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"To sin by silence when they should protest makes cowards of men." - Abraham Lincoln If you would like to submit an editorial, please send to Glenn Bukowski. October 2001 #3 A Call For Justice Republicans, like all Americans, do not automatically embrace war and would prefer to live in a world without pain and suffering. However, we live in an imperfect world. No matter how much some would like to hide their heads in the sand, there are those who would kill innocent people for the advancement of their cause. We were not attacked because of certain policies or programs; Usama bin Ladin and his ilk attacked America because we are a free society. No bigger threat presents itself dictators and tyrants than the existence of a powerful and benevolent nation that spreads the message of freedom and democracy to the rest of the world. The current push by progressive students at JMU to forget our primary responsibility to defend our citizens against terror and tyranny is tantamount to treason. Those who place the blame squarely on our shoulders for this atrocity should disgust everyone who is truly proud to be an American. Unless we go after the terrorists, dismantle their organizations, freeze their assets and destroy their bases of operation, Americans will continue to needlessly die. The pacifist sentiment preached by groups such as Amnesty International only aids the terrorists in their misguided mission to destroy our nation and democratic values. Although we applaud those JMU students who went to the Anti-War march as an expression of their constitutional right to free speech, protesting did not help heal the wounds inflicted by an act of evil and cowardice. Every protest against military action represents an attack on America. One point needs to be made crystal clear: The terrorists will not stop until every American is dead. The James Madison University College Republicans, along with so many other students, patriotically stand firmly behind our president and armed forces as they defend the freedoms we so often take for granted. In response to the JMU College Democrat’s President Lynette Diaz, who said, “unlike more conservative parties, we [JMU College Democrats] are an open tent party and allow members to make up their own minds,” it is not only unfair and unfounded to paint all Republicans as mindless drones of the conservative movement but also a bold-faced lie. Many College Republicans have differing opinions on a wide range of issues such as abortion and gun control. As a nation of freedom-loving people, it is time to put aside our differences and come together to defend not only our lives but also our way of life. Along with the rest of the country, we hope for peace, but we must be prepared to defend ourselves against those who would strike us from the shadows. It is not the time to criticize those who risk their lives so that we may be free. Nor is it the time to protest when we should be praying for our country. Rather it is the time to rally behind our president and send a message to those who would strike from the shadows that there will be consequences for these heinous acts.
Benjamin Gibson 2nd Vice-Chairman, JMU College Republicans
October 2001 #2 America At Its BestI don’t suppose I’ll ever forget the moment I first learned of the terrible events of September the 11th. It had started out as an ordinary Tuesday morning, which included me reluctantly stumbling out of bed as usual and making that daily trek over to my desk and fumbling for the computer switch. I could tell that the weather outside was near perfect for mid-September as I sat there waiting for my computer to succeed in booting up. Yes indeed, it was just an ordinary Tuesday. Never did it enter my mind, that in a mere 10 minutes my life would change forever. My outlook on our country, and our country’s place in this world would forever be shattered. Parts of my belief system would lay in shambles before this "ordinary Tuesday" would run its course. Then, I received an Instant Message from a good friend of mine instructing me to turn on the news. I complied, and what I saw before I will surely remember on my deathbed. Our majestic World Trade Center lay in ruins, and the invincible Pentagon had been rendered completely vulnerable. And in that second, the world changed forever, for all of us. I sat there all day, watching as citizens from our own country jumped to their deaths to escape the inferno that was once the center for commerce the world over. I saw building collapse, and kill many of our brave firefighters and police officers. As I watched, I thought of all the children in our country, who would gather at a Christmas feast this year, without their Mom and Dad. My thoughts were also with those who had died in this terrible tragedy. Never again will they be able to hug their children. The men and women who died that day shall never know another Christmas. They shall never see another snowfall, nor shall they enjoy the splendor of another spring day. Never again will they be able to cheer on their favorite sports teams or laugh or cry. They never will be able to hug a friend, or listen and tell joke. Rage burned inside of me, and I wanted nothing more then to avenge the deaths of these brave souls. As the days past, and the dust settled, I began to see a new America take shape. It was an America were people stood in lines to give blood to others, without forethought. I saw an America that displayed their nation’s flag, which had been for too long invisible, and sang their nations hymns, which had for too long been silent. I began to see a country where the cynics were for once silenced, and those with true vision were allowed to step forward and be listened to. I saw parents desire to spent time with their children rather then send them off somewhere so the parents could "relax". People began to admire those who have a belief in God, or a belief in a higher power, rather then slander and ridicule them. These visions began to replace the horrors of that idle Tuesday, and my rage soon began to turn into a hope for our nation. Over the past few weeks, I have seen the worst of humanity, but the best of our American spirit. In a very real way, I have learned exactly what it means to be an American, and never in my entire life have been prouder to be one. It is my hope that this continues well past our present day and carries over into our future. We cannot lose our patriotism, or our resolve to stand strong against those both inside and outside our society who seek to tear down our cherished ideas on both morality and freedom. I urge all of you who read this article, to never forget how special our country is or how lucky we are to be apart of it. Each and every one of us is a part of the American dream, and each of us must work to ensure that that dream is spread to all future generations. No, I will never forget that September day. Nor will I ever forget what it means to be an American. Scott K. O’Brien October 2001 A Conservative Approach to Helping Our EnvironmentFor the record lets get two things straight right off the bat. First of all, I am a Republican. Secondly, I care deeply about our environment and would work hard to ensure its preservation for generations to come. An environmentalist republican, you ask? In today’s political climate, this seems almost like an oxymoron. For a long time environmental issues have been a strong hold of the Democratic Party, and for no good reason. It is true that Republicans have faltered greatly with regards to this issue in past few decades, for many reasons ranging from the political to simple media stereotyping. I would like to set the record straight by at least explaining how conservatism and environmentalism do not necessarily have to stand at odds with each other. How you ask? Well, I shall do my best to try to enlighten you and at least get you to look at environmental problems from a different angle, a more conservative angle. You can expect that conservative environmental efforts will differ greatly from liberal ones. The biggest difference between two, as I can see it, is who is empowered to carry out the work of preservation. Liberal Democratic solutions to the environment include more rules and regulations (all of which would be hard to enforce), more government bureaucracy, and more political lobbyist groups to petition the government for more tax dollar money for environmental cause (most of which would go to fund the employees of such groups). While, in all honesty, some of these methods may be effective (such as regulations to reduce car emissions and emissions from chemical factories etc.) I believe our worthy opponents have left something out. There are methods that we could use, in my belief, that would cost less and not ultimately lead to the creation of more government and more laws. In a nutshell, here is my own conservative angle with regards to the environment. In order to understand our position, ask yourself this. Why must we wait for the government to pass laws before we take action to help our environment? Why do we have to wait for some bureaucrat in some office one hundred miles away to give us our marching orders? We can all do something right now to help keep mother earth green, and it doesn’t even require a 2/3rd’s vote in congress. That’s right my readers, YOU are the most effective tool for a better environment. YOU can make a difference, not government. What can you do you ask? Well, for starters you can clean up after yourself. It’s amazing how much pollution we could get rid of if we just took the extra energy to walk 10 more feet to put our litter in a garbage can or recycle bin. And what about those cars? Well, we can always carpool and use public transportation. We also could walk to our destinations, or even ride a bike. Trust me, it would not harm any of us to get some exercise and enjoy the outdoors while were at it. You can also encourage your club or fraternity/sorority to join an "adopt a highway" program, which takes little time but makes a big difference. It also wouldn’t hurt to clean up litter rather than walking past it and pretending it does not exist. What about deforestation and global warming, or some of the larger more complicated environmental problems? We can do our part in reducing Carbon dioxide emissions by being more conservative with our power usage, using the car as little as possible, or perhaps enduring warmer temperatures in our houses during the summer time by not straining the air conditioner as much. As far as deforestation is concerned, we can always get our hands dirty and plant more trees. I’ve noticed that perhaps one of the largest contributors to deforestation are new housing developments. When you purchase land, pay back nature by planting trees on that land or developing it by ways of cultivation. In summary, the conservative approach to the environment is one of civic responsibility and action rather then government intrusion and bureaucratic regulation. It is we the people of this great land who can be the best stewards of the Earth. Please, do not buy the line that more government and more government rules is the solution to environmental preservation and protection. Understand that we as a whole, as one people with a common purpose, can do so much more then government legislation. After all, it is this very principal that our great nation is founded on. So, you want to see this philosophy in action. Well, that is why the JMU College Republicans are launching a new environmental initiative to help make our surroundings cleaner, more pristine, and available to be enjoyed by generations. I encourage your respective clubs and organizations to do the same. Collectively, we can make our environment better, one step at a time. Now what are you waiting for? If you care about the environment, stop reading editorials, pick up a pair of gloves and a garbage bag, and get to work. Scott K. O’Brien September 2001 Behind the Glittering Mask Winifred Newman once said that vision is the world’s most desperate need. Mark Earley’s vision of life, liberty and freedom for all Virginians serves not only as a reminder of our past but also as the guiding force for our future. Along with the Republican leadership, Mark Earley has lead the charge to transform Virginia into a haven for new and exciting businesses, create safer communities by taking a tough stance on crime, safeguard our precious environment and improve transportation. He wants to continue to enact common sense legislation that improves the quality of life for Virginians from all walks of life. While Mark Earley allows his experience to do the talking, Mark Warner uses his spin masters to distort the truth. Behind the glittering mask of political rhetoric lies a man who has spent his entire life helping himself while Mark Earley has dedicated his to helping us. As if never holding an elected position would stop a multimillionaire from trying to buy the governor’s mansion, one would think a lack of character and conviction would. Mark Warner’s reluctance to stand by his principles, or lack thereof, explains why so many Virginians have been turned off by politics. He consistently chooses convenience over courage, polls over principles and advertising over action. Mark Warner should learn that the road to prosperity is not paved with broken promises but with the courage and willingness to act on sound principles. One need only glance at his atrocious record on gun control to find a glaring example. Warner hopes ride the political fence by appealing to two different groups. One believes that the government can do a better job of raising your children and spending your money while the other believes that the government is not an entity unto itself but rather an institution that exists solely to serve and protect the people. The people of this great state want a governor who not only understands their hopes and dreams but who has the experience, foresight and courage to make those dreams a reality. Mark Earley, along with our president, fervently believes in empowering people by releasing the burden of big government from their shoulders. He will lower taxes, create a pro-business environment, preserve family values and bring more accountability and discipline to our public schools. By enacting such common sense legislation that preserves our cherished past, improves our daily lives and ensures a bright and promising tomorrow, Mark Earley will prove that it is far better to have the man without the money than the money without the man. John Leonard July 2001 Don’t Be Fooled By Mark WarnerDoes Mark Warner think that he can trick the entire state of Virginia into voting for him? Well, I’ve heard his television and radio ads and that’s sure what it seems like to me. I know he’s got millions of dollars to spend on advertising, but I feel some responsibility to set the record straight. Does
it bother anyone else that Mark Warner attempted to buy a US Senate seat in
1996? Upon losing to John Warner,
he was quoted as saying “I will not make the mistake of not spending enough
money the next time”. The next
time that he was referring to is here. Five
years later, Mark Warner is on a campaign to buy the Governor’s mansion and it
looks like he may keep his promise. This
race will likely become the most expensive political race in Virginia’s
history. But
if you can get past that, does it bother you that he has never held elected
office? His supporters sees this as
a strength saying that since he has never held office, he has new ideas and has
not been tainted by the political system. This
could not be further from the truth. Mark
Warner has been in both official and unofficial control of the Democratic Party
of Virginia for years. How else can
you explain his nomination for governor. He
lost the Senate race in 1996 and ran unopposed for the Governor’s nomination
in 2001. He’s never actually been
elected but he’s certainly used his money to buy influence and power over the
last decade. You’ve
seen the signs, “Sportsmen for Mark Warner”.
I have to chuckle every time I see this.
For all the sportsmen reading this, I can assure you that no democrat is
your friend. Mark Warner belongs to
the same party as Hilary Clinton and Ted Kennedy.
They all think the same and if they get the chance, they will take your
guns and your right to hunt. “Sportsmen
for Mark Warner” is just one part of a campaign to make Warner seem like a
true Virginian. Were you as
insulted as I was by the “Hillbilly” commercial?
Mark Warner has nothing in common with the people of Virginia. Fortunately,
there is another choice. While Mark
Warner was making millions in Northern Virginia, Mark Earley was working for you
as Attorney General of Virginia. If
you believe that we deserve a Governor who has experience, character, and
leadership, then Mark Earley is your candidate.
As Attorney General, he was involved with welfare reform, juvenile
justice reform, Crime Victim’s Bill of Rights, parental notification.
He has helped to make our streets safer through Project Exile and the
abolition of parole. As
Governor, Mark Earley will continue his mentoring program by recruiting 21,000
new mentors. He will continue to
advance Virginia’s high-tech economy. He
will continue the elimination of the Car Tax and he will eliminate the tax on
food. Mark Earley has pledged to
make our schools better. He will
reduce classroom sizes and give teachers the raises they deserve. Mark
Earley has worked hard for Virginia since he was elected to the State Senate in
1987. He has earned your vote, and
I hope that you will give it to him. On
election day, vote for the Mark with the mortgage, not the Mark with the
millions. Zachary
D. Moore
June 2001
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