Letter to the Editor 03/05

Dear Editor,

Last week a student from UPenn took the liberty to write in to the Temple News to express her opinions regarding contraception in our newspaper. The record needs to be set straight about this for one final time so there is no more distortion and misinformation coming from one side in this debate.

The contraceptive mandate in Obama’s health care plan obfuscates liberals, who are quick to think that Catholic institutions MUST provide contraception, regardless of their religious views. This inclination is wrong, based on our Bill of Rights. It is not within the government’s power to force its religiosity onto private entities who are expressing their freedom of religion.  Not once has any GOP candidate come out to oppose contraception, and at no point have they ever said states should ban contraception during this campaign. The true issue-at-hand is the ability of religiously-affiliated institutions to provide care that is in line with their morals and beliefs.

Amendment I allows for freedom of religion, not freedom from religion. The Obama administration would be wise to take this fact into consideration before trying to force Catholic institutions to provide services that are not “rights” in any sense of the word. Let’s say the government mandates that birth control (which is very affordable and readily available) be covered in any plan or at any religious institution, regardless of their beliefs and based on a sense of “public health.” At what point will the government stop forcing institutions to do things that are contradictory to their Amendment I-protected beliefs? Should we get free toothbrushes because they are good for “public health?” Obvious answer here is “no.”

This person also came out in support of Planned Parenthood with more misinformation. According to their own services manual online, Planned Parenthood uses 3% of its budget to finance abortions, and performed 329,445 abortions in 2010, all at taxpayer expense.

Since our public tax dollars are used to fund and subsidize abortions, I think it is only natural that people would want to remove all federal dollars from Planned Parenthood. After all, if they have so much money left over to perform abortions, why are they receiving any tax dollars in the first place?

A clear answer to the Planned Parenthood situation is this. If each liberal that complained about zeroing out funding donated just $10 to Planned Parenthood, I am sure they would be more than adequately-funded.

Regardless of their pro-life or pro-choice stances, the GOP candidates do not support public financing of abortions or the usurpation of religious liberty at the hands of an overzealous government, nor should they.

Sincerely,

Erik Jacobs

President, Temple College Republicans

 

 

Brady Must Go

Dear Editor,

On February 2, 2012, the Temple College Republicans hosted Republican candidate for US Congress John Featherman. Featherman is running for the First District congressional seat currently occupied by Democratic Congressman Bob Brady, who has served the district since 1998 and has been the chairman of the Philadelphia Democratic Party since 1986.

As a life-long member of the First Congressional District, I can tell you that Brady’s entire 14 year tenure has served only to the detriment of my district. Brady is the epitome of what we call a “machine politician.” According to the Washington Post, “Bob Brady’s resume reads like a Democratic organizer from the Tammany Hall era.” Not only is he the chairman of the Democratic City Committee, but Brady has strong ties to the labor movement and various unions throughout the city. Many would argue that Brady’s strong support of the unions strengthened the work force in Philadelphia and led to a decrease in unemployment. Yet, as of May, 2011 Philadelphia’s unemployment stood at 10.2 percent which is about 2.3 percent above the current national average. In addition, in August, 2011, “Pennsylvania’s First Congressional District ranked second-worst in the nation for food hardship among families with kids.” Brady’s legacy has been one of failure and one of ignoring issues, such as jobs and hunger, that have been at the forefront of national politics and that many of his own constituents struggle with every day.

Brady is the epitome of the “politics as usual” that we have come to associate with Washington politics, especially career politicians. Speaking simply as a member of the First Congressional district, this needs to change.

Sincerely yours,

Robert P. Simpson, Jr.

Temple University College Republicans

Our First Meeting of the Semester

Welcome Back to Temple!

Our first meeting is on Thursday at 5:00PM in the Student Center, Room 217A. Hopefully everyone had an enjoyable Winter Break! We are very glad this semester is underway and look forward to seeing all of you again this spring. Unlike last semester, we do have many activities and events on the schedule for CR members and prospective members alike. We can’t wait to get this election-year semester of College Republicans off the ground and running. This e-mail just hints at the possibilities and events forthcoming this spring. On Thursday, we will discuss many things, ranging from CPAC, to a debate with the College Dems, to your ideas for events and t-shirts. Here is a highlight of what we have planned and what we would like to do this semester. Please join us! Huckabee Show Trip and CPAC  As in years past, the College Republicans will be making the trip to Washington, D.C., to attend the annual Conservative Political Action committee meeting, better known as CPAC. This is a great event that lasts from February 9-11, and you can come or go whenever you would like. If you have registered for the event, PLEASE let us know so we can coordinate your ride and make sure you get into our rooms to save you money. We do still need drivers, so if you can drive, let us know. It will make everything a lot easier. There will also be a contest for the best ideas for our spring fling table, in which the winner (as voted by the group) will have their $35 dollar fee for CPAC reimbursed.

In addition, we also are going up to New York for a taping of the Huckabee show on Saturday, February 4th, 2012. A previous e-mail was sent out about this issue, and we are still in need of someone to drive to New York for the day. The club will pick up the cost of fuel for the driver, and riders will help pick up the cost of parking. There will be no cost to the driver for this event. DEBATE with the College Democrats  The time has finally come! We have agreed, in principle, to a debate with the College Democrats this semester at a date in late March. We want your input into this important event. You voice will be heard on Thursday. Voter Registration, Tabling, and Featherman for Congress  We will also be launching a voter registration drive through tabling, door-to-door petition work, and voter contact in the city. For those of you that helped out Al Schmidt, you know how rewarding and enjoyable this can be.

In addition, our friend and supporter John Featherman is running for Congress against Bob Brady in Philadelphia’s First Congressional District. We will be helping out his efforts as much as possible.

David Oh Event On-Campus  This semester, the College Republicans will team up with the Korean Students Association in an effort to bring David Oh to campus so he can discuss his race for City Council and issues facing the city and the Asian Community in Philadelphia.   Pat Toomey  We are also working hard to bring Senator Toomey to campus this semester. When we have more details, we will let you know.

Second Amendment Event  We are also planning an event revolving around Amendment II appreciation… More details to come.

Please join us on Thursday!

Response to the College Democrats

Dear Editor,

I am responding to last week’s letter written by a former
organization president that was published in this paper regarding me and the
Temple College Republicans.

I would like to take issue with the author’s assertion that
the College Democrats and Temple Student Government speak on behalf of all
Temple students when it comes to popular opinion and the “DREAM Act.”

Several years ago Temple Student Government,  Temple
Democrats, Students for Environmental Action, and other fringe organizations
supported the so-called “Green Fee,” claiming that students supported
the tuition-increase plan. Contrary to their talking points, less than 10% of
the student body supported this plan’s petition. The green fee was tabled after
administrators realized how misguided it was. Their support of the DREAM Act in this case is no different.

The facts are that the DREAM Act gives in-state tuition to
illegal aliens, and grants blanket amnesty to those illegally here who meet a
certain criteria.  She may not like to admit it, but illegal means illegal. If we have laws and are unwilling to enforce them, do we even have a criminal justice system, at all? Title 8 of
United States Code clearly defines what it means to be an illegal alien, not
the beliefs of certain organizations on campus that would like to disregard those
laws.

When I look at Temple’s mission statement much like she does,
I see the great opportunity that comes from foreign students who apply  to Temple,  receive visas,  and study at Temple  while following our laws.

The Temple Democrats are a political interest group on
campus that does not speak for all students. In contrast, the Temple College
Republicans have never claimed, nor will we claim to speak for the entire
student body.

If Temple is the pinnacle of moral compasses as she says, is
it moral to willfully ignore the law or would that be considered contrary to
Temple’s mission statement?

The College Republicans would love to have this as a point
of discussion in a future debate.

Erik Jacobs

President

Temple College Republicans

Educate Temple Students about Firearm Rights

Re: Shooting lands two in hospital

Dear Editor,

Last week, I obtained my copy of the Temple news and saw a
headline reading that a “shooting lands two in hospital,” and
expected to read the same old story about two Temple students who were shot in
a successful robbery of their home.

Much to my surprise, things this time were different.

One Temple student, Robert Eells, was prepared to deal with
the intruders because he has a permit to legally carry  a handgun unlike so many other Temple students
who fall victim to violent crimes.  I
think this raises an important issue for Temple Students who live in the
neighborhood and Philadelphians alike. What about firearm rights in
Philadelphia?

It seems like when  someone brings up the issue of firearms on
Temple’s campus, it’s about limiting gun rights and taking guns away from law
abiding citizens. In this case, things may  have ended differently if Eells was not exercising
his right to bear arms.

When a city like Philadelphia tries to make it difficult for
law-abiding citizens  to get gun permits,
it inhibits their ability to defend themselves from assailants, and makes the population
less safe.  As evidenced by this example,
if 15 year-olds are able to get illegal guns and commit crimes, why should
Temple students and other Philadelphians not be afforded the same opportunity
to defend themselves and their property by owning a legal firearm?

I think it’s time that Temple starts having a discussion
about firearm rights,  educating students
on what their  firearm ownership rights
are, and explaining how to legally obtain a permit for those students who live
off campus. In the end, they will have to protect themselves and their homes
from ruffians like the 15 year-old who was willing to kill someone for a few
dollars.

Recently, the PA State Supreme Court has ruled against
Philadelphia and in favor of expanded gun rights, making concealed carry and
open carry in the City legal, with a permit. I commend Eells for using his
Constitutional rights and legally owning a gun.

At the end of the day, if law-abiding citizens aren’t able
to easily obtain firearms, the only people with firearms other than the police
will be  criminals.

President, Temple College Republicans

The DREAM Act is a Nightmare

The Dream Act is a Nightmare

This letter to the editor is very important because it’s
time to set the record straight. Everyone at Temple University does not support
the DREAM Act, let alone support illegal aliens like the Temple Times and
Temple News would like to assume given the amount of press given to such a
divisive issue.

Supporters of the DREAM Act like to say that those eligible
for amnesty never committed a crime. The facts are that they are committing a
crime by just being here illegally. The United States has immigration laws, and
when you are in violation of a Federal statue, you are a criminal, regardless
of the circumstances surrounding the issue.

In our current jobs state with unemployment over 9%, how can
anyone support a policy that would grant amnesty to millions of illegal aliens,
further straining the job market for current US Citizens?

The “DREAM” Act also has several provisions which
will not make citizens very happy.

Illegal aliens will be eligible for in-state tuition. The
DREAM Act does not require illegal aliens to finish any type of degree, but to
just attend school for a set period of time.

The DREAM Act provides safe harbor for any alien from being
deported when they submit their application.

The most frightening part about the DREAM Act is that DREAM
Act illegal aliens will, if approved, have the ability to sponsor their parents
and other extended family members for visas to enter the United States.

We, as United States Citizens, need to stand up for the
current laws on the books and demand their enforcement. With our current
unemployment numbers, high budget deficit, and the strain on our social
programs, it is unthinkable anyone would support giving current illegal aliens
amnesty, as the Temple News and Temple Times support.

If we are truly a nation of laws and not men, then we must
oppose the DREAM Act and all the provisions therein. This DREAM is nothing
short of a nightmare.

Temple College Republicans

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