The current ACORN scandal once again proves that independent analysis and honest journalism often takes a backseat to propaganda, bias and overt
double standards.

ACORN’s Chief Executive Officer, Bertha Lewis, hit the nail on the head when she stated that the current salvo against the organization stems from its
39-year history of "going after the rich and powerful". Needless to say, few
people are willing to acknowledge the role classism and racism play in
mainstream America. Radical conservatives work to maintain the economic and racial divides ripping the nation apart while an underpaid and under-resourced nonprofit sector tries to salve the wounds. Some Americans don’t seem to want liberty and justice for all, but just for a chosen few – often wealthy, white, heterosexual males.

Any person or group that threatens centuries of institutionalized, preferential
treatment can become a focal point of attack. This is the case with ACORN. It campaigns nationally for living wages, immigration justice, better public
schools, affordable housing, improved health care and community reinvestment, and fights against forced foreclosures and predatory lending practices,

It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to see that predatory lending practices,
regressive taxation, a non-livable minimum wage, racial profiling, decaying
public schools and other economically discriminatory practices make life
harder for a lot of people.

Although Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae may not have been designed to increase homelessness, countless families of meager to moderate means lost their homes and savings thanks to gross misconduct by these agencies. But where was the call for an immediate end to government funding of these agencies? There wasn't one. If fact, exactly the opposite occurred. The government took billions of dollars from public funds to salvage two agencies that directly increased homelessness and poverty levels across the country.

Meanwhile, ACORN has faced accusations of mismanagement, and it has been quickly suggested that all government aid to the organization should be
eliminated. Banks, mortgage companies and car companies continue to be
rewarded for their mismanagement, while advocacy agencies are being
de-funded and put out of business. That’s a double standard.


While ACORN was working to keep families in their homes, Freddie Mac, Fanny Mae and unscrupulous banks were doing everything possible to profit from putting families out of their homes. While ACORN was working to eliminate regressive taxation, a thin sliver of affluent families and corporations had their tax burdens minimized. While ACORN was working to protect existing communities and schools, real estate speculators were busy destroying lower-income neighborhoods for a wave of condo redevelopment (in buildings often standing empty to this day).

Thinking people don’t want left-wing rhetoric or right-wing propaganda, just
the truth about what makes the people who live in this country healthier, safer, happier, better educated and more productive – and what doesn’t.
More and more people are getting their news from alternative sources
because they want more than passive coverage of distorted attacks on people
and organizations trying to make things better for many Americans who are
suffering.

ACORN isn’t the first victim of these attacks and won’t be the last. But the
lack of a vigorous response to this so-called scandal has been an affront to
accurate journalism and journalists everywhere.


Phavia Kujichagulia is the author of “Recognizing & Resolving Racism: A Resource and Reference Guide for Humane Beings”.