students inducted into Phi Alpha Epsilon - University of Indianapolis
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RELIGION EDITORIAL<br />
It’s time to question Religious Right, political morality issues<br />
Lucas Klipsch<br />
Ediror-iri-Chief<br />
What’s happened to the American<br />
system <strong>of</strong> democracy‘? HOW is it that on<br />
Tuesday, Nov. 2. President George W.<br />
Bush was re-elected by both the popular<br />
and electoral votes? 1-11 tell you.<br />
The Republican Party has monopolized<br />
moral issues with which voters, both<br />
liberal and conservative, feel compelled<br />
to align themselves.<br />
President Bush was reelected fairly.<br />
I’m not a conspiracy theorist who<br />
thinks that the Republican Party rigs<br />
every election and has “stolen” democracy<br />
out <strong>of</strong> the hands <strong>of</strong> the American<br />
people. I just think that the G.0.P has<br />
many United States voters gassed. so<br />
to speak. They’ve pulled the wool over<br />
our eyes, America. They’ve convinced<br />
us that not only is Bush the best political<br />
presidential option, but that he is<br />
the best. no, the only morul option.<br />
There are three types <strong>of</strong> Republicans.<br />
There are what I like to call the<br />
“real Republicans.” These Republicans<br />
believe in actual, Republican principles<br />
<strong>of</strong> free trade, a laissez-faire economy<br />
and personal prosperity through hard<br />
work and sacrifice. These people are<br />
conservative and do not believe that a<br />
strong federal government is beneficial<br />
to’America as a whole. Although seemingly<br />
self-serving, these “real Republicans”<br />
actually believe what they say<br />
and risk appearing heartless in order<br />
to stand up for their apparent me-first<br />
ideology.<br />
There are the “nai’ve Republicans.”<br />
These Republicans have been con-<br />
vinced, through chicanery and manipu-<br />
lation, that they, and their less fortunate<br />
American peers, will somehow benefit<br />
from typically conservative economic<br />
itch Daniels, the gova-<br />
ject <strong>of</strong> Indiana, has said<br />
that Hoosiers can expect a<br />
lot <strong>of</strong> reform to get our state<br />
going again. Daniels Seems<br />
to a man who speaks the<br />
language <strong>of</strong> money. He is a<br />
very rich man after working<br />
for very rich companies. His<br />
web site, mymanmitch.com,<br />
lists some <strong>of</strong> his reform plans<br />
for the state. He has prom-<br />
ised to save our state from<br />
its financial Droblems. One<br />
area <strong>of</strong> refotk is in Indiana’s<br />
correctional facilities. I know<br />
a way that Mitch Daniels can<br />
drastically reform the cor-<br />
rections program in Indiana,<br />
make our state safer, create<br />
jobs, promote social justice<br />
and save taxpayers millions.<br />
The simplest way for all <strong>of</strong><br />
these things to happen would<br />
be for Indiana to suspend the<br />
death penalty.<br />
Each death penalty case<br />
costs our state millions.<br />
According to a USA Toduy<br />
article, “The Case Against the<br />
Death Penalty” by Eric M.<br />
Freedman (1 9971, the death<br />
penalty is far more expensive<br />
than housing prisoners in jail<br />
for life. In many cases, the<br />
death penalty is two times<br />
more expensive than life<br />
in prison. This is because<br />
most people facing the death<br />
penalty are indigent and can’t<br />
afford their own attorneys.<br />
The state must provide them<br />
with an attorney and, accord-<br />
ing to law, each death penalty<br />
sentence is automatically ap-<br />
pealed. Crimes that warrant<br />
the death penalty involve<br />
more complicated investiga-<br />
tions and longer trial times.<br />
Limiting these factors would<br />
limit a prisoner’s constitu-<br />
tional rights. Therefore, the<br />
agendas. such as limiting or removing<br />
New Ileal policies like Welfare, Social<br />
Security and federally funded health-<br />
,.....,.<br />
Lair;.<br />
determines what makes a good presi-<br />
dent just astounds me.<br />
l‘raditionally Democrats have been<br />
Lastly, there is the Religious Right,<br />
or as I refer to them, the Religious<br />
Wrong. These are exceptionally conservative<br />
Rep~lblicans who vote solely<br />
according to their religious beliefs<br />
Members <strong>of</strong> the Religious Right are<br />
typically fundamentalist, or some variation<br />
<strong>of</strong> Christian, and assert that only<br />
through the sanctity <strong>of</strong>their church,<br />
and the <strong>of</strong> their beliefs, will<br />
salvation, both political<br />
and “everlasting.”<br />
be attained.<br />
These are the<br />
people wiio have ruined<br />
our conception<br />
<strong>of</strong> denioclwy. They<br />
are deceitful. misrepresentative,<br />
and<br />
cannot be trusted<br />
They’ve naturally,<br />
and quite predictably.<br />
dominated the<br />
Republican party<br />
pro-choice, but somehow the religious<br />
kight has weaseled its way <strong>into</strong> p&lic<br />
opinion. convincing many <strong>of</strong> my<br />
Democrat peers to join the anti-abortlon<br />
bandwagon. Maybe It was Kerry’s<br />
mistake in admitting that he was, in<br />
fact, pro-choice. It sure didn’t help him<br />
u in the Catholic vote (Bush won that<br />
vote, accordiag to CNN.com, despite<br />
the fact that Kerry i.\ a Catholic). Maybe<br />
Americans just don’t like the idea <strong>of</strong><br />
killing unborn babies. Come to think<br />
<strong>of</strong> it, when worded<br />
that way. I don’t like it<br />
either. But maybe, just<br />
maybe, this new regime<br />
<strong>of</strong> power-hungry<br />
religious zealots, such<br />
as evangelists Jerry<br />
Falwell and Pat Robertson,<br />
have muscled<br />
their way to the tops<br />
<strong>of</strong> voter priority lists<br />
by using hellfire-andbrimstone-style<br />
scare<br />
in the past, especially during the 2004<br />
election. and are now trying to infiltrate<br />
our minds with their hatred and <strong>into</strong>lerance.<br />
They’ve suc~ssfully skewed our<br />
perception <strong>of</strong> ethics and have attelnpted<br />
to hard sell their version <strong>of</strong> moral values<br />
as the only way to conduct life in<br />
America.<br />
The day after th;election, I was<br />
listening to a call-in show on National<br />
Public Radio. A man called in and<br />
said, essent~a~ly, that he was a liberal<br />
Democrat but did not vote for John<br />
Kerry because Kerry was pro-choice,<br />
and he, the caller, was morally opposed<br />
to abortion. So, I thought, you’re willirig<br />
to change your vote just because<br />
your partj’s candidate doesn’t agree<br />
with you on one point? The idea that<br />
abortion should even be an issue that<br />
tactics and massive<br />
guilt trips.<br />
Abortion is not the only issue that<br />
ha\ been inappropriately laced <strong>into</strong> our<br />
decislon-making process<br />
by the religious right. For some reason,<br />
gay rights is an issue that, apparently,<br />
most Americans feel strongly about.<br />
Eleven states passed bans on same-sex<br />
Inarriages On 2.<br />
a dozen states changed their constitutions<br />
in order to deny same-sex couples<br />
govern men tal recognition <strong>of</strong> marriage.<br />
Why? What were these voters afraid<br />
<strong>of</strong>? Did they think that if gay couples<br />
were married, their children could<br />
“safely” walk down the street without<br />
two men Or two<br />
ing ha~ds? If so, they were wrong.<br />
Gay people will continue to be gay,<br />
could go to fund more jobs for<br />
police <strong>of</strong>ficers, which would<br />
make lndiana safi:r. The death<br />
penalty has been proven in no<br />
way to make a state safer. 111<br />
fact, Michigan, with no death<br />
penalty and Indiana, with an<br />
active death penalty have very<br />
similar crime statistics (USA<br />
Today). According to Rich-<br />
ard Dieter, head oif the Death<br />
Penalty hformation Center,<br />
the average salary <strong>of</strong> a new<br />
police <strong>of</strong>ficer is about $42,000<br />
including benefits. The average<br />
$2 million spent on a death pen-<br />
alty trial could pa,y for 48 new<br />
<strong>of</strong>ficers OR the streets. It also<br />
could buy bulletpro<strong>of</strong> vests and<br />
improve many crime preven-<br />
tion programs. The new <strong>of</strong>ficers<br />
would effectively make Indiana<br />
a safer place. The money saved<br />
also could go to provide more<br />
jobs in correctional facilities<br />
around the state.<br />
Ending the death penalty in<br />
lndiana would help to pro-<br />
mote social justice in our state.<br />
According to the American<br />
Civil Liberties Union, African<br />
Americans make up 12% <strong>of</strong> the<br />
population <strong>of</strong> the United States<br />
yet they comprise 3.5% <strong>of</strong> all<br />
people on death row. According<br />
to the Clark County Prosecut-<br />
ing Attorney’s Web site (www.<br />
clarkprosecutor.org), right now<br />
THE<br />
REFLECTOR<br />
<strong>University</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>Indianapolis</strong><br />
1400 East Hanna Avenue<br />
<strong>Indianapolis</strong>, IN 46227<br />
reflector@uindy.edu<br />
ianapolis. It is dedicated to<br />
rsity community in a fair and accura<br />
alty<br />
ney, they receive substandard<br />
aide. The death penalty<br />
inherently unequal and<br />
<strong>of</strong> a human being in an act<br />
<strong>of</strong> revenge wrong, it could<br />
mean an irreversible death to<br />
an innocent person. A 1982<br />
Stanford Law Review fou<br />
that 3.50 death row convict<br />
in the United St<br />
actually inno<br />
update <strong>of</strong> the<br />
that in the ye<br />
two studies, four innocent<br />
The new governor, who is<br />
a businessman to the core,<br />
should be able to nd<br />
these demands, e<br />
when we’re talking about<br />
millions <strong>of</strong> dollars.<br />
If you would like to send<br />
Mitch Daniels a letter about<br />
ending the death penalty in<br />
Indiana, you can write to Of-<br />
fice <strong>of</strong> the Governor, State-<br />
house Room 206,200 W.<br />
Washington St., <strong>Indianapolis</strong>,<br />
IN 46204.<br />
Letters to the e<br />
ideas and other c<br />
The Reflector-, Krann;~ M<br />
EDITORIAL CARTOON<br />
CORRECTIONS<br />
regardless <strong>of</strong> whether or not it is legal<br />
for them to be married. ‘l’hen why were<br />
these voters 40 against gay /riurrici,yo’!<br />
Why weren’t they againyt homosexuaity<br />
in general? They were against gay<br />
marriage because the hateful and bigoted<br />
religious right has con\ inced them<br />
that banning gay marriage is consistent<br />
with God’s teachings. So God wants tis<br />
cult for gay people<br />
to receive spousal employee health<br />
benefits and tar breaks’.’ .According to<br />
the right, homosexualit4 is immoral.<br />
and un-Christian. so wc should punish<br />
homosexuals by disallo\i ing the<br />
aforementioned benefits that come<br />
with marriage. I don’t rccall that verse<br />
in Genesis. Besides which. it doesn’t<br />
sound very Christ-like to me.<br />
This brings me to my next point.<br />
The Religious Right. and the Republican<br />
Party agendas the) s~ipport, are<br />
inconsistent with Jesus‘ leachings and<br />
the Bible in general. In Galatians 3:26-<br />
28, Paul says “...for in Christ Jesus<br />
you are all children <strong>of</strong> God through<br />
faith. As many <strong>of</strong> you a4 u’ere baptized<br />
<strong>into</strong> Christ have clothed yourselves<br />
with Christ. ‘I’here is no longer Jew<br />
or Greek, there is no longer male and<br />
female; for all <strong>of</strong> you arc one in Christ”<br />
(New Revised Standard Version). This<br />
leads me to believe that God sees [he<br />
worth <strong>of</strong> all people from every ethnicity,<br />
race and class. Jesus had compassion<br />
for the persecuted, according to<br />
Mathew 9:36. which reatls, “When he<br />
saw the crowds he had compassion for<br />
them because they were harassed and<br />
helpless, like sheep without a shepherd”<br />
(NRSV). Yes the Hible makes<br />
a point to single out honiosexuals as<br />
sinners, but isn’t it the obligation <strong>of</strong><br />
responsible Christians to “hate the sin.<br />
not the sinner’?” I’m not suggesting that<br />
I think that homosex~iality equates to<br />
sin, but some Christians do. Then why<br />
is this hateful anti-gay niarriage agenda<br />
so popular? It seems to me like these<br />
Christians are focusing their energy in<br />
the wrong areas.<br />
While we’re on the topic. as I understand<br />
it, Christians believe that it is<br />
not a human obligation to judge, but a<br />
holy one. In other words, it is God’s job<br />
to tell us who’s sinning and who’s not,<br />
and to punish sinners accordingly.<br />
The Bible repeatedly condemns self-<br />
righteousness. In Romans 14:4 Paul<br />
said, “Who are you to judge someone<br />
else’s servant? To his own master he<br />
stands or falls” (New International<br />
Version). In James 3: 12 James said,<br />
“There is only one law-giver and one<br />
.judge. the one who is able to save<br />
and destroy,” referring to God, “but<br />
you-who are you to judge your<br />
neighbor?” (NIV). That said, I think it’s<br />
pretty apparent that. if given the choice,<br />
Jesus would prefer us to be compas-<br />
sionate and loving to our fellow man,<br />
regardless <strong>of</strong> their sexual orientation,<br />
rather than hateful and vengeful toward<br />
homosexuals as the counter-Christian<br />
Religious Right has been. I mean, you<br />
only have so much time here on Earth.<br />
Why spend it hating and judging, when<br />
your own religion compells you to love<br />
and refrain from judging others?<br />
Don‘t be nai’ve, America. You’ve<br />
allowed them to use rhetoric and hate-<br />
speech to inspire you to vote a certain<br />
way. Don’t let it happen again. They<br />
are not practicing what I believe to be<br />
compassionate Christianity, and I am<br />
personally <strong>of</strong>fended by anyone who<br />
considers the Bush administration a<br />
Christian administration. They are not.<br />
and don’t let them fool you <strong>into</strong> think-<br />
ing they are. Regardless <strong>of</strong> what you<br />
believe, it’s not your place to impress<br />
those beliefs upon others, and neither<br />
is it the place <strong>of</strong> the Religious Right<br />
to impress their beliefs, however cruel<br />
and inconsistent, upon the rest <strong>of</strong> the<br />
country.<br />
Artwmork hv Jot Hernande:<br />
Staff photographer Luke Thornberry’s name was not included in<br />
the masthead.<br />
Abby Adragna, not Ben Reed, wrote the story entitled “Pr<strong>of</strong>essor<br />
invited to Jordan seminar.”<br />
Amber Liponoga’s name was inisspelled in the masthead.<br />
Edi tor-in-Chief.. ................................ .Lucas Klipsch<br />
Managing Editor. ................................. Valerie Miller<br />
News Editor .....................................<br />
Sports Editor. ...................................<br />
Photo E,ditor .....................................<br />
, Room 21 3, or Opinion Editor ...................................<br />
Feature Editor ....................................<br />
Entertainment Editor. ........................<br />
...........................<br />
........................ K<br />
ger. ......................... Sarah Clough<br />
............................ Jeanne Criswell<br />
.....................................................<br />
Becky Nakasone Ben Reed<br />
Shelly Grimes Rania Tollefson<br />
Amber Liponoga Donna Stollings<br />
Brittani Whitmore Francine Ruder