcare reform that is affordable to all. Our Catholic Church supports healthcare reform and this event, overall, portrayed and highlighted the need for such reform. When we have our own Catholic ‘town hall’ meetings, it is our policy that there should be speakers who can articulate the various sides on an issue. We believe that educated citizens make the best voters. It was unfortunate that OCCCO was not more diligent in keeping the event to testimonials, prayers and question/answers with Representative Sanchez. But it is also unfortunate that the YouTube video misrepresented the intent and the broader scope of the event.”

This is a remarkable letter.

It rationalizes ignoring Church directives about pro-abortion politicians, as if the Church were saying it’s OK to give them a platform whenever they’re discussing something besides their support for legalized killing of pre-born children. By this reasoning, so long as a politician has done some “good thing,” one can be his political ally, regardless of how heinous his other activities. Heck, looked at like that, one could be a political ally of John Gotti with a clear conscience.

Furthermore, whether by error or by design, Rep Sanchez was the sole invited political representative of one healthcare reform position. Despite Ms Lovett’s confusing remarks, it was not the Catholic Church’s perspective on healthcare that was heard at this “prayer vigil” but Loretta Sanchez’ perspective. Sanchez not only had time to “speak freely,” she also answered questions at length …leaving the impression that her position was, at the very least, morally acceptable to the Church. The intentional and brutal killing of babies is not morally acceptable to the Church, however, and even if Sanchez didn’t say one word on the subject, she and her position have gained credibility…and possibly some voter support.

Now its possible that Ms Lovett doesn’t know Rep Sanchez’ background. In 1996, another Alinskyian community organization, Valley Organized in Community Efforts (VOICE, an affiliate of the Industrial Areas Foundation network), set its membership to work in a get-out-the-vote drive, called the Active Citizenship Campaign.

As part of its effort in February 1996, organizer Father Miguel Vega, S.V.D., wrote to Vice President Al Gore: “Through the creation of a permanent precinct organization, 5000 precinct captains will turn out 966,000 voters for the November 1996 elections.” Vega continued, “Essential to the permanent precinct organization is the naturalization of 180,000 New Americans.” The Industrial Areas Foundation (IAF) proposal presented to Gore stated that its Active Citizenship Campaign was “willing to work with the INS [Immigration and Naturalization Service] to increase the efficiency” of the naturalization process. “Failure to deliver on promises made by the INS,” wrote Father Vega, “could create the impression that the Clinton administration is anti-Latino.”

Gore met with Father Vega and representatives of the IAF on March 8. The “Talking Points” Gore provided the IAF at this meeting state: “As you may know, I have been working on reinventing the federal government for the past three years. Because of that assignment the President has asked me to take a look at INS’s naturalization process and see if, using some of the techniques we have used to reform other government agencies, we can help take care of that backlog.”

The naturalization process was speeded up as requested. As an apparent result, the 1996 elections experienced the largest Latino turnout in California history. One other result was the election of Loretta Sanchez, an IAF-backed candidate…who also happened to be a “pro-choice” candidate, as identified by the California Abortion and Reproductive Rights Action League and by Women Organizing for Change.

The election that gave rise to serious allegations of voter fraud. While the House of Representatives allowed Sanchez to remain seated, the Wall Street Journal reported, “…Orange County District Attorney Michael Capizzi has determined that one immigrant rights group alone registered 590 non-citizens in the county and 547 of them voted…California’s Secretary of State has also found at least 300 illegal voters in the Dornan race…[I]ndependent observers have agreed that irregularities in both California and Louisiana are worth a closer look.” [“Compromising Elections,” Wall Street Journal, April 28, 1997].

Frankly, it’s hard to get more political than this.

See video also on YouTube here.

Stephanie Block is the editor of the New Mexico-based Los Pequenos newspaper and a founder of the Catholic Media Coalition.