When It Comes to Neo-Nazis, Dean Huang is Opposed, Just So You Know

Dean Huang sent out the following email (thoughts down below).

Dear Members of the CMC Community,

I am writing to provide you with some information about the Nationalist Socialist Movement (“NSM”) rally and the anti-NSM rally. Both rallies are scheduled to take place tomorrow, March 19th, in Claremont.

As you know, I prefer not to send emails to the CMC community expressing my personal views of the world. It’s part of the learning experience for us to take in as much information as we can and make informed decisions for ourselves. However, what may not be obvious in this situation is the potential for physical danger and/or arrest if you are not careful. You could accidentally wander into something very different than you expected.

From noon to 1pm tomorrow, the NSM will be holding a rally at the intersection of Indian Hill Blvd and Foothill Blvd. The NSM have held similar events in Southern California before, including in Los Angeles last year and in Riverside in prior years. At those rallies, members of the NSM have: called for a closing of American borders, waved flags with swastikas, worn militaristic uniforms, and carried unloaded weapons. These activities are legal in California under these specific circumstances.

From 10am to 2pm, a rally to counter the NSM rally will be taking place at Memorial Park in Claremont, which is located about two blocks south of the where the NSM rally will be taking place. This rally is sponsored by the United Church of Christ in Claremont.

The Claremont Police, the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department, and others will be onsite or nearby in case of problems. The Office of Campus Safety of The Claremont Colleges is also aware of this and has a plan to protect the Colleges. These events should take place to the west of the Colleges, and should not enter our grounds.

At previous NSM rallies, other groups of people have attended to draw attention to their movements and/or incited people into physical confrontations. It is likely that there will be some media coverage of the event.

All of this is prelude to say that there is some danger in these events, and local law enforcement officials will be making decisions that are legal and necessary for the safety of the community. I have put CMC on an “alert/monitoring” status until the conclusion of tomorrow’s event. If you are in Claremont tomorrow, please be aware of your surroundings.

Sincerely,

Jeff Huang
VP for Student Affairs

It looks like a pretty good statement, but I have to wonder: What's wrong with wanting to seal the borders? I don't favor that, myself, but it seems pretty unfair to me to lump it in with some of the objectionable material that the Nazis favor. It is perfectly respectable to call for closing the border. Ditto for holding hand guns unloaded in public. Lots of people exercising their Second Amendment rights is a good, not a bad thing. Yeah, it's annoying when Nazis abuse those rights, but they exist for everyone to help stop would-be Nazis from taking over.

I predict that there will be a 10:1 ratio of people at the no-Nazi to the pro-Nazi relay. Nothing to see here, folks, move along. I hope you join me in ignoring the filth that climbs out from their parents' basement.

Harvey Mudd Prof: "Hey, Don't Worry Much About the Nuclear Plume" from Japan

If you are freaking out about the Japanese nuclear power plants, don't. Full disclosure here first: I have purchased potassium iodide (in the past) for much the same reason that I plan on purchasing a hand gun and building a bomb shelter. Why? Because I am something of a civilization pessimist. I would put the odds at about 50-50 that a major American city will be nuked in my lifetime.

That said, I've been engaged in a buycott of Japanese goods. They are expensive, but well made and I don't have to help the Chinese government, which pretty much owns us already. I don't mind helping our Japanese friends get their stuff together. It's a good bet to bet on the Japanese.

Anyways, here are the facts of nuclear radiation that are emanating from Japan, according to Adam Edwards, assistant professor of physics at Harvey Mudd College.

Although most people don't realize it, we are frequently exposed to natural sources of radiation in the course of our daily activities. People are exposed to higher levels of radiation from X-rays or from flying in an airplane than they would be from the plume, said Adam Edwards, assistant professor of physics at Harvey Mudd College in Claremont.

Variations in elevation, atmospheric conditions and the Earth's magnetic field can change the amount
of cosmic radiation that we receive, the commission's website said.

The place where we live can also make a difference in the radiation we are exposed to, Edwards said.

"Living in Denver there is more radiation than on the coast because of the higher altitude," he said. "There are natural variations from state to state."