moxie - spring 2006 / debunking war myths

California College Republican Convention


DEBUNKING WAR MYTHS

EDITOR-IN-CHIEFPatrick Callahan

CONVENTION DIRECTOR Kristen Lucero

LAYOUT EDITOR Jesse HuangFEATURES EDITOR Graham Van LeuvenNEWS/OPINIONS EDITOR Matt Davis

FEATURED WRITERTim Sutherland

WRITERSChandra Sharma

Jenna BoothJessica Brunsvik

Grant CassinghamGabe Corrie

Patrick McFawn

SPECIAL GUEST WRITER Rob Anders, MP

SENIOR AD EXECUTIVE Amanda RankinAD EXECUTIVE Ashley Stuart

AD DESIGNER Jesse Huang

Moxie is the official magazine of the California College Republicans. All rights reserved. Printed in the U.S.A. Volume 03, No. 02. Moxie is pub-

lished quarterly.

Address all editorial, business, and production correspondence to Moxie, c/o California College Republicans, PO Box 930, Davis, Ca 95617-0930

Advertising Inquiries: Please write to the ad-dress above, or call (805) 588-8949, or send

e-mail to [email protected].

Spring 2006 | Moxie | 32 | Moxie | Spring 2006

Letter From the Editor 4Chairman’s Message 5

“The OC” California College Republican Convention 2006 24-27

Honoring Heroes 28Heard Around the State 29

Examining Bias in Higher Education 17

Putting the “Conserve” in “Conservative” 18From Our Neighbors to the North 19

What the Italian Left Coalition Win Means for the US 20-21A Call for Immigratio Reform 22-23

FeaturesDepartments

Opinion

Tale Tales: Myths of the Iraq War 6-116 Hot Tips for College Republicans 12-13

Sustaining Momentum 14-15CR Profiles 16

Letter From the Editor 4Chairman’s Message 5

No one doubts whether we have the mili-tary might to break the backs of terrorists in Iraq, they question whether we have the will. Our wars have been won or lost not on the quality of our weapons or the skill of our commanders but the will of our soldiers, the determination of their families and the perception of the masses. AmericahaschangedalotsinceIfirststarted College. I know it sounds a little cli-ché’ but it’s true. Clinton was still President and a day like 9/11 seemed unimaginable. 9/11 affected people in different ways – it tru-ly changed my world view and my life. In my instance, it turned a student who grew up in a conservative family into a conservative. Everything changed for me in a rela-tively short time after that fateful day. Within afewmonthsIsawmyfirstrealanti-Ameri-can protest. That same day I was introduced to a small band of students called “CR’s”. I witnessed a few College Republicans at my school, UCI, (I later transferred to CSU San Marcos) stand up against hundreds of angry Anti-Americans in the Muslim Student Union, their apologists and their apologist’s sympathizers. Just over a year later I took part in something most people thought they would never see:aCollegeRepublicanmarchdownTelegraphAvenueinBerkeley–Americanflagsandall! College Republicans were organized, energized and ready to make a difference and so was I. The term grassroots didn’t really mean anything to me until I saw what a huge deal afewhundredpeoplecouldbeperceivedtobe.IsawfirsthandthatFreedomisagrassrootsoperation and that it doesn’t take thousands of people to make a real difference. Over the last few years I have taken part in and often led large rallies and counter-protests such as a Pro-America rally outside a Michael Moore event in San Diego, just before the 2004 election. Dozens of large scale events and hundreds of smaller ones in defense of freedom have been organized by CR’s across the state since 9/11. By the time most of you are reading this, my term as Chairman will be up and I will beofficiallyjoiningtheranksofhundredsofthousandsofproudRepublicansthatfallintothe “CR Alumni” category. Iguess itsfitting that this semester,myCollegeRepublicanexperiencecamefullcircle back at UCI, back with the Muslin Student Union. The UCI College Republicans were once again defending freedom, grassroots style. Only this time, they were larger and more organized. I couldn’t have been more proud then and because of the great things all of you have done over the last few years I have never been more proud to call myself a College Re-publican.Freedomisagrassrootsoperationandthebattleforitstartswithpeoplelikeus.

How many Californians know anything about the quail, our official state bird? Do you think many California residents know how big it is, what sound it makes and what it even looks like? How many know that we have a state dance (West Coast Swing), a soil (San Joaquin), and even a lithologic emblem (serpentine)? As few would know, we have dozens of scarcely recognizable symbols for our dear state. For the average Californian, these are utterly meaningless; we all know the world will go on spinning if the California Golden Trout becomes extinct and we’re left with only the non-state identified Lake Trout. There are more important and influential symbols of our state – and of our country – which often go unrecognized, the most glaring example of which is the American soldier, the most underrated hero of our nation. When Army Sergeant 1st Class Paul Ray Smith posthumously received the first Medal of Honor in the current Iraq War, few heard of his accomplishments or of his tribute. At recent military funerals, instead, we have witnessed irresponsible protests by the Far Left, rather than community expressions of gratitude and admiration. Mis-characterizations of the true freedom fighters, including those in international leadership and American campuses, are empowering those on the wrong side of liberty. The defenders of the American freedom deserve better. Those striving for a positive future must be empowered. Enter, Moxie. The pages which follow are our humble attempt to provide this empowerment. In this issue, you will find important stories and analyses of

individuals who are actively preserving the American future: a handful of College Republicans with profound diligence toward securing a future for their GOP-friendly classmates; soldiers native to California who gave their life for the most noble cause of any sovereignty - the preservation of freedom; also, a feisty, hockey-playing, maple syrup-loving Canadian Member of Parliament provides a historical insight into contemporary struggles, like terrorism and eminent domain. In addition to the noteworthy individuals, there are the causes they, and others, join and lead. They vary from campus-based feuds with offending professors regarding academic freedom to Israel and its state legitimacy. The pages herein demonstrate that our ultimate goals are not Party politics and elections, but rather the pursuit of freedom and a secure future for America and our allies around the globe. It is my hope that Moxie will assist you in fulfilling your personal niche in the battle to preserve freedom and our future.

Patrick CallahanEditor-in-Chief

4 | Moxie | Spring 2006 Spring 2006 | Moxie | 5

Everything is black. Your skin aches and your lungs burn. Breaths seeping to and from your lips are painful and short. You open your eyes to a devastated room, torn to pieces by shrapnel and bullets- and covered in blood. You realize, with some relief, that the blood is not your own. The air is thick with dust and you cough as you attempt to control your uncontrollable shaking. Managing to emerge from the desk you had immersed yourself under; you slowly regain some of your sanity as you try to figure out what just happened. Your father is laying face-down at the entrance of your home, riddled with bullets. You see your brother strewn over the table; he too appears to have met a similar fate. You exit the home and see your sister and mother lying along the front of the home moaning in pain. You tear your eyes away from that painful sight and see that your entire village is strewn with bodies. Many dead, others bleeding to death. You keel over your mother and sister, hugging, kissing, and crying with them. Your breath becomes shorter. Soon, your mother, sister, and you will become like the rest of the Kurdish village; murdered by the chemical weapons that were used by your own government. Used… by Saddam Hussein. ThesewerethedailyatrocitiesthatoccurredunderthetreacherousreignofSad-damHussein.Entirevillagesweremassacred.Innocentwomanandchildrenwerebru-tallyrapedandmurdered.Mothersandfathersweretreatedlikecattleandhurledintomassgraves.Individualsattemptingtoleavethecountrywereimprisoned.Ifyouweresus-pectedofdisagreeingwithSaddamHussein’sregime,yourentirefamilywasmurdered.Top-plingtheregimeofthiscold-bloodedkillerlib-erated27millionIraqisandexposedanentireregiontotheidealsofdemocracyandfreewill.However,manyof these factshavebeenne-glectedbymediaoutletsandinstead,distortedin a way that fits their ideological bias. As an oldproverbgoes,ifalieistoldenoughtimesitwilleventuallybecomethetruth.Consequent-ly, thesedistortionshavebeenreinteratedsomany times that theyhavegivenway tonu-merous myths involving the conflict in iraq. Therehavebeenmanymyths,propagatedbythosewhoopposethewar,butthethreemostcommonhavebeenmeanttorefuteclaimsmadebytheUSGovernment:thattherewerenoWeaponsofMassDestructioninIraq,thatSaddamHusseinwasnotater-rorist,andthatthemissiontorebuildIraqhasbeenafailure.Thesemythshavedetractedpublicsupportofthewar,drawingattentionfromthesuccessthattheUnitedStateshasachieved.

ManycriticsoftheIraqiWarhavearguedthatbecausenoweaponsofmassdestructionwerefound,SaddamHusseinmustnothavebeenproducingthem. The United Nations Monitoring, Verification and Inspection Commission reported in 2004thatSaddamhadshippedWeaponsofMassDestructioncomponentsfromIraqtoneighboringcountries.TheCommissionshowedtheUNSecurityCouncilsatellitephotosofWMDfacilitiesactiveinMay2003,andthenshowedphotosofthesamelocationsinFebruary2004.Thefacilitieshadbeendismantledandquicklyremoved.ShipmentsfromBaghdadtotheborderingcountriesincreaseddramaticallyinthemonthspriortotheUS

“IRAQIS ARE NOW BEING GIVEN WHAT THEY HAVE BEEN DENIED FOR 30 YEARS; A CHANCE TO LIVE THE AMERICAN DREAM... A CHANCE TO LIVE FREE.”


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invasion.TheCommissionfurthernotedthatmanyofthecomponentsbeingtransportedoutofIraqwereforWMDanddual-usecomponents.Ofthesecomponents,reactorvesselsandfermenterswereshipped;bothofwhicharerequiredforproductionofchemicalandbiologicalwarheads. DemetriusPerrico,aUNinspectorinvolvedintheCommission’sReport,wasquotedintheWorldTribuneassaying“TheremovalofthesematerialsfromIraqraisesconcerns

with regard to proliferation risks.” He also notedthatinspectorsfoundIraqiWMDandmissilecom-ponentsshippedabroadthatstillhadUNinspectiontags.Blueprintsandtransactionrecordshavealsobeen found,proving that IraqwaspursuingWMDtechnology. Mobilechemical labswereseenonUSsatellitephotosprior to theUS led invasionof2003. Thepurposefortheselabswasclear:toproducechemi-calandbiologicalagentscapableofmassdestruc-tion. It isalso interesting tonote thatHusseincon-

tinually denied UN Inspectors access to various bunkers and scientific research facilities. Husseinneverfullyexplainedtheseactions,excepttoarguethatIraqhadfullsovereigntyoverallthatwaswithinitsborders.Husseinobviouslyfailedtorememberthatfollowingthe First Gulf War, he had signed a cease-fire agreement that stipulated the right of UN InspectorstoroamfreelywithinIraqandinvestigateanythingtheydeemedsuspicious.

The Syria-Iraq Link A report titled The Iraqi WMD Challenge submitted to Congress by Yossef Bodansky, who workedfortheTaskForceonTerrorismandUnconventionalWarfare,notedthatanobjec-tiveoftheIraqiGovernmentwastotransferlargepartsofIraqiWMDcomponentsandsci-entific-technological scientists to other countries. Sudan, Libya, Syria, Yemen and Algeria werelistedamongthecountriesofinterest.SincetherecentinvasionofIraq,anumberofIraqscientistshavebeendiscoveredoperatinginthesecountries.Theirexpertisein-volved fields related to WMD development. Furthermore, in 2004 the Syrian Government usedlargequantitiesofchemicalweaponsontheSudanesepopulace.ThoughSyriahasconductedsuch“experiments”foryears,whatwasstrikingaboutthisrecentuseofchemi-calweaponswastheamountusedandchemicaltype.ManyofthechemicalsreplicatedthosedevelopedandpossessedbyIraq.Coincidence?Possibly,butinlightofalltheotherevidence,highlydoubtful.

fundsdemonstratesSaddam’ssupportofterrorismbestbystatingthat“Theparty[Palestinian Arab Liberation Front (PALF)] estimated that Iraq had paid out $35mto Palestinian families since the currentuprisingbeganinSeptember2000.”

Hussein and Bin LadenWhile investigating the attacks of 9/11,the 9/11 Commission found a numberof documents tying Hussein to bin Lad-en. The 9/11 Report shows that Hus-seindid, in fact,havedealingswithbinLaden. Though Hussein never officially provided bin Laden with financial support or weapons, during the late 90’s whenbin Laden had been evicted from the Su-dan, bin Laden had approached Hussein about possibly setting up Al Qaeda train-ings camps in Iraq. Hussein originallydeclined, but later reconsidered. TheattackontheTalibanin2001mayhavedelayed bin Laden’s goal of establishing baseswithinIraq.

Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, believed to be spearheading the insurgency in Iraq, was funded by Osama bin Laden as early as 1999. Given refuge by Saddam Hussein, he was allowed to operate freely within the confines of Iraq, setting up the terrorist networks that wereusedtolaunchattacksagainstJordan.HehadanextensiveterroristrecordbeforeheevenmovedtoIraq,yetHusseinrefusedtoextradictZarqawi to the Jordanians. SaddamHusseinhimselfwasaterrorist,out-sourcing national funds to finance terrorist cells op-erating abroad. In America, we call that conspiracy to commit a crime. He collaberated with terror-ist leaders and promoted ideological propogandaaimed at glamorizing terrorist acts and encourag-ingrecruitment.Heharboredknownterroristssuchas Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, who murdered innocent men,womanandchildren.Ultimately,SaddamHus-seinwasoneoftheworstterroristsofall.Heusedchemicalandbiologicalweaponsonhisownpeoplebecauseofthesimplefactthattheychosetoexer-cisetheirrightoffreeexpression.

IfSaddamHusseinwasn’taterroristwhousednationalfundstoharborandpromoteterrorism, then pigs have finally discovered the technological advancement of aviation and learned how to fly. Absurd? That’s the point. DuringSaddam’smurderousreign,heencouragedterroristactsagainst Israelbyopenlyfundingsuicidebombersandtheirfamilies.Hegavemillionsofdollarstofami-lieswhose relativeshad committed suicide bombings. This overt funding and supportfor terrorist groups is well documented. A BBC article titled Palestinians get Saddam

Nottrue!UnderSaddamHussein,Iraqsufferedfrom20yearsofneglect,duetowarandmismanagement.


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ManycriticsofthewarpointtoalackofwaterandelectricityinIraqasafailureoftheU.S.torebuild.Inreality,theseresourcesweren’tevenavailableduringthereignofSaddamHussein.Instead,Husseinwagedcostlywarsandestablishedhundredsofornatepalacesaroundthecountrytosatisfyhisend-lessgreed. The Iraq Reconstruction Man-agement Office (IRMO) was estab-lished to provide Iraq with the in-frastructure it needs to flourish. Granted$18.4billioninfunds,Iraq’selectricityisslowlybutsurelybeingrestoredtothecitizensofIraq.Be-causeofdecadesofneglectandat-temptsbyterroriststodestroyelec-tricalsources,effortstoregainpowerin awar-torn country are slow andcumbersome.However,electricityisingreatersupplythanitwasbeforethewar. Fresh drinking water is beingpumped into cities and reconstruction projects operate daily. New business buildings,marketplaces, hospitals, and schools are being erected daily. Woman are finally being al-lowedtoattendschoolandobtaindriverslicenses. IraqisecurityforcesarenowrunningamajorityoftheoperationalaffairsinIraqandanewIraqiGovernmenthasbeencreatedandacceptedbytheIraqipeople.Thereisstillalotofworkthatneedstobedoneandtheroadwontbeeasy,butanincrediblelevelofsuccesshasbeenachievedinrebuildingtheinfrastructureofIraq.Perhapsthemostde-monstrativeevidencethatIraqicitizenshavebecomeanintegralpartoftheircountry’sde-

velopmentwerethemillionsofIraqiswhoshoweduptothepollstocasttheir vote on election day. Road-side bombs were being detonatedformonthsandhadbeengrowinginintensityaselections loomed. Ter-rorists threatened to blow up vot-ingcentersandmurderanyonewhodyed their finger to vote. Yet, Iraqis turned out in droves. Above any-thingelse,thisshowsthedegreetowhich the Iraqi people care aboutIraqanddemocracy.Before the invasion of Iraq by theU.S-led coalition, Iraqis sufferedfromaneglectedinfrastructure.For

a country that controls one of thelargestsuppliesofoilintheworld,powershouldn’thavebeenanissue,butitwas.Basicmedicalneedswerenotbeingmetandgirlswerebeingdeniedbasicfreedomsthatmanyof us take for granted. All of this has changed as we slowly help rebuild a country plagued by30yearsofwars,tyrannyandneglect.

Conclusion

It wasn’t that long ago that the Axis powers of Germany, Italy and Japanwere toppled. Authoratarian regimes were replaced by Democratic govern-mentsthatrepresentednotthedesiresof an individual, but that of a society.Therebuildingprocesswasneithersim-plenor rapid. It took JapanandGer-manydecades to rebuildandstabilize.Thelessonsofthepastcaneducateusaboutthefuture.Rebuildingawar-tornnation can happen. However, it takestime,patience,andhardwork. Criticsofthewarhaveusedeveryangletodiscreditboththiswaraswellas those who support it. A strong stance on terrorism must be taken to thwartfuture9/11attacks.Nearly4,000inno-cent Americans died in the 9/11 attacks, and it is despicable to think that there are Americans who would rather defend a twisted dictatorwhowaswillingtogashisownpeoplethanacknowledgethattheworldisabet-terplacewithSaddamoutofpower.Hussein’sassociationandfundingofterroristgroupshostiletotheUnitedStatesmadehimanenemyofthiscountry,whoneededtobebroughtdown.Whethernuclearweaponswerefoundornot,hewaspursuingthecapabilitytoonedayproducethem.Thiswouldhavegivenhimtheabilitytosupplyterroristswiththenu-clearcapabilitytostriketheUnitedStatesandstealfreedomfromnotjusthisowncitizens,

but innocent people throughoutthefreeworld.Criticsclaimre-buildingbeginsathome.They’reright. We rebuilt American Pride by no longer standing idly bywhile ruthless dictators pursuepoliciesofmurderandwrecklessconquest.

Contrarytopopulardistortedbelief,SaddamHusseindid,infact,possessionweap-onsofmassdestruction.Thoughtheymaynothavebeennuclearinnature,theweaponshe possessed did have the ability to inflict mass casualties. Furthermore, Saddam Hus-sein’swell-documentedsupportandfundingofterroristsmakeshimaprimecandidatetodevelopandthendistributenucleartechnologytothevariousterroristcellshostiletotheUnitedStates.ThephrasetheenemyofmyenemyismyfriendbodeswellwithSaddamandhisterroristallies.Byeliminatingthiswrecklessmadman,wefreedtheworldfromatyrantcapableofunprecedenteddestruction.27millionIraqisarenowfreebecausewetooktheinitiative.Iraqisarenowbeinggivenwhattheyhavebeendeniedfor30years;a chance to live the American dream... a chance to live free.

“UNDER SADDAM HUSSEIN, IRAQ SUFFERED FROM 20 YEARS OF NEGLECT, DUE TO WAR AND MISMANAGEMENT.”


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In order to secure their future on campus, I have comprised a list of the top six things a college Republican should remember. In addition, I would suggest the purchase of a pacifier.

•You think differently than everyone else, therefore you are not “diverse” This is the number one thing every college Republican is reminded of on a daily basis. The diversity standards that colleges ache to meet do not cater to your contributions. You should note the long term study conducted by UC Berkeley. This 20 year personality study concluded that insecure, whiny kids generally grow up to be conservative while self reliant, confident kids grow up liberal minded. Therefore, your whiny and insecure personality that existed in childhood accounts for the different views you hold about your country and the world. This is where your pacifier will come in handy.

• Expect a ‘D’ on that paper opposing gay marriage Studies prove it. We all know it. Students feel pressured to present similar views on political and social issues in the class-room. You are given a choice if you and your professor don’t ex-actly see eye to eye. You can either give in and compromise your integrity or take one for the team.

•Hope that the next conservative guest you get to speak at your campus likes pie Since 2003, colleges have seen more and more of these pastry-throwing incidences. The goons that threw a pie at Anne Coulter further demonstrated their “intellectual superiority” when they told police the pie was thrown “at [Anne Coulter’s] ideas not her.” Michael Moore must have felt left out. After pies were thrown at Anne Coulter and David Horowitz he begged his opponents to let him in on the action. Your college Republican chapter might want to make a note of that special request.

•Abandon your religion. The first amendment says so. When you accepted admission to your college, you really were signing the equivalent of baptismal certificate. You became a member of the Church of Secular Humanism. If you use your prior religion as the basis for getting involved in any kind of so-cial activism you are a walking violator of the first amendment. Don’t forget to get involved with your new church. Browse through your course catalogue and try taking the follow-ing courses from our own colleges: “The Unbearable Whiteness of Barbie”--Race and Popular Culture in the United States (Oc-cidental College), “Stupidity”--compare Beavis and Butthead

to the American Presidency (Occidental College), or “Taking Marx Seriously” (Amherst College). For a GE, you may be able to squeeze in John Hopkins’ “Sex, Drugs, & Rock ‘n’ Roll in Ancient Egypt.” I’m sure it meets some humanities requirement. If the subject matter in the classes bother you, remember you still have that pacifier.

•Remember that it is cool to protest anything and everything. I recommend you buy the shirt that says “Hippies Stink.” The reality is, liberals on campus have this idealized image of the glory days; protests, peace signs and a tambourine. Nowadays San Fran-cisco seems to prefer puke-a-thons to parades when staging anti-war protests. In 2003, one of the greatest moments in Col-lege Republican protesting was achieved by holding small bake sales. Baked goods were priced differently according to race and gender in an effort to expose the harsh realities of affirmative action. These peaceful

protests are a tasteful way (literally) to rile up your foes and create some memories for your chapter’s website. Hope-fully, our friends in San Fran won’t get too nauseous.

•Whatever you do, do not bust out the uniform The uniform gets flipped off, spit on, verbally attacked and ridiculed all too often when present on college campuses. This has been partially assisted with the increasing trend to kick military recruiters off college campuses (not to mention one too many hours playing Grand Theft Auto). This left-inspired transgression has had a huge impact on campus ROTC and other service members moral and daily life. Fueled by anti-war and anti-military support, these actions serve as a warn-ing to anyone who would dare serve their country. Whatever happened to the peace signs and doves?

The world of academia is a toughie, that’s for sure. Yet, by re-membering these tips of survival, you will secure your future, whining all the way.


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As we conclude the 2005-2006 school year, some of us are transitioning upward in class standing and some of us are transitioning to the level of alumni. Then there are those that are transitioning into roles of leadership, ladies and gentle-men, for those of you unaware, may I introduce you to Team Momentum, the future of California College Republicans. With a mantra of “Accelerate CCR” Team Momentum plans to build upon the already successful groundwork of CCR and strengthen its internal framework by emphasizing important aspects of local clubs, encouraging growth and involvement on every level. Without individual school clubs, CCR has no strength and is only an empty framework. Team Momentum recognizes the importance of club support, and has already begun creat-

ing CCR Chapter Boxes, filled with all the tools neces-sary to run a successful school club, these boxes will be kept up to date with pertinent tools for club chairs. Along with these boxes, Team Momentum will create advertising grants to encourage club growth, fos-tering online advertisement and campus fliering to cultivate emerging clubs and further develop those clubs that are already established. Along with this goal of club growth, paid field representatives will double in number to bolster College Republican organizations for the upcoming 2006 election. Team Momentum realizes that clubs are nothing without individual members and in light of that realization will emphasize the impor-tance of each individual member. Toward this

goal they will continue the precedent of assured cost-free conventions for CCR members and cash awards for clubs with consistently active individuals. The biggest utility for individuals seeking to get involved in College Repub-licans is the CCR website, which will be renovated to become more user friendly and aesthetically encouraging. It will be updated frequently to reflect those issues and occurrences most directly effecting the members of the CCR. The website will

also expand the CCR online store, providing desirable purchases for all those looking to support College Republicans. Communi-

cation within the CCR organization will be empha-sized by a monthly e-newsletter, available online for all subscribers to keep members informed of all recent events and to further publicize the abun-dant successes of the organization. Team Momentum is comprised of estab-lished leaders from across the state, ready to en-ter new and dynamic roles as they guide our state to increased success. At the helm of the state will be Mason Harrison, a third year Political Science student from UC Davis having already served as Capital Region Vice Chair and Convention Direc-tor, he will be making the transition from Admin-istrative Vice Chair. Assisting him will be Victoria Mitchell, a third year Political Science major from UC Berkeley. Victoria is currently serving as Bay

Area Vice Chair and concurrently running a campaign for a position on student senate at Berkeley. Replac-

ing Harrison as Administrative Vice Chair will be Clint Dudley, a third year Political Science student at

UC Irvine. Former Moxie All-Star and third year Business Ad-ministration major at the University of San Diego, Caroline Beeson will be serving as Secretary. Completing the Execu-tive Board as treasurer will be Chandra Sharma, a fourth year Politics major at UC Santa Cruz, and current Chair of the Santa Cruz College Republicans. As this successful academic year concludes and as the current officers transition from their current positions, Team Momentum is ready to accept the baton and break new ground on the College Republican level, ensuring our presence on col-lege campuses across the state and encouraging our involve-ment at all political levels.


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Born in Turlock, California, Adam Ellison is a sophomore political science major at University of the Pacific, with a minor in pre-law. Adam has al-ways been involved in elections, however usually it has been only Student Council or other academic groups. In 2001, Adam became a Republican and expand his interests to the political level. When he came to UOP he became active in the Pacific College Republicans, beginning this school year as a Vice President of the club, and after the chair resigned mid-year he assumed the position, with a goal to in-crease active members, not just expand the clubs e-mail list. Towards this priority he has already made strong progress and has begun working to reach out to more “quiet” Republicans on campus and turn them into bonafied CRs. Recently Adam was elected as President of the Associated Student for his campus (ASuop). He wants to unite the Pacific Campus, and bring more con-servative speakers to campus, aiming for Secretary of State Condoleeza Rice and Senator John McCain. He believes that the biggest adversary he faces on campus is the apathy of students, and with his passion for change he knows he will overcome that obstacle. Adam hopes to one day become the Congressman for the 19th District of California, progressing to the California Governorship, and eventually be elected President of the United States of America. With such an impressive record of activity already, we can only hope that such an active College Republican continues his momentum.

When Matt Dobbler began college in the spring of 2005 he knew he wanted to be active in College Re-publicans and involved in local politics. He expected that by his junior or senior year he would be intricately involved and be a leader in the organization. He joined CSU San Marcos College Republicans as one of its 280 members and began to establish himself. During the fall semester the chair of the club resigned and in the subsequent election, Matt was elected Chair. As a freshman Chair of a 280 person club it would be easy to fold under pressure and not enact change or work hard to support republican values, Matt refused to

fold and has worked hard to expand his club and affect change on his campus. Already he has brought Tony Strickland (a candidate for State Controller) and Assemblyman Ray Haynes to speak on campus. These are just two of the speakers Matt has brought to campus with many more on the way, all part of his effort to make the Republican presence known on campus and to fight the left. When he is not at school Matt is working on Martin Garrick’s campaign for State Assembly, representing North County. Matt Dobbler is truly a great College Republican and promises to strengthen our state for many years to come.

As the academic year comes to a close May 7th will be acknowledged nationally as Teacher Appreciation Day. It serves as a day in which a student should feel obligated to take a few minutes out of the day to pay tribute and offer thanks to the teacher that passed on knowledge and truth throughout the scholastic year. A teacher’s long and at times dreadful year can turn into a minute of sliced heaven when they are surprised by a gift on their desk. From fruit bas-kets to gift certificates, students have a hard time picking out the appropriate gift that shows their per-fect appreciation It’s also important to remember that on this day of appreciation, a handful of teachers won’t re-ceive anything - Students that understand the mean-ing of academic freedom for years have stringently battled faculty and teachers over the rules of suit-able lecture structure and opinionated biases being infused into course material. The teachers that will not be receiving thanks from certain students are the ones that tried to make political converts through their own curricu-lum which are not compliant with believed academic standards. They have abused their pedestal in an attempt to indoctrinate their students. Many students complain that these instructors parade partisan dogma as known facts that have no substantial rel-evance in the class. A majority of the unsatisfied students respect the personal bias of the professor but they find it hard to accept a professor attempting to proselytize impressionable students. It is critical for these teach-ers to be pointed out and not thanked but scolded for the inclusion of partisanship into their curricu-lum. Other students believe the line of academic freedom of students is not so clear. “They harbor the ideology that the job of a professor is to challenge, not necessarily teach” said Sacramento State gradu-ate Darrin Hall. The popular belief among of these

students is that there are certain circumstances in which a professor has the right to profess students beliefs because it is relevant to the material of the class. On the other hand, they similarly agree that partisan politics should not be allowed in fields such as science and mathematics. Yet the ideal philosophies that favoritism in the classroom typically brings out student teacher conflicts. Current conflicts resulting from politically charged teachers are not just bias in grading but sit-ting through opinionated lectures, and seeing their teachers act dishonorable during campus protests. In David Horowitz’s new book, “The Pro-fessors” (The 101 Most Dangerous Academics in America) he explains that “the explicit introduction of political agendas into the classroom, the lack of professionalism in conduct, and the decline in pro-fessional standards- appear to be increasingly wide-spread throughout the academic profession and vir-tually every type of institution of higher learning.” Students are objected to false ideas about one subject but instead we are receiving an all an-gled assault on their personal conservative beliefs. On the campus of UC Santa Cruz, Bettina Aptheker teaches a “feminism” class to over 400 paying stu-dents a year. Throughout the class she explains how “lesbianism is the highest stage of feminism.” Conservative students aren’t necessarily complaining about her personal beliefs as much as they are pontificating if her viewpoint should be allowed in class lecture. Students have reasonable concern too especially when tested on the subject matter. Most students agree that public institutions for higher learning should be higher learning are more free speech zones than anywhere else in Amer-ica, and that should not be challenged or changed. But what should be challenged is the sense that liberal professors should not allow their teachings to become bias and incongruent with academic standards. Not only is there concern about liberal classes being bias but there is a worry that these classes have little to no relevance and question cer-tain courses taught on college campuses.


Features Opinion

As a Republican college student, I have always known what it is like to be a minority. Last year, on my way to class, I walked through the “Earth Day” celebration that occurs on the UCSB campus each year. By chance, I was wearing my ever-popular “George Bush is my Homeboy” shirt. Thinking back, I really was asking for it, but at the time I was sur-prised by the drunken mob as they yelled at me and asked me what the gas mileage was on my SUV. I suppressed my urges to show them that arms aren’t just made for hugging, they are also made for slap-ping, and walked on. When I checked “Republican” on my voter registration card back when I was 18, I supposedly forfeited my right to care about the environment. Forget the dozens of camping trips I went on as a kid, the countless volunteer hours I spent cleaning up my local beach, or even the fact that my study abroad program consisted of wading through Australia’s swamps to hear about what “eco-tourism” really is. I am a Republi-can, so I must specialize in clear-cutting the rain for-est, driving a Hummer, disposing of car oil into the ocean and shooting Bald Eagles on the weekends. So how did the party of Teddy Roosevelt be-come the party of waste and destruction? Or has it really become what the liberals would like you to believe? From my point of view, “conservationist” is closer to “conservative” that most believe. Repub-licans are the outdoorsmen, appreciating all that America has to offer. We are the hunters and fishers, the farmers and the off-roaders. Shouldn’t we, after all, be the party concerned with conserving our play-ground? In the 2004 election, the environment was

hardly the hot issue, so few Americans realize what the current administration has done to protect our natural resources for future generations. Since the beginning of his presidency, George Bush has pledged billions of dollars toward the environment, including $450 million each year to cleaning up our national parks. More recently, he proposed $211 million to brownfields and parks, which will fund the clean-up and increased utility of industrial sites for public use. $44.9 billion was dedicated to the environment alone in 2004, the highest amount in the history of the Presidency. The Clear Skies Initiative of 2003 has aimed to reduce sulfur dioxide, nitrogen oxide and mercury by 70%. And that is just in the Presidency! An entire thesis could be written on the countless pieces of legislation submitted by Republican Con-gressmen, Senators and State Legislators each day. In addition to proposing federal funding for

conservation, President Bush has encouraged citizens to take personal responsibility. Change starts at home, and the President has celebrated those who spend their time volunteering. Bush has also encouraged investing in re-

search and development in order to solve contem-porary environmental threats. By investing in our future, George Bush has not only stimulated the economy, but started an entirely new era of energy use as we know it. I am proud to be a Republican, a member of the Party of ideas. Instead of protesting the lat-est property development or chaining themselves to trees, maybe the liberals should start enacting poli-cies that actually foster environmental progress. If they put half the amount of time into their com-munity as they did vandalizing my SUV last fall, they might achieve the results Republicans are already producing.

Greetings from your now governing conservative friends up north. I am writing this from my new government side seat on

the first day of parliament, the election of the speaker. Like conservatives the world over we share common goals. Tax reduction, crime reduction and maintaining a capable military are time tested and therefore wise objec-tives. Just imagine that when Rome defeated her arch enemy Carthage they salted the earth and imposed the highest tax known to keep their rival down - 10 percent. Think of how that is dwarfed by our tax levels today. Individu-als and particularly families are entitled to the profits of their sweat and toil. Allowing them to spend their money is the best investment. Augustus Caesar cut taxes by 20 per cent for every child born to a Roman family. With five children there was no tax paid to the treasury and the birthrate was stimulated for 300 years. Ronald Reagan understood human nature and learned well the lessons from history. We’ll cut taxes in Canada and I ask you my friends to do the same. Property rights are fundamental to a just society, stability and the creation of wealth. Crime deprives us of the enjoyment of our property and must be punished. Where the law is not enforced the criminal element will congregate. Rudolph Giuliani went after violent crime, van-dals and turn style jumpers in order to clean up New York. We plan to restrict parole, end legal loopholes for child pornography and hire more police officers. Rudy’s speech at the Republican National Convention in New York City was my favourite. We in the west sent the wrong message to the terrorists when we let some of the Munich hostage takers go on to recruit others to their cause. Without an ability to defend freedom it will not survive. This is the reason for the right to bare arms and to maintain a strong military. We have a common foe in the terrorists who killed Americans and Canadians alike on September 11th. I am proud of our troops, including some of my staff, who have served the mission in Afghanistan. God bless those who don a uniform to de-fend our way of life. We owe them our support and the resources they need to be our front line of defense. Margaret Thatcher did well to bolster the armed forces and I’m with the Iron Lady. I greatly appreciated the opportunity to address California College Republicans gathering at your Simi Valley retreat. You train, fight and recruit for freedom. I was inspired by your ex-ample of a 24-hour task force to establish a new College Republican club on a blank slate campus. In 48 hours I managed to do just that at the University of British Columbia in Kelowna. Keep on marching my conservative friends. Western civilization needs such patriots, not gurly men.


OpinionOpinion

commission president who also recently faced Berlusconi in a heated 90-minute debate. And while the Left coalition includes its own Social-ist and Green parties, the Left is often accused of Communist behavior and associations. Secondly, during the debate between Forza Italia and Democratici di Sinistra repre-sentatives, the two sides expressed their views regarding United States relations, Italy’s iden-tity, and the separation between Church and State. Even though the Catholic Church and Italy’s state politics are currently separated, the Right coalition leans towards more Church influence, while the Left wants to keep the in-stitutions apart. Forza Italia’s representative, Professor Vincenzo Maria Saraceni discussed Italy’s identity by expressing his belief in “one West.” Saraceni said that like the United States, Italy and Eu-rope must recog-nize their Christian and Jewish roots to both establish unity among themselves, and further their re-lationship with the United States. Contrastingly, Democratici di Sinistra’s representative, Doctor Fabio Nico-lucci, explained that the notion of “one West” isn’t realistic as Europe is made of 25 individ-ual countries. A debate panelist, Christopher P. Winner explained that no matter what the out-come of the election, there will be no falling out of the fundamental relationship between Italy and the United States. Furthermore, both party representatives addressed their perspec-tive of the United States with regards to unity and the War on Terror. Nicolucci found that there has been more terrorist activity since the start of the War, and thus he didn’t believe in participating in the War. However, another Forza Italia representative, Avv. Giovanni Quar-zo, demonstrated sympathy and support for the United States and the War on Terror by saying that the hands of President George W. Bush and all Americans are “red with blood” for the victims of 9/11. In addition, the two parties discussed America’s religious identity,

noting that recently Bush said, “Thank God,” during a political function. Contrastingly, an Italian Minister’s candidacy was not ratified at the European Commission meeting because he spoke about faith. It is the cultural iden-tity of Americans that Forza Italia representa-tives want to establish throughout Europe, in order to strengthen unity and find the delicate balance between Church and State. Quarzo also explained that while most Italian public schools have crucifixes on the walls, religion is left out of Italian politics; whereas Ameri-cans may not push religion in the classroom, but they recognize their Christian and Jewish roots in politics. Therefore, the complex issues covered in the debate and associated with the election

represent Italy’s view of the United States’ cultural identity. While both parties agreed that their strong and economically benefi-cial relationship with the United States won’t change, there are dis-tinct differences in the

views of the Right and Left parties. Still, Prodi and the Left coalition’s win mean a continued positive relationship between Italy and the United States. It is interesting and highly edu-cational to explore foreign politics and their relation to the United States, especially when they are the politics of allied countries. Winner ended the debate by stressing the complexity of the Italian election, saying that this was the first Italian election since 9/11, and that the Italian political system is more complex than Bush v. Kerry. It is clear that Italy and other European countries are struggling to establish cultural identity and unity, and while attempt-ing to use America as a model; their political issues are of a different spectrum than those of the United States.

on april 9th and 10th italy’s na-tional election took place whereby the right and left coalition parties ran for leading positions in parlia-ment. the candidate for the demo-cratici di sinistra, romano prodi, won the election and replaced the former president and prime min-ister, silvio berlusconi. while both the right and left coalition parties

agreed that their strong rapport with the united states wouldn’t change following the election, the two parties expressed different views of ameri-can and european culture. according to a recent debate between the parties, forza italia (right) and democratici di sinistra (left), the main top-ics of interest included separation of church and state, and italian politics in relation to american politics. however, before one can understand the issues of the debate, it is necessary to address the complex role of politics in italian culture. First of all, the significance of many politi-cal terms varies between the United States and Italy. For example, the word, liberal, in Italian cul-ture refers to the Right Coalition and includes those who don’t want the government involved with big or small businesses. In fact, the former defending presidential candidate and Prime Min-ister for Forza Italia, Berlusconi, ¬identifies him-self as a liberal. Some of Berlusconi’s campaign adds focused on topics such as illegal immigra-tion and homeowner’s tax. Italy’s Right coalition also includes a Socialist party and a reformed Fascist party. From the Left coalition, Prodi was Berlusconi’s most threatening opponent in the election and ultimately gained more votes. Prodi is a former Prime Minister and European Union


Opinion Opinion

The Topic of illegal immigraTion reform is noThing new. con-gress lasT visiTed The issue TwenTy years ago, in The laTTer era of The reagan admin-isTraTion, and The argumenT iTself was unsurprisingly simi-lar To The one we’re faced wiTh Today.

Those in favor of reform argued that illegal immigration posed a threat to national security, created unfair com-petition in the American job market, and created a burden upon public services due to the fact that very few of them paid taxes. Political groups who opposed the reform effort argued that illegal labor constituted a crucial portion of our workforce and that their removal would lead to a number of domestic economic troubles. Eventually, Congress passed the Immigration Reform and Control Act in 1986, which bolstered the bor-der patrol along our southern bound-ary, granted amnesty to immigrants who had been in the country for at least five years while holding gainful employment, and most importantly, mandated that employers require proper documentation from all work-ers, effectively making it a crime to employ an illegal alien. The effectiveness of that bill,

unfortunately, was limited at best, and in the two decades since it was passed, the number of illegal aliens in the US has nearly tripled from 4 million to a staggering estimated 12 million. Now, in an important elec-tion year that will likely play a key role in defining American policy for years to come, the issue of Illegal Im-migration has once again climbed to the top of the nation’s agenda. As with any hotbed political issue, the battle of public opinion is once again raging. With hundreds of thousands of protesters taking to the streets of major US cities in op-position to the reforms that are be-ing proposed in the House and Sen-ate, a clear line in the sand has been drawn. While the arguments them-selves may not have changed much, the circumstances have. In a Post-9/11 world where new threats to America’s well being continue to arise, the lack of security along our southern border is an issue that must be immediately dealt with, and all reforms must be implemented in a swift and thorough manner so as to avoid repeating the failures of the previous effort. The basis of the current dis-pute revolves around H.R. 4437, a bill recently passed by the House of Rep-resentatives that outlines a clear path for immigration reform. This bill calls for several steps to be taken imme-diately to curtail illegal immigration into the US, including the construc-tion of 700 miles of security fencing along the Southern border, the im-plementation of an electronic verifi-cation system to be used by employ-ers to ensure they are hiring legal US

residents, and the imposition of fines between $7,000 and $40,000 upon employers who fail to comply with hiring laws. Additionally, the bill calls for the escalation of illegal entry from a misdemeanor to a felony, opening the possibility of jail time for illegal aliens who commit such violations It’s easy to anticipate the left’s argument against this type of legisla-tion – the bill reflects harsh anti-im-migrant sentiments, is unfairly biased towards a specific group, and alien-ates a key portion of the workforce. It goes far enough that even Ted Ken-nedy, figurehead of the anti-business radical left, has attacked the bill as a burden on America’s employers. As CR’s return to our campus-es this spring, we will be faced with this rhetoric as we once again engage in the battle for intellectual diversity on California’s campuses. It is im-portant that with this debate, like all others, you approach any delibera-tion with knowledge of the issue, and furthermore the knowledge that your opponent’s positions are drawn from the hypocrisy that has become their trademark. In this particular case, the claims made by those opposed to immigration reform, built upon the same tired rhetoric they employed two decades ago, can be easily refut-ed. Much of the left’s attack on im-migration reform stems from their argument that the movement itself is typical of an anti-immigrant senti-ment based upon some sort of racial, ethnic, or cultural bias, in an attempt to connect the current issue to previ-ous eras of anti-immigrant sentiment in American history. We must not forget, however, that this is not simply an issue of im-migration. People entering this coun-try by legal means will not be affected by illegal immigration reform. As for

those it does affect, aliens who en-tered this country illegally did so both with the knowledge that they were vi-olating the law and with the intent to do so without being caught or pun-ished. Their violation of the law is no less severe than any other, and they must be prepared to face whatever consequences may result from their own actions. The idea that this type of reform is targeted against one specific eth-nic or cultural group is also false. No mention of race, ethnicity, or creed is made in any of the proposed reform agendas. Those who attempt to char-acterize this as an Anti-Mexican issue do so simply to rally support within their own base, but their argument is baseless and easily rejected. The arguments made by the left characterizing immigration reform as a threat to the American business and jobs market are the most hypocritical of all. The same groups who would normally argue against those who employ illegal aliens for not providing adequate benefits would now defend those same individuals as upstand-ing providers of gainful employment in order to bolster their own position. The fact is, however, that the employ-ment of an illegal alien is a violation of the law – contrary to many argu-ments made by opponents of reform, this is nothing new, and as previously stated, individuals must be willing to accept the consequences of their own actions. Our nation is treading new ground as we approach the issue of immigration reform. Many factors come into play politically when ad-dressing such an issue, but it is im-portant that, at the grassroots level, College Republicans continue to vo-cally support the necessity for such reforms and to make the pro-reform position visible on our campuses and throughout our communities.


OpinionOpinion

California College

Republican



Convention

7:00pm7:15pm7:30pm7:45pm8:00pm8:15pm8:30pm8:45pm9:00pm9:15pm9:30pm9:45pm10:00pm

Welcome to CCRC from Kristen Lucero & Francis Barraza/ Address by Chairman Stephen PuetzJanet Nguyen (Garden Grove City Council) Welcome Assemblyman Chuck DeVore

Carl Fogliani (Pombo For Congress)Christopher Finarelli (Redistricting Iniative)Congressman Jim Rogan

Book Signing

Break for the Night/ UCICR party Downtown Disney

8:00am8:15am8:30am8:45am9:00am9:15am9:30am9:45am10:00am10:15am10:30am10:45am11:00am11:15am11:30am11:45am12:00pm12:15pm12:30pm12:45pm1:00pm1:15pm1:30pm1:45pm2:00pm2:15pm2:30pm2:45pm3:00pm

Breakfast

Welcome to the O.C. (UCICR’s) General Session Cabo San Lucas AScott Baugh General Session Cabo San Lucas ASteve Poizner General Session Cabo San Lucas ABill Christensen/Mindi Tucker (Victory 06’ & CR’s) General Session Cabo San Lucas A

Break Out 1 1.Michael P. Davidson (Fundraising) Mazatlan A1Break Out 1 2.Patrick Callhan (Campus Publications) Mazatlan C1Break Out 1 3.Jimmy Camp/ Joe Giardiello (Campaign 101) MonterreyBreak Out 1 4.Larry Greenfield Cabo San Lucas ABreak Out 2 1.MSM Panel (Jon Flieschman , Elisha Blankenship, Jen Vitela) Cabo San Lucas ABreak Out 2 2.Jonathan Wilcox (Media) Mazatlan A1Break Out 2 3.OCYR Meeting MonterryBreak Out 2 4.Jason Pitkin (Fundraising) Mazatlan C1Rally Lunch

Jim Huston (Military Speaker) General Session Cabo San Lucas A

Strickland’s General Session Cabo San Lucas A

Assemblyman Van Tran General Session Cabo San Lucas A




Departments Departments

3:15pm3:30pm3:45pm4:00pm4:15pm4:30pm4:45pm5:00pm5:15pm5:30pm5:45pm6:00pm6:15pm6:30pm6:45pm7:00pm7:15pm7:30pm7:45pm8:00pm8:15pm8:30pm8:45pm9:00pm9:15pm9:30pm9:45pm10:00pm

Steven Sion Candidate for the 42nd Assembley District General Session Cabo San Lucas AAssemblyman Mark Wyalnd General Session Cabo San Lucas A

Break Out 3 1. Elisha Blankinship (Media) Cabo San Lucas ABreak Out 3 2.Matthew Harper (Life After CR’s) Mazatlan C1Break Out 3 3.Michael Davidson CR (Club Building) Mazatlan A1Break Out 3 4. Fellow’s Program Represenative MonterreyBreak

Dinner Banquet/Pledge/Prayer/Awards Cabo San Lucas BAwards Ceremony Cabo San Lucas B

Dinner Banquet Cabo San Lucas BShawn Steel Cabo San Lucas B

Congressman Rorahbacher Cabo San Lucas B

Larry Elder Cabo San Lucas B

Closing



Breakfast

Chuck Poochigian General Session Cabo San Lucas A

Ron Nehring General Session Cabo San Lucas A

CCR Elections/Business General Session Cabo San Lucas A

8:00am8:15am8:30am8:45am9:00am9:15am9:30am9:45am10:00am10:15am10:30am10:45am11:00am11:15am11:30am

Red RobinJoe’s Crab Shack

Outback SteakhouseTarget

Del TacoJack in the Box

DisneylandDowntown Disney

California AdventureThe Block at Orange Mall

Kristen LuceroConvention ChairwomanPresident, College Republicans at UCI4th year Political Science Major

Francis BarrazaConvention Coordinator

Treasurer, College Republicans at UCI4th year Political Science MajorClint Dudley

Director of FundraisingDirector of Fundraising, College Republicans at UCI

3rd Political Science Major

Brock Hill Director of OperationsVice President, College Republicans at UCI3rd year Political Science Major

CollegeRepublicanConvention

California


DepartmentsDepartments

BCR brought Ma-son Weaver to campus for an affirmative action

debate. Weaver debated against Shanta Driver, a national spokesperson for BAMN (By Any Means Necessary), an affirmative action group. The debate was co hosted by the campus BAMN organization and had over 500 students in attendance.

“You can’t talk about equality and support a govern-ment race-based program, racism is racism.” – Quote from Weaver

UCI prepared for the Special Election last year by precinct walking throughout Irvine, Newport Beach, Costa Mesa, Laguna Beach,

Aliso Niguel, and Tustin. This motivated new members’ involvement and surprised many new College Republicans with their ability to get involved in local politics. The CR’s held signs on campus and posted signs at every major campus intersection. The Thursday before the election Rye Grass was planted at a popular campus location in favor of the propositions.

In the Capital Region, DCR members also protested along streets with signs and on campus. To get extra attention for the election, special operatives took action to protest the Naked Corruption. These two students drew attention to the special election through unconvential means, supporting conservative ideals on one of our state’s most liberal campuses.

“Freedom is never more than one generation away from extinction. We didn’t pass it to our children in the bloodstream. It must be fought for, protected, and handed on for them to do the same, or one day we will spend our sunset years telling our children and our children’s children what it was once like in the United States where men were free.”

When President Reagan spoke these words, he knew the need for protection of our freedom. More importantly, he also

knew the need for world wide freedom. The war in Iraq has provided freedom for thousands of Iraqis, this freedom has been passed from our armed forces to the Iraqi people, so that one day they will be able to share their freedom with their children and their children’s children. This freedom has cost the lives of American Servicemembers, men and women who sacrificed themselves to ensure better quality of life for the rest of the world. On behalf of Moxie, California College Republicans, the People of America and the People of the World, I salute those soldiers who dedicated themselves and gave the rest of us their ultimate sacrifice.

Sergeant Amanda Pinson In 2003, Amanda Pinsonjoinedthearmy,withfullknowledgeofthedangersshewouldface.Herparents had tried to dissuade herfrom joining before, but it was hercalling to join the military. Pinsonwantedtoservehercountryprotect-ing it from future attacks like 9/11,proud of her enlistment soon aftergraduating high school, hoping togrow as a person through her ser-vice.PriortoherdeploymentPinsontoldaninterviewerthatsheunderstoodtheriskshewasfacingbutthatshedidn’treallythinkaboutit,“Itjust[felt]right.”Inconversationswithherstepmother,AmandaPinsonaddressedanti-waractivistslikeCindySheehan,urgingherfamilynottorepeatSheehan’sactions.“Pleasedon’tdo something like that if something happens to me,” She said,“ThisiswhatIwanttodo.”OnMarch16th,2006amortarroundexplodedinTikrit,Iraq,wherePinsonwasserving,killingSergeantPinsonalongwithanothersoldier.

Private First Class George D. Torres Youwouldn’texpectahighschooldropout to persevere the intensity of the MarineCorpsandservehiscountryhe-roically,evensacrificinghis lifefor his country. Described asimpulsivebythoseclosetohim,Torreslivedlifepassionately,asthefifthofsixchildrenhecareddeeply for those around himandwasapositiveinfluenceonallhecameincontactwith.After serving for threemonths inJapan,hewasjustbeginninghisserviceinIraq,inhisfirstmonthofserviceasariflemaninthe1stMarineDivisionbased fromCampPendle-ton.OnApril11th,2004Torres’sunitcameunderenemyfireinIraq’sAnbarProvince.PrivateFirstClass Torres was fatally injured by the hostilefire.

Staff Sgt. Robert S. Johnson StaffSergeantJohnsonalwayswantedtoseetheworldoutsideofCastroValley,Cali-fornia,andwhenheturned18heenlistedhim-self for thisgoal.After twoyearsofenjoyableserviceinKorea,here-enlistedforanotherthreeyears,andlearnedthathewastobedeployedtoIraq.WiththisnewshetoldhisfamilythathewantedtoserveinIraq,ashisfatherdescribedit, this service was Johnson’s way of saying“Hey,youallofyou,myfriends,myfamily,I’mgoing there for you.” During his duty Johnsonserved as a chemical operations specialist inthe Stryker Brigade at Camp Marez in Mosul,Iraq.OnDecember21st,2004asuicidebomberdetonatedanexplosiveinsidethemesshallatCampMarez,killingStaffSergeantJohnson.

These servicemembers haveexemplified duty to countryaboveallelse.Theyhaveeachdedicatedtheirlivestoprotect-ingfreedomforfuturegenera-tions worldwide, and throughtheirdeathstheywillallbere-memberedforeveraspatriots.May you all join me in salut-ing and valuing their service,alongwithalltheothersoldierswho have given their lives sothat we may have a betterstandardoflife.


Departments Departments

30 | Moxie | Spring 2006

After graduating from college in Los Angeles and serving on the board of the California College Republicans, I returned home and became an active volunteer with the Orange County Young Republi-cans, working to make a difference for our

Party. Go to our website (www.yrfc.org) and find the local YRFC chapter in your area. Join YRFC today and make a difference in supporting Republican candidates and

causes.

The Young Republican Federation of Cali-fornia(YRFC)isavolunteerorganizationper-

manentlycharteredbytheCaliforniaRepublicanParty.RegularYRFCmembersmustberegisteredRe-publicansandarefromage18to40.LocalchaptersareactivethroughoutCaliforniafromYubaCountyinthenorthtoSanDiegoCountyinthesouth.

Spring 2006 | Moxie | 31

The New Majority will broaden the appeal of the Republican Party by promoting a fiscally responsible philosophy toward government and lending resources to Republicans who support an inclusive, mainstream approach toward politics.

GenNeXt is a right-of-center group of young, in-novative, and accomplished leaders committed to tak-ing on the global challenges facing the next generation.

moxie - spring 2006 / debunking war myths

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