AND THE LIGHTS WILL SHINE AGAIN
In politics, we call it mirror-imaging. In reality, we call it ignorance: specifically, the inability of Republicans to grasp the consequences of their actions, and the pathetic and costly denial to admit when they have failed in the face of their enemies.
The foundations upon which this country was built have been spackled and painted a shade of despair. The candle lights that lined Iran’s streets on that fateful night in September five years ago have long been blown out. In their place lie nuclear ambitions and burnt ashes of American flags.
Fueled by an administration’s blind thrust of democracy, Muslim extremism in the Middle East has become frighteningly worse since Iraq. Let us, for a moment, not turn our heads to the past, for that burden now rests on the 2,475 mothers who will never again see their children. Let us, for a moment, squint our eyes, glance through the blood and destruction that has defined this mistaken course of action, and look towards the future-a future in which America needs a new face.
We need a party, and a president, that will finally stand up. We need aims that are realistic and influential in restoring our name across the country. Unlike our Republican counterparts, Democratic ambitions are malleable in the sight of our own shortcomings and unequivocal in their desire to bring respect back to our flag. We are the party that will finally stand up, and say, “Stop! We want our country back.” We want education, not oil. We want liberty and freedom, not the chains and shadows of Guantanamo Bay. We want honesty and sincerity, not a scandal involving the internet blasphemy of a Congressman running on the slogan, “Help Foley protect our children!” (By imagining what they look like naked!). The resounding hope that rested between those stars and stripes has withered to a quiet prayer. A prayer that, come November, we will look upon this world of enormous uncertainty, cling onto our red, white and blue ideals of justice and hope, and journey through the turbulence, so that we may strip our nation of the spackle and paint of Republican deception and once again light the candles of Iran, and the rest of the world.
Corey Ciorciari
UM Young Democrats
FIU RIVALRY ALL IN GOOD TASTE
I am thrilled FIU is set to play UM this season. A few years ago, a lot of people thought that FIU would never have a football team because their university was basically a commuter college with no live-in dormitory accommodations for out-of-state students. Then FIU chose Don Strock to be their head coach, and this is great because now Coach Coker has a hometown rivalry going on between the two colleges. Good luck to the Golden Panthers. Faculty, students and alumni will all share in the camaraderie, I’m sure.
Robert S. Denchfield
UM Class of ’72