28 September 2007

Déjà vu in Burma

As the world's eyes turn to Myanmar, students should be especially moved by the past few weeks of tumultuous events. Marching alongside the Buddhist monks are young, idealistic university students. Despite having their friends either killed or imprisoned, their hearts remain captivated by the American-democratic way of life. The monks, too, yearn for freedom. Now as the repressive military government shuts down Internet access and occupies monasteries the free world must lend its prayers to the freedom fighters of Burma.

Does any of this sound familiar? It should.

Just in May of this year, students from the Universidad Católica Andrés Bello and the Universidad Central de Venezuela in Caracas demonstrated for the freedom after President Chavez shut down television stations. By their marching, they all seemed to look to the American way of life and say, "We want to be like the Americans."

Less than 10 years earlier, students in Tehran showed they were fed up with the Mullahs and Islamic-politics. They too, were either killed or imprisoned. Yet, as Amir Abbas Fakhravar, an imprisoned and tortured student leader, puts it, "If you overthrow the regime, we will welcome you with open arms and open hearts. People are counting the minutes for this regime to be over and gone."

Without a doubt, the students of Tehran learned well from their Chinese friends. Just like what happened at Lech Walesa's Gdansk shipyards was Cold War story of liberty, the 1989 demonstrations in Tiananmen Square should be regarded as the iconic story of the student movement for freedom. Here began the generation of liberty. As the students erected the Goddess of Democracy, they were asked by the foreign press, "Why does she have Western eyes?" The students answered, "Because that is the kind of liberty we mean."

The students of the DePaul Conservative Alliance, if not more from DePaul University (but not likely), stand as one with our Burmese, Iranian, and Chinese brothers and sisters. We must be able to carry their torch of liberty and keep America the Beacon of Hope for the world.

25 September 2007

Bollinger the Brave

President Ahmadinejad may have expected a laudatory introduction at Columbia University, Columbia University President Lee Bollinger instead he received a carefully, yet forcefully argued condemnation. Columbia's President Bollinger delivered, much to the surprise of conservatives, a blistering slap to the face of the Islamic Republic of Iran and its President. Bollinger detailed the Islamic Republic's despicable human rights record and rightly concluded in deeming Ahmadinejad a "petty and brutal dictator." Bollinger's full speech may be found here.

The DePaul Conservative Alliance must take this opportunity to thank President Bollinger for his courage and intellectual honesty to confront the President of the Islamic Republic of Iran. Welcome to the University, Ahmadinejad, where ideas are challenged and the pursuit of truth is not stifled by a government official.

The DePaul Conservative Alliance will be holding a timely forum examining the threat of the Islamic Republic of Iran as a part of Terrorism Awareness Week.

War with Iran?
Featuring speakers Amir Abbas Fakhravar and Robert Spencer
Monday, October 22, 2007 7PM
Cortelyou Commons
2342 North Fremont Street, Chicago IL 60614

11 September 2007

9/11: Six Years Later

Six years ago today, radical Islamists perpetrated the most devastating attack on American soil and on the American spirit. The moment the first commercial airliner plunged into the World Trade Center tower, the world was thrown into a new century of warfare. Since then, America has led the fight against radical Islam on such fronts as Afghanistan and Iraq. President George W. Bush, as named by Fred Barnes, is a "rebel-in-chief." He possessed the other-directedness, the courage to challenge this Islamist threat wherever it threatened.

911 Today, we are still reminded of those who perished on September 11, 2001. All of the 3,000 lives lost must never be forgotten. The men and women who risked their own lives to save the lives of others should always be remembered.

It seems as if everything that occurred on September 11, we can learn from. One example: the workers in the World Trade Center towers were composed of all races, genders, political affiliations, ideology, educations, sexual orientations, cultures, etc. But when another human being reached out for help, all petty differences vanished. A Jew helping a Muslim get up before being trampled by the oncoming traffic; a rich white banker carried on his back a poor black maintenance worker down numerous flights of stairs to safety; these stories are endless. The American spirit, under its gravest challenge, stood the tallest.

The DePaul Conservative Alliance would like to particularly remember Mr. "Let's Roll" Todd Beamer. Mr. Beamer earned his MBA from DePaul University and we are proud to honor him six years after his heroic death.

Fly the American flag and please keep all those affected by the jihadists' attack in your prayers.

In the spirit of Reagan,

Nicholas G. Hahn III
President, The DePaul Conservative Alliance

05 September 2007

Norman Finkelstein Resigns from DePaul University

Today, DePaul University released a press release regarding the tenure of Norman Finkelstein. Notably is this excerpt from DePaul:

"Today we have reached a resolution of our dispute with Professor Norman Finkelstein. As a part of that resolution he has agreed to resign effective immediately. With this issue behind us, we can once again turn our full attention and energy to discharging our most important duty: the education of DePaul students, who have placed in us their trust and faith."

You may view the press release here.

Please read our Lincoln Park Statesman articles regarding the Finkelstein controversy. The issues may be found online at depaulca.org/statesman. In particular, Volume II Issue 5 contains a front-page article written by DCA member Olivia Tsipris.

02 September 2007

While You Were Gone...

Here is an excerpt from the Lincoln Park Statesman Volume III Issue I:

Churchill Fired

"Ward Churchill, a radical professor from the University of Colorado and darling of the academic far left was fired this summer from the University on the grounds o academic misconduct. In particular he fabricated evidence and misquoted sources to support his claims. He also claimed various written and artistic works as his own which were in fact found to be plagiarized. DePaul has supported him by inviting him to campus on multiple occasions, most recently in April."

Arellano Arrested
"Two time illegal immigrant from Mexico Elvira Arellano escaped from her Humboldt Park sanctuary and had taken up refuge in Our Lady Queen of Angles church in Los Angeles. Shortly after exiting the church (and giving up sanctuary) she was surrounded by law enforcement and arrested. She was en route to a San Jose church, seeking sanctuary and media attention."

Padilla Convicted
"Jose Padilla was found guilty by a jury of his peers in a civilian court of conspiracy to murder and providing material support to terrorists. This is despite accusations from some DePaul professors that he is a scapegoat for President Bush's illegal assault on the civil rights of Americans."

The complete issue may be found around DePaul's campus as well as online. More issues are available at depaulca.org/statesman.

01 September 2007

LPS Volume III, Issue 1

LPS Volume III Issue 1The first issue of the Lincoln Park Statesman is now available. It is a "best of" issue containing our favorite articles from the 2006-2007 school year.

More issues are at depaulca.org/statesman, with an archive back to Volume I, Issue 1.

If you would like to write for the Statesman, please send an email to lpstatesman@gmail.com. You can also send in an opinion/editorial.

Exciting happenings are planned for the 2007-2008 school year, so be sure to check back on this blog for updates and event notices.

Meet the 2007-2008 DCA Staff

Welcome to the 2007-2008 school year!

The DePaul Conservative Alliance has regrouped for another exciting year, and we hope you can join us for our events and group meetings. If you would like to join, come to the Student Involvement Fair (Lincoln Park Campus) on Sunday, September 8 from 1-5pm in the LPC Student Center, or our first meeting on Monday, September 10 at 9:15pm in Student Center room 312; feel free to stop by and find out what our organization is all about!

Here is our staff for the upcoming year:

President
Nicholas Hahn III

Vice President
Robert Paskiewicz

Webmaster
Kellen Krause

Our mailing address is:

DePaul Conservative Alliance
2250 North Sheffield Avenue
Suite 201
Chicago, Illinois 60614-3673