The Penn community got a visual reminder of the sixth anniversary of the Sept. 11th attacks, courtesy of none other than Penn's College Republicans. The College Republicans chairman, Jack Abraham, who I have much respect for, said "it's not just for conservative people or Republicans". Of course it isn't, this political event was designed for maximum impact and was financed by the Young America Foundation, the premier conservative youth organization. They want us to think that this is simply a memorial and the DP is kind enough to oblige with their prominent coverage. Will they be remembering all the of the deaths resulting from Bush's failed Iraq adventure which he has pursued in the name of all of those 9/11 victims? I think not.
The reason for this political event is no different than why Giuliani mentions 9/11 at every opportunity and why for him "every day is an anniversary of Sept. 11". Republicans and the conservative movement want the American public to keep their focus on the attack on 9/11 and the 'terrorists' purely as a political strategy. They don't want people talking about the failed war in Iraq or asking questions about why we are even there, since Saddam Hussein had nothing to do with the 9/11 attacks. Is it simply a coincidence that General Petreaus testified the day before the anniversary of 9/11? In fact, he was originally scheduled to deliver testimony on September 11th.
This is just another example of the power and resources that conservative groups have on campuses across this country. Even though they are significantly smaller in numbers, at least at Penn, they are much better funded and have substantial connections to the broader conservative movement.
Luckily, the progressive movement has begun to realize the importance of supporting progressive students and is beginning to organize on campuses. Through Campus Progress, progressives on college campuses are now able to access the same types of resources as our conservative peers. With the Penn Dems and a slew of advocacy groups, I hope to soon be writing much more about progressive organizing on Penn's campus.
~BT
Tuesday, September 11, 2007
College Republicans want us to remember 9/11
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2 comments:
I question whether your linking of Guiliani and the Penn Republicans is valid. Guiliani uses 9/11 explicitly.
Here, the Penn Republicans put up flags. You are free to interpret them however you wish. You can think of them as a reminder as to why America is fighting these wars. You can think of them as a reminder of the squandered opportunities to bring justice. You can think of the policies that may have provoked the wrath of the terrorists. You can just think of the lives that were lost and families that were affected.
If you take out the College Republicans from the equation, there's nothing political about the flags.
If you take the Guiliani out of his statements, they're still woefully misguided.
My point is that you can't take the College Republicans out of the equation. Rather, I think it is important to look at this in the context of the national political environment we are currently in.
A partisan political group on campus organized this event and received funding from a national conservative organization. This remembrance of 9/11 is happening in a context where 9/11 is constantly used as a political tool by Republicans to gain support. I cite Giuliani as the just the clearest example of that. Bush and other republican presidential candidates have used 9/11 in the same way.
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