BINGHAMTON REVIEW Contents Editor-in-Chief
P.O. BOX 6000 BINGHAMTON, NY 13902-6000 EDITOR@BINGHAMTONREVIEW.COM
Founded 1987 • February 2016 Sean M. Glendon
Managing Editor Jordan Raitses
Copydesk Editor Thomas Casey
Newsdesk Chief Raymond Page
New Media Editor Haim Engelman
THE DREAM IS DYING
Treasurer
Yuval Hananya
Associate Editors Antonia Mallozzi William Schneider
Staff Writers
Laura Grasso Joseph Gunderson Howard Hecht Max Newman
Special Thanks To:
Intercollegiate Studies Institute Collegiate Network Binghamton Review was printed by Gary Marsden We Provide the Truth. He Provides the Staples
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by Max Newman
5 Police State University
by Thomas Casey
6 What Do You Meme? by Anonymous 7 Shit Buzzfeed Says – Act IV by Howard Hecht 10 In nomine Patris et Filii et Spiritus Sancte by Raymond Page 12 Stop Appropriating our Rape Culture! by Laura Grasso 14 Frontrunner Feud by Joseph Gunderson 15 Feminislam
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Departments
by Luke Kusick
Editorial What You Missed
TELL US WHAT YOU THINK! Direct feedback to editor@binghamtonreview.com 2
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February 2016
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EDITORIAL Dear Readers,
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From the Editor
his issue of Binghamton Review marks the first issue of the Spring 2016 semester: my last semester as an undergraduate of Binghamton University and my last semester as Editor-in-Chief of this fine publication. I will be touching more upon this as my time comes closer to an end, but there is still another semester of work to be done and progress to be made. Last semester was an extremely successful semester for Binghamton Review in my eyes and I hope that you – the reader – feel the same way. I believe that we continuously produced well-rounded issues full of high-quality, well-written, thought-provoking articles, and I plan to continue this trend of consistency and improvement this semester. This upcoming semester should be quite interesting - in addition to the average news cycle, as primary season heats up we will be thrown into the middle of an ever-intensifying political battle. Before finals in May, we may even have a general idea about who will be the presidential candidates representing America’s two major parties. Binghamton Review will be here to analyze and poke fun at the narrowing down of the political fields. But that should go without saying. However, we will continue to offer a broad series of voices and topics to our dedicated readers. In this issue, Tom gives students advice for how to deal with campus police to avoid trouble. Yuval
has a bone to pick with inaccurate, incomplete and biased memes that are taking over social media feeds. Howard has continued on his trip to destroy Buzzfeed, and at this point it has definitely become a trip. Max contrasts Martin Luther King Jr’s dream discussed in his famous 1963 speech with the methods taken on by Black Lives Matter activists. Ray delivers a touching personal story about his past challenges and overcoming them. Laura discusses the trivialization of rape and the modern “rape culture.” Joe outlines the current political landscape of the 2016 election, and the impact of early primary victories. Finally, Luke discusses the contradiction of the left protecting feminism and Muslims simultaneously. I would once again like to thank my staff members, including the executive board members, writers, editors, and everybody else who contributes to Binghamton Review in any way. I would also like to thank the readers for your consistent support and feedback that you have sent throughout the semester. If you’d ever like to give feedback, thoughts, or get involved at Binghamton Review, I encourage you to reach out to me at editor@binghamtonreview. com. Sincerely,
Sean Glendon
Our Mission
Binghamton Review is a non-partisan, student-run periodical of conservative thought at Binghamton University. A true liberal arts education expands a student’s horizons and opens one’s mind to a vast array of divergent perspectives. In that spirit, we seek to promote the free exchange of ideas and offer an alternative viewpoint not normally found on our predominately liberal campus. It is our duty to expose the warped ideology of political correctness that dominates this university. We stand against tyranny in all of its forms, both on campus and beyond. We believe in the principles set forth in this country’s Declaration of Independence and seek to preserve the fundamental tenets of Western civilization. Finally, we understand that a moral order is a necessary component of any civilized society. We strive to inform, engage, and perhaps even amuse our readers in carrying out this mission.
Views expressed by writers do not necessarily represent the views of the publication as a whole. editor@binghamtonreview.com
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WHAT YOU MISSED A
fter a budget crisis, Michigan switched the water supply for Flint from Lake Huron to Flint River to save costs in April 2014. The water was considered highly corrosive, and the switch was made back but pipe damage was already done. As a result, residents of Flint, Michigan have been consuming contaminated tap water and the issue has received much attention from celebrities and politicians with charges of recklessness issued against state officials by residents and various groups.
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ormer Vice Presidential candidate Sarah Palin endorsed Donald Trump in Ames, Iowa. Her 26 year old son Track Palin was arrested for battering his girlfriend, which Sarah Palin blamed on Barack Obama and a lack of respect for military members and veterans.
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n December, Netflix released Making a Murderer, a documentary 10 years in the making. The 10 episode season revolves around the arrests of Steven Avery and Brendan Dassey for the murder of Teresa Halbach. The documentary examines potential corruption by local officials and resulted in petitions for pardon, that received responses from Governor Scott Walker and the White House. After criticism for bias in favor of the defendants, the filmmakers stated that Making a Murderer was not meant to examine guilt or innocence, but to examine what constitutes a fair trial.
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he Malheur Wildlife Refuge in Oregon was stormed by white, armed militants over the mandatory minimum sentence that a local rancher and his son received for an arson they committed. 4
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I
n 2015, a total of 986 Americans were fatally shot at the hand of the police. This number is more than double that of the average reported by the FBI over the past decade.
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awaii became the first state to increase the smoking age (of tobacco) from 18 to 21.
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fter changing the series of numbers used in the Powerball to substantially decrease the odds of winning the jackpot to build hype, the Powerball jackpot rose to record levels before finally being won by three people. People became very obsessed and bought an insane amount of tickets - a woman created a GoFundMe campaign because she had blown her life savings on tickets, although it was eventually shut down for GoFundMe for policy violations.
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n the ongoing Bill Cosby sexual assault allegation saga, Cosby was charged sexual assault in Pennsylvania and was freed on $1 million bail. In another development, a defamation lawsuit against Cosby on behalf of Renita Hill was thrown out.
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fter the announcement of Oscar nominees lacked diversity, the trend #OscarsSoWhite began. For the second year in a row, actors of color did not receive any major acting nominations. This resulted in promises of boycotting by Spike Lee, Jada Pinkett Smith and others. In response, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts will implement measures to make choices more diverse.
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OOL! In late December, the law requiring Country of Origin
Labelling (COOL) for meats was repealed. Supporters of COOL believed that consumers had a right to know where the meat was coming from, while opponents felt that COOL was a bureaucratic waste of time and money.
O
ver the past five years, federal prosecutors in the Northern District of New York have used the civil asset forfeiture laws to seize $43 million in assets as part of investigations. Under this program, the local police can retain up to 80% of the taken assets, with the remainder going to the federal government. Overall, New York seizes more assets than every state besides California.
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fter a political battle of sorts involving stadium funding and team owner alliances, the Rams will be moving back to Los Angeles from St. Louis. Either the San Diego Chargers or Oakland Raiders have the option to move to Los Angeles as well. After the Raiders and Rams left Los Angeles in 1995, it became by far the largest American market lacking a National Football League team.
A
fter 12 seasons, 2 Super Bowl rings, and four consecutive seasons of missing the playoffs, Tom Coughlin stepped down as the head coach of the New York Football Giants. Offensive coordinator Ben McAdoo will be the new head coach next season.
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atalie Cole, R&B singer and daughter of Nat King Cole, David Bowie, notable and esteemed musician, Alan Rickman, known for his roles as villains in Harry Potter and Die Hard passed away. RIP. February 2016
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Police State University
POLICE STATE UNIVERSITY
Written By Thomas Casey
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he Pipe Dream police blotter reads like an obituary. It’s the place where students’ rights go to die. “Campus police responded to noise complaint in Rafuse. 19-year-old female opened her dorm and presented the police with three bottles of alcohol.” “Twenty-year-old man suspected of smoking illicit substance hands over marijuana, fake ID and plagiarized term-paper to officers.” Only a matter of time until we read about a “21 yearold-female suspected of jaywalking takes officer’s handcuffs, applies them to her wrists and drives herself to the downtown station, where she awaits a likely guilty verdict from herself.” The police’s main duty is the protect the rights of the people. The campus police at Binghamton University do a fantastic job. Our campus feels safe. For the true emergencies I’ve heard of, campus police were swift and effective. Students should have confidence in the emergency responders on the campus. Campus police has been holding up its duty. The true failure lies within the students. The student population continues to unnecessarily forgo their rights. Here, I will make a declaration, odd for a conservative/ libertarian publication. Let’s do the police’s jobs for them. Let’s learn how to protect the rights of the people! (psst, that’s us)
hand. Keep your door closed and turn down at a reasonable hour. Remember, your neighbors have rights too, so if you plan on violating their rights at 3 AM, consider inviting them over. Remain unsuspicious, and nobody will ever try to infringe on your fun, or your endowed constitutional rights, or your dorm party. But what fun is a dorm fiesta without attracting undue attention? We’ll next consider the likely scenario of an unwanted party crasher.
Sir, yes, ma’am! Let’s be polite. Just so ya know, this rule isn’t exclusive to authoritarian campus confrontations. Remember, the responder, be it an RA or an officer, is there to protect everyone’s rights. Be respectful upon greeting. Don’t sprint in any direction. That’s just crazy. Stay
Don’t be a dingus. The best way to not lose your rights is to not enter an overtly criminal situation in the first place. Basically, avoid doing silly stuff in your dorm. Whether it’s smoking one cigarette or determining the temperature at which mattresses burn, stray away from fire. Maximum occupancy limits are official rules, not Guiness World Records. Illegal drinking and incredibly loud music must be mutually exclusive. Don’t be surprised if the RA comes knocking when you shatter the decibel system with a beer in your 18-year-old
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cool and understand the situation. Door knocking RAs will expect you to at least step out to talk. You can go out if you choose too, but remember, it is fully within your rights not to open the door. You can play a one sided knockknock joke with authority. Just try not to destroy relationships. The RAs and
officers, these people will continue to exist beyond the run in. A vile defense of your rights is not worth a year of awkwardness between you and your RA when a peaceful resolution would have sufficed. This rule’s probably the easiest. If you need help remembering, police and polite are only one letter (and one ticket returnable to Vestal court) apart. A fair warning, don’t get too friendly though. You may end up damaging your own cause. . .
Don’t turn yourself in. Time to renege on a previous statement. Do not do the police’s jobs for them! Our 16 credits of classes have conditioned us to be unflinchingly cooperative. “Post the paper to Blackboard by 4 p.m.,” “Read chapters 12 and 17,” “Choose the best answer,” “Bubble the circle entirely,” Disgusting! This unbridled brainwashing leads directly to the heartbreaking Pipe Dream excerpts. Students don’t have to immediately surrender. There is no civic GPA that faces penalization if you fail to load all your alcohol into the squad car by 11 p.m. The police officers or the RA may try the same sneaky permission sneaking tactics we’re well versed in. “Mom, I’m gonna borrow the car to pick up Raj, alright?” is suspiciously similar to, “Ma’am, we’re coming in to your dorm room, OK?” Channel your inner mother in these situations. Explicitly deny permission. The classic “where’s your warrant?” is pretty overused, so go with the more detailed and cool-headed, “With respect, I do not consent to any searches.” Students off-campus have the full muscle of their rights. Be respectful, be understanding, but don’t consent to anything that may work against you. If you’re in a tight spot with authority, be on your guard and be prepared to say no. If you need help remembering your rights, convince your RA to make Fourth Amendment inspired nametags next semester.
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WHAT DO YOU MEME
What Do You Meme?
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Written By Anonymous
D
on’t expect the truth from media. Any media. Yes, I’m going to start my article with my conclusion given the limited time you and I have together. Don’t expect the truth, because why should you? This isn’t a movie. This is real life! The media can’t be perfect because the people who write and commentate aren’t perfect and, as some of us already know, represent their own preconceived belief that they stand firm in. There aren’t enough hours in the day for even CNN to paint a full, unbiased picture. According to the Pew Research Center, 37% of Americans believe that political bias occurs “a great deal” in news coverage. But forget traditional media, all of us know we can’t trust it. What concerns me more is the growing one sidedness presented on social media. Through the power of the “Share” and the “Retweet” bullshit has been spread quicker than the plague. We’ve all fallen victim to this at one point, there’s nothing to be ashamed about, and I’ll explain why not. What is a meme? It’s not just the Grumpy Cat anymore and it has never been limited to the Impact typeface we’ve grown so accustomed to seeing. According to Merriam-Webster, a meme is an idea, behavior, or style that spreads from person to person within a culture. Sounds pretty fitting, right? Well, you might be pretty shocked to learn that an evolutionary biologist named Richard Dawkins coined the term in his book The Selfish Gene in an effort to argue that the spread of genes acts similar to the spread of culture and ideas, like catchphrases and GIFs of Leonardo DiCaprio being shocked by Lady Gaga. Yeah, I just went there. Over the past few weeks I have done my own research consisting of a strict regimen of combing through mountains of data and seemingly scholarly opinions. In other words, I scrolled through Facebook. Social media was the chosen one, Anakin! The powerful force, sent from the almighty Zuckerberg to guide us to the truth. A way to spread the good word of totally factual news! False. While the Internet and social media have provided individuals with a massive, often-worldwide forum and audience for the spreading of ideas and beliefs, it too has fallen down the rabbit hole that is bias. What concerns me about social media is the sheer lack of accountability. I can share a meme, as I sometimes do, that has a “fact” attached to it. Now, this statement, statistic, or joke, may be true, it may be outdated, it may be a lie, or most probably it is incomplete. The complexity and interconnectedness of the world around us cannot be described in a sound bite or a meme. Where newspapers have thousands of words, memes have 50 words maximum. Where television newscasts have all day, or in CNN’s case one billion years of non-stop coverage, sound bites of speeches, for example, have minutes. This is a combination of our lack of time and attention to read full articles or watch full newscasts and our inability to distinguish fact from fiction given our own bias. The more troubling aspect of social media is that it has the power to spread hand picked facts to fit a perfect story, a
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story some of us may already believe, but for those who came into a topic with no prior understanding, it creates an opinion based on what can only be described as another persons “opinion” really. Confirmation bias is the tendency within each and every one of us to interpret information that already confirms our own beliefs. This isn’t a Republican problem or a Democrat problem; everybody has this problem. We can’t force someone to do more research, and its often much easier to reassert your own beliefs than to seek new and conflicting opinions. This goes for both parties. Facebook pages like Occupy Democrats are masters of these sometimes-deceptive memes, and they have no shortage of followers, over 2 million. The deception doesn’t have to be intentional but it exists. Occupy Democrats Logic, a page created in response, takes the memes that seem to make sense and point out the ridiculous argument behind them. One of the more common tactics used by these pages and individuals in general is illusory correlation which is essentially presenting the relationship between two variables as being somewhat correlated. One of the more common examples of this is that somehow the President has some effect on gas prices. Conservatives blamed Obama for high gas prices in the early years of his Presidency, and Democrats challenged the correlation, rightfully so. But today, pages like Occupy Democrats promote the reduction of gas prices as one of the great feats of the Obama Administration in multiple memes.
Could all of this be our own fault? I mean, no one told us to like, share, and believe the meme. The pages sharing them and the people creating them are not all a part of the corporate oligarchy, or whatever the left is always complaining about. Could this be a product of our own nature, our own beliefs that these memes simply further confirm? We’re not necessarily wrong. The problem is, we’re no longer listening. We’re not keeping our eyes peeled for the full story. People want things quickly, but more importantly they want to understand complex things quickly. That’s why “memes” have the power to sway their audience so easily. The assumption that someone smarter than you has taken the time to compile these facts, figures, or quotes ensures that you won’t need to. Don’t fall for it.
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Shit Buzzfeed Says – Act IV
SHIT BUZZFEED SAYS
Written By Howard Hecht Hello, everyone – it’s been a while.
Last we left off, I proclaimed my plan to destroy the soul-crushing, click-baiting, and generally irritating entity we all know as BuzzFeed.com. For over three months now, I have fought the good fight, teasing and ridiculing BuzzFeed for all its glaring flaws. I thought that would be enough to at least somewhat damage their reputation, but clearly, it wasn’t. BuzzFeed grew stronger by the day, and as December took hold of 2015, I came to the conclusion that only an aggressive strike directly against them would be enough to combat their digital dominance. But I was wrong. Never in my life have I hatched a plan that backfired so radically. I was foolish in my assumptions, but the least I can do is tell my tale to you all. The following article is the absolute, unadulterated truth concerning what was ultimately an incredible failure. In late December, I joined BuzzFeed as a full-time employee. What better way to attack the enemy than infiltrate their ranks? It was this kind of demeaning, self-sacrifice I thought necessary to completely destroy the company. Needless to say, I looked rather different when compared to my co-workers. Many of them had dyed their hair unnatural colors and dressed as if they were attending a rave, rather than going to work. As I sat down for my first day on the job, I knew I had to fit in somehow. Rather than completely change myself superficially, I decided on a different approach. “Excuse me,” I said, as I stood up on a table in the center of BuzzFeed’s office. “I have something to say.” All eyes turned on me, and then, there was silence. I loosened my throat and screamed: “My name is Howard, but I would prefer if you all called me by my preferred name, Drawoh. I’m demisexual biromantic. I’m genderflux and genderfluid. My pronouns are he/him/ his. Please respect me for who I am. My only trigger is rude, cis-gendered people without any respect for creative minds.” Needless to say, I was met with immediate approval. A roar of applause echoed through the room, and later that day, I was even given a raise for not being as privileged as some of the other employees. My plan was in motion, and for a time, I thought failure was impossible. I began my employment with BuzzFeed by proposing titles for articles that would undoubtedly garner the admiration of all those who worked around me. Names such as “5 Times You Just Needed a Break From Homework” and “10 Ways Will Smith is Actually Super Hot” were just a couple of my pitched ideas, and even though not all of them made it onto the website, I was making a reputation for myself nonetheless. After some time spent googling appropriate gifs and memes for the articles of myself and others, I decided my moment to strike was finally upon me. I had gained respect from my bosses and had proven my intricate knowledge of clickbait based articles. And so, I pitched a video that should have,
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Bottoms Up! in my mind, obliterated BuzzFeed’s entire audience. I called it: “People Try Drinking Their Own Pee For The First Time.” My co-workers were hesitant at first. “Drink my own pee?” asked a woman set to participate in the video. “Are you sure about this, Drawoh?” “Yes,” I told her. “This is the best thing you will have ever done in your entire life.” Of course, unbeknownst to her, I assumed it would destroy her career. It was a small sacrifice I was willing to make. If the video were to ruin the lives of those drinking their own urine, I decided it was a fair trade for the destruction of BuzzFeed itself. On January 5th, 2016, the video was uploaded to Youtube. I sat down at my work desk and watched as reactions flooded in. Little by little, my faith in humanity crumbled. Rather than completely dismiss BuzzFeed, and the video, its view count skyrocketed. I was stunned. The video was successful, and there was nothing I could do. “You’re incredible, Drawoh!” that same woman told me later on that day. “I never thought drinking my own pee on camera could be so,” she paused. “profitable.” My eyes welled up with tears, and with a heavy heart I said: “It sure is, isn’t it?” As of today, I am still working for BuzzFeed. I could have never imagined I would directly contribute to their success, and yet, here I am. I have found myself at an impasse. I must consider my remaining options. I fear that if I am to remain with them, I will simply be consumed. Perhaps, if nothing else, I have accomplished one thing: the complete dismantling of my own ambitions.
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THE DREAM IS DYING
The Dream is Dying
BINGHAMTONREVIEW.COM
Written By Max Newman
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n the heels of Martin Luther King Day and with Black History Month approaching, a grim realization has dawned on me. No, it’s not the realization that Jada Pinkett Smith is serious about boycotting the Oscars for being “too White” for the second year in a row. No, it’s not the realization that Stephen Colbert continues to pander to the left by recently admitting he has “White privilege”. It is the realization that fifty three years after Martin Luther King’s famous “I Have A Dream” speech, his dream is slowly but surely dying. King’s dream is being killed off not by far right conservatives, police officers, or Donald J. Trump. His dream is being killed by the most passionate elements of Black Lives Matter. If events in 2015 are to be repeated in 2016 and the years ahead, then I fear King’s dream of ending prejudice and hatred will be beyond saving.
On August 28, 1963, Martin Luther King delivered one of the greatest speeches in American history to hundreds of thousands of civil rights supporters in Washington DC. The civil rights activist passionately laid out what his “dream” was. He called for an end to racial hatred in the United States, for civil rights supporters to solely use nonviolent action to achieve justice, and for Blacks and Whites to embrace one another and to become unified against racial hatred. Dr.King’s speech is one of my favorites. In many ways, King’s “dream” became a reality. African Americans were granted civil rights, Blacks and Whites can marry, schools are no longer segregated and
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America has elected its first African American President. All of these accomplishments are ones to be immensely proud of, as even the election of an African American president is extraordinary (even though I wish it was Allen West or Thomas Sewell instead). However, decades of progress since the days of Jim Crow and the Civil Rights movement are at risk of being destroyed by a core group of far left activists who elected our first African American president in the first place. The most extreme elements of Black Lives Matter (BLM), are not just angering people who want to go about their daily business (remember the protestors who interrupted “White spaces” in NYC). Fringe elements of Black Lives Matter have made headlines in 2015 by interrupting presidential candidates, shutting down shopping malls and worst of all, using intimidation tactics to achieve their goals. Whether it’s gung ho activists from the group #ConcernedStudent1950 harassing and cursing out White students in a Dartmouth library or the disturbing chant of “Pigs in a blanket, fry ’em like bacon” aimed at police officers, the most extreme fringes of BLM are hell bent on intimidating anyone who does not agree with them aren’t exactly advancing Dr. King’s dream. My criticism of Black Lives Mat-
ter is not criticism against the organization itself, but against the intimidation tactics that extreme members use to advance their political agenda. I respect their continuous effort to keep protests for the most part peaceful, as
Dr. King would have wanted. What I cannot support, however, are the disgusting tactics that far left activists, particularly on college campuses, use to accomplish their goal of so called “equality.” Over the course of 2015, the country watched as gung ho, far left student activists from the group #ConcernedStudent1950 intimidated their opposition on campuses such
“Two of King’s dreams of using nonviolent action to achieve goals and for Blacks and Whites to embrace one another are slowly but surely being undone by the far left.”
as Mizzou and Yale. Their goals were to oust University of Missouri President Tim Wolfe for allowing racism on campus, and to end racism against non White students. However, the goals of #ConcernedStudent1950 student activists is not to have equality, civil discourse or freedom of speech at all. The goals of groups such as #ConcernedStudent1950, which works in lock step with Black Lives Matter, is to shut down any form of opposition, silence any dissenting views and blame “the system” for the struggles of Black students on college campuses, all while whining and moaning about being oppressed in the process. Two of King’s dreams of using nonviolent action to achieve goals and for Blacks and Whites to embrace one another are slowly but surely being undone by the far left. The far left, particularly fringe elements of Black Lives Matter, are turning back the clock to the days of the 1960s. Only this time, it is arguable that the oppressed have become the oppressors, particularly on college campuses across the country. The far left is undoing the progress that Martin Luther King strived for, as the tactics that they have used in 2015 would leave Dr. King rolling over in
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his grave. When Dr. King called for an end to racism in the United States by organizing through nonviolent action, I’m pretty sure his hope was not for hundreds of young African Americans to loot liquor stores, burn cars, and raze pharmacies in Ferguson and Baltimore. When King expressed his hope for Blacks and Whites to “join hands as sisters and brothers” fifty three years ago, I’m pretty sure King wouldn’t have wanted hypersensitive college students demanding “Black safe spaces” to separate themselves on campus. These absurd demands were made recently at colleges such as UCLA, UC Berkeley and NYU, as students at all three colleges have demanded separate housing for Black students and other students of color who feel marginalized. Additionally, the students from #ConcernedStudent1950 who invaded the Baker-Berry Library at Dartmouth haven’t received King’s memo either, as they screamed epithets such as “‘F*** you, you filthy White f***s!”, “f*** your White tears” and “filthy White b****” at White students studying in the Dartmouth library. Many of the tactics that Black Lives Matter have used both in malls and on college campuses to silence the “oppressors” and fight back against “the system” have intimidated, silenced, ostracized, and worst of all, divided people. If Black Lives truly matter, the most ardent members of the movement should focus on improving their own communities first, instead of blocking traffic on the
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San Francisco Bay Bridge and calling students studying ‘filthy White f***s’. If Black Lives Matter truly cared about King’s dream and his legacy, they would focus on improving relations with White allies and focus on improving the school’s, wages, employment opportunities in tandem with White people as King would have wanted, as opposed to alienating and silencing them. I understand how slammed I may get for this piece from the politically correct left. Yes, the left may see this piece and become infuriated, as they would charge how I as a heterosexual, cisgendered caucasian male from the suburbs could write such an abominable and blasphemous article. They can call me every term in the book, whether it be “privileged this” or “Whitesplaining” that, but the intimidation tactics from the far left will not silence my views, just as they did not silence the courageousness of cameraman Tim Tai at Mizzou. This article criticizing BLM’s tactics isn’t exactly made to make the coddled snowflake students on college campuses feel comfortable. This article was made to express my opinion on how the intimidation tactics of Black Lives Matter is the reason why King’s dream is dying. This article was made to convey the facts that BLM tactics are intimidation tactics that silence, ostracize, isolate and divide certain groups of people, and as the great Ben Shapiro says, “facts don’t care about feelings.”
More importantly, I am writing this as a call to action to save King’s legacy and preserve it for future generations. King’s dream of exclusively nonviolent action and all races coming together in unity to achieve justice is in fact under threat. We must acknowledge that the intimidation tactics that
“They can call me every term in the book, whether it be “privileged this” or “Whitesplaining” that, but the intimidation tactics from the far left will not silence my views” BLM uses is a core reason why the dream is dying. BLM’s tactics as seen at Dartmouth and Mizzou alienate, intimidate, and divide people. King would be ashamed. It is time that we follow in King’s path to achieve liberty and justice for all. We can only do this together, not separate. It is time for Black Lives Matter and the far left in general to stop judging people based on their “diversity identifiers”, which include race, religion, gender, sexual orientation, and socioeconomic status, and start judging people by the content of their character, as King wanted. The left’s continuous obsession over diversity does nothing but set us apart. Their focus on diversity does not bring different groups of people together. It is time that the far left stops silencing the voices of conservatives like Ben Carson, Allen West, Mia Love and Thomas Sewell, and stop labeling them “traitors” just because they don’t believe in the failed ideology of left wing progressivism. It is time that the far left stops alienating and dividing this country by having student activists curse out students in libraries and on college quads, and it is important that we never give up in fighting against those who want to silence unpopular opinions. We must do this, and as Dr. King incredibly once said, “We cannot walk alone. And as we walk, we must make the pledge that we shall march ahead. We cannot turn back.”
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IN NOMINE PATRIS ET FILII ET SPIRITUS SANCTE
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In nomine Patris et Filii et Spiritus Sancte
Written By Raymond Page
When you open this magazine, you’re likely to have certain expectations. Topics such as political theory, rhetorical analysis, policy debate, contentious and argumentative commentary, the ousting of normative behavior, societal grievances, variant perspectives in relation to ongoing political turmoil and more, regularly fill our pages. You’ve come to expect that from us. But this is different. Here I will share my testimony of truth. Let this article serve as a memoir of sorts, highlighting my experiences and personal perspective, life lessons, spiritual growth and most importantly my unwavering pursuit of triumph in the face of adversity. The will of the human spirit is the strongest of forces. We must never lose sight of that. As a child, nobody expected much of me. My father left when I was two and my mother looked for love inside of a bottle. Seeking to silence her immutable torment and desperation, she would numb her pain through the use of alcohol and drugs. She simply drank her problems away, and what’s more- she hadn’t the slightest clue of how to raise a man. However, I like to believe that she did the best she could and most importantly, despite her parental shortcomings, her soul is pure, and for that alone, she is forgiven. For me, school was tough. I was placed in special education as a result of my behavioral problems. I remember feeling marginalized, forced into a curriculum catered toward children with educational deficits and developmental disabilities. I wasn’t academically deficient, but they had to place me somewhere and so they took the path of least resistance. I was angry and confused and for those feelings, I was compartmentalized and seemingly forgotten. My educational journey imparted upon me enormous feelings of insufficiency, worthlessness and self-doubt. I felt incapable and undeserving. My inadequacies ravaged my
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soul and concealed deep within my subconscious any hope of redemption. If you tell a child he’s stupid long enough, don’t be surprised when he eventually believes you. To put it simply, I fell into a gap: deep, dark, and inescapable. Psychologists maintain that a child will develop a sense of right and wrong, love and hate, emotional growth and critical lifelong coping skills by the age of five. Suffice it to say, I missed the boat on that one. My reaction to fear was to run. My response to disappointment was a mirror of my expectations and lack of self-worth. I
“My transgressions ranged from petty theft, to assault (a high school fight), then a 2006 DWI and eventually, in 2008, I was detained for possession of a controlled substance” expected to fail and so I would. This is what we call a self-fulfilling prophecy. Full of rage and self-loathing, I laughed at the prospect of a higher power. I was quick to ridicule and invalidate the faith of others. For every reason I was told to believe in Christ, I had a fistful of arguments to dispel and systematically disassemble those daring enough to engage me in verbal disputation. Where was God for 9/11? Where was God for the mass genocide of the Jews, the bombing of the Boston City Marathon, the thousands of innocent newborn children ravaged by Sudden Instant Death Syndrome and most importantly the crucifixion of His only begotten son, Jesus? Where was He when my father beat my mother or when I cried in bed scared and alone with not a sibling or family member to turn to? Now the standard answer to these
questions by default yields a series of typical go-to phrases such as, “God only gives us what we can handle,” or “Answers come in God’s time,” and my personal favorite, “Don’t question the will of God.” Now by this rationale, adversaries attempt to emerge victorious without the use of tangible evidence, definitive proof, reputable data or the like. The argument is but a table with no legs to stand upon. Fast forward to adolescence. For me, the apple didn’t seem to fall far from the tree. I drank like booze was going out of style. I took drugs. I lied, I cheated and I stole. I was deceptive, manipulative and entirely self-serving. Convinced of my own superiority, the rules did not apply to me. But, notice the paradox: I was convinced I was superior, yet hidden within the depths of my soul; I harbored feelings of incompetency, fraudulence and self-deprecation. Later in life, I was arrested several times, both as a child and in early adulthood. My transgressions ranged from petty theft, to assault (a high school fight), then a 2006 DWI and eventually, in 2008, I was detained for possession of a controlled substance in the seventh degree, which was a Class A Misdemeanor. As a result, I was placed on probation and soon after, I willingly admitted myself into rehab. But I had no guilt. I was incapable of recognizing personal shortcomings, devoid of remorse or accountability and completely unwilling to view my life in an introspective or critical fashion. I blamed my childhood, my mother, my lack of stability and more. How could I be expected to win this poker game of life after having been dealt such a shitty hand? Ethics and morality were words without meaning, empty vessels devoid of substance and value. I’ve always been a go against the grain type of guy. The act of conformity drove me insane. I prided myself on being
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a rational thinker, capable of critical analysis and objectivity. A conjecture lacking definitive proof and tangible evidence was nothing more than rubbish, flourishing under the guise of fraudulent, non-evidential intellect. But then out of nowhere a radical transformation took place. Gripped in its clutches, I was forced to take a look in the mirror. The time for self-deception had run its course. Now, whether this was by sheer happenstance, an attempt to reach a level of self-actualization or divine intervention, my metamorphosis was undeniable. I began to recognize that pride was a destructive force in my life and ego, its direct descendant. For the first time, I opened my heart to change and began a process of acceptance and admission of fault. I stopped passing the buck and naming scapegoats for the squalor that was my life, and through it all, I developed a sense of purification. This experience was cathartic. I purged myself of excuses and took the proverbial bull by the horns. I completed my probation, pursued my education and began to say that I was sorry to those with whom I had wronged. But it wasn’t just
“When I finally decided to go to college, it was on a whim. I saw my mother struggle to maintain what so many others had seemed to take for granted, such as keeping the lights on and the refrigerator full.”
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words. I actually meant it, and let me tell you, that felt great. Humility is a virtue and should never be feared. I’ve always believed that religion was akin to sports. For example, a man is a lifelong fan of the Jets. He has a child, who in turn is raised to love the Jets as well. His admiration is a learned behavior. He was taught to believe as
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IN NOMINE PATRIS ET FILII ET SPIRITUS SANCTE
he did. The players and numbers on the jersey were without meaning and inconsequential. Through no particular rhyme or reason, a team is followed with admiration and unwavering conviction. The same goes with Christ. A person becomes indoctrinated in their most fundamental of beliefs, sucked into a world of undeniable reverence and faith. But what’s most interesting is that my animosity would soon reveal an underlying feeling of resentment and jealousy. Deep within the confines of my subconscious, I wanted what those people had, but I didn’t have a father to teach me about sports, nor a family to take me to church, and so my resentment grew. When I finally decided to go to college, it was on a whim. I saw my mother struggle to maintain what so many others had seemed to take for granted, such as keeping the lights on and the refrigerator full. I knew I wanted better for myself. But I was no scholar. That was what I was taught to believe, yet despite my reticence, I gave college a try. My first A was somewhat of a revelation to me. Chalking it up to sheer luck, I decided to keep at it. Soon after I was admitted to the Honors College for my academic performance. I was inducted into the honor societies’ of Phi Theta Kappa, Sigma Kappa Delta, Psi Beta, Who’s Who Among Students in American Universities & Colleges, a recipient of the SUNY Chancellor’s Award, Distinguished Student Achievement Award, Editor-in-Chief of my college newspaper, paid college writing tutor, Campus Representative for the Academic Integrity Committee, appointed to serve on both the College Publication Committee and subcommittee and even runner up for the Student of the Year Award, which I lost by a hair. But through all of the good that has come of my life, I’ve yet to secure undeniable faith, although as of late, it is actively sought. I regularly pray and ask God to strengthen my resolve and rid my soul of doubt, although I cannot help but notice the irony. It is He who has made me the analytical being I’ve become and in my life, this critical
thinking has proven to be a positive attribute, yet in death it is said to be of great detriment to my soul, if of course you subscribe to the beliefs of devout Christianity. Go figure. But when it comes down to it, I am developing a deeper understanding of faith. Faith is belief without proof. Faith is an irrational roadblock to a rational thinker. But faith is also a gift for which we must ask to be blessed with. I continue to pray and not just when things are bad. I regularly thank God for His abundant blessings, so
“In the wake of each failure is a lesson to be learned. I have made a concerted effort to remain cognizant of that truth. Setting the bar high, I remind myself to stay grounded, cautious of the blinders ambition manufactures.” easily overlooked and for the transformation in my life, despite my best efforts to deflect accountability or to play the blame game. I strive to avoid familiar mistakes, with the knowledge that I am certain to make new ones, for he is fallible. The hauntings of perfection are elusive and unobtainable. I am a man of sin and regret, remorse and guilt; but I am also a man of hope. I have struggled and fought with the entirety of my heart, forging a better me with each passing day. In the wake of each failure is a lesson to be learned. I have made a concerted effort to remain cognizant of that truth. Setting the bar high, I remind myself to stay grounded, cautious of the blinders ambition manufactures. I love without fear, give without expectation and try with great effort to forgive those who have trespassed against me; and for this newfound faith, I am eternally grateful and actively repent for transgressions of the past with sincerity and candor.
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STOP APPROPRIATING OUR RAPE CULTURE!
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Stop Appropriating Our Rape Culture! Written By Laura Grasso
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hird-wave feminists have been stammering on about how catcalling objectifies women, but– and I hate to use anecdotal evidence to make a point, but I’m a female so I believe that doing so in this case is salient– it is from my experience that I say catcalling is a trivial issue, at best. Not to mention the point that men get catcalled too. I don’t see this as a gender issue, nor do I think that it’s indicative of any sort of “rape culture.” It is technically an unwarranted advance, but so is handing me a flyer to come to your student organization’s meeting. Or sitting next to me in Bartle and loudly chewing your food and playing your music so loud in your earbuds that I can envision Drake’s every move to Hotline Bling (LOOKING AT YOU, GIRL NEXT TO ME. STOP THAT.) Seriously, if there was a movement to stop annoying library habits, I would be the frontrunner for that movement far before I would even consider taking Amber Rose’s Slut Walk seriously. I’ve been catcalled by old men, teenage girls yelling out of a car, groups of men around my age, and what have you. My first catcall happened when I was around 12. I was walking out of a store with my dad and some boys in a
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car yelled “I wanna fuck your daughter!” My dad laughed and said “well that was straightforward, wasn’t it?” and I remember being mildly embarrassed that someone said the word “fuck” in front of my dad because I wasn’t really allowed to swear yet. Other than that, I didn’t think much else of it. I also catcall people, because I am a shitlord at heart. I don’t do it often, and I’m usually at least 3 drinks deep when I do, but for some reason yelling “AYYY SHAWTAY” to strangers is kind of fun. I guess my indifference towards catcalling comes from how my dad responded to my first catcall: it’s no big deal. He didn’t get upset or protective, so that made me feel like I have no reason to feel threatened or objectified. Let’s get back to what this rape culture business is. Apparently it is omnipresent and affects me greatly because I am a woman. I can’t nail down exactly what rape culture is, for the same reason that I can’t tell you what the Loch Ness Monster looks like, so I can only tell you what believers use to describe it. Frederick Attenborough wrote a scholarly article for The Journal of Language Aggression and Conflict in
which he describes rape culture as being commonly associated with “victim blaming, sexual objectification, trivializing rape, denial of widespread rape, refusing to acknowledge the harm caused by some forms of sexual violence, or some combination of these.” I will address each of these proposed characteristics individually. Victim blaming covers a wide range of circumstances. I am fairly certain that we all understand that when a woman has been raped, referencing things like her (lack of) clothing and implying that she was “asking for it” is a huge no-no. Most situations are less clear. Yet another anecdotal example: I was wearing a really low-cut top while working as a hostess at a restaurant. Some phlegm-gargling ballrag walked up to me and looked down my shirt in the most brazenly obvious manner which expressed that he did not care about having to explain to the ER surgeon why a female’s size 6 shoe was lodged in his rectum (though, my manager kicked him out before I got the pleasure of giving this man a colonoscopy with my foot.) Should this man have gone full creep-master? No, definitely not. Should I expect attention being paid to the girls when
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they’re showcased? For as long as gravity permits, likely. This brings me to Attenborough’s next point: sexual objectification– more relevant, objectification of women. In another issue of this fine publication, I plan to elaborate on the conundrum that feminists have made regarding their view that our “masculine society” has objectified women by sexualizing them in the media and through other vehicles, but also that women should be granted the right to express their sexuality. For now, I’ll leave it here: I can see how disregarding someone as a human with intellect and feelings can cause someone to rape, but for this to be so rampant and widespread as to call it a culture, I have seen little evidence in order for that to be true. Trivializing rape is a dick move. Saying a man “probably loved it” or “is lucky” when a woman forced him into sex is part of this. However, on the whole, feminists choose not to focus on this aspect and make “trivializing rape” more about rape jokes or using the word “rape” to mean other things than its dictionary definition: e.g. a college student (sporting a Bernie Sanders 2016 shirt) expressing how finals week went: “that economics test totally raped me!” Obviously you probably shouldn’t make a rape joke to
STOP APPROPRIATING OUR RAPE CULTURE!
a rape victim, but we have got to stop being butthurt over jokes and words. If you are easily offended, then I can see how you could go spiraling down into a manic state in which every politically incorrect statement is exaggerated so much in your mind that you think it’s an ubiquitous concern. If you want to talk about the denial of “widespread” rape, you better
“This idea of a “rape culture” is insulting to rape victims. For someone to put being catcalled or ogled in the same category as being raped is a distasteful attempt of attention-seeking self-victimization.” not come at me with that “1 in 5 college women” argument because I will be Ray Charles to the bullshit. Let’s get something clear about America’s rape statistics. As one of our brilliant writers, Alex Carros, had mentioned to you all in the December publication of the Binghamton Review, the Bureau of Justice Statistics records that “Rape and Sexual Assault Victimization among College-age Females, 1995-2013” is at about 0.61%. Further, if I may directly
quote Mr. Carros– as he put it so befittingly– “before any of you go spouting the comically unsubstantiated ‘90% of rapes go undocumented’ that would still bring [the statistic] to only ~1 in 17, dramatically far from the 1:5 that still gets tossed around.” In asserting the characteristics of rape culture, Attenborough mentions “the refusal to acknowledge the harm caused by some forms of sexual violence.” Effectively, what this says is that critique on what he and other believers has defined as the harms that are part of a rape culture perpetuates rape culture. I don’t have the patience nor the space on this page to try to untangle this endogenic mess. Ultimately, this idea of a “rape culture” is insulting to rape victims. For someone to put being catcalled or ogled in the same category as being raped is a seriously distasteful attempt of attention-seeking self-victimization. As I’ve mentioned before, the third-wave feminist movement’s perpetual lamentations– that snowball to encompass more and more ridiculous “grievances” with each passing week– demands attention from me because these pseudo-activists are saying that they speak for me as a female. You don’t, so take a lap. While you’re at it, add rape culture to the myth of the glass ceiling, wage gap and patriarchy.
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FRONTRUNNER FEUD
Frontrunner Feud
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Written By Joseph Gunderson
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he presidential election of 2016 heats up as the candidates, three Democrats and twelve Republicans, prepare for the grueling process that will narrow the field down to two candidates, one of each respective party, to face one another in the 58th presidential election in November. The competitive process, known as the primary season, will pit each candidate against the other candidates within his or her own party that will allow voters in every state to cast their choice for each party’s nominee. While the primary season historically has drawn fewer voters to the polls compared to the general election, it has a significant impact in framing the outcome of the campaigning process. It all begins in February 2016, when both the Republican and Democratic parties undergo the first primary elections: the Iowa Precinct Caucuses and the New Hampshire Presidential Primary. According to polling data, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders are the frontrunners of the Democratic primary election, with Clinton leading Sanders nationally, but Sanders leading Clinton in the early voting state of New Hampshire, while the two retain a fragile tie in Iowa. On the Republican side, businessman Donald Trump is the clear frontrunner nationally, but is also locked in a tug-of-war struggle to claim the lead in Iowa with national runner-up candidate Ted Cruz, a US Senator from Texas. While the party frontrunners have maintained somewhat friendly toward one another throughout most of the primary season, the gloves are coming off with days to go between the Iowa caucuses and the New Hampshire primary. Since the day she announced her candidacy, Hillary Clinton was the clear favorite among Democratic voters, maintaining a strong lead over her competitors, even in the wake of an ongoing investigation into her use of a private server during her tenure as Secretary of State. While she has held
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a strong lead with a campaign focused on social issues, Sanders has steadily climbed in the polls, and has recently sparred with the former Secretary of State over campaign finance and progressive tax reform. While Clinton’s lead is definitely strong nationally, her loss in support in Iowa and New Hampshire could turn the tables on her during the primary season, which would near-inevitably duplicate the outcome of her bid for the democratic nomination against then-Senator Barack Obama in 2008. Clinton, now the democratic establishment’s candidate of choice, once again faces threats from an outsider candidate. It is no surprise that the once friendly relationship between Senator Sanders and the former Secretary has gotten increasingly hostile. The Republicans have had no success in putting an establishment candidate forward. Donald Trump and Ted Cruz are first and second nationally, with Trump holding a strong
“The words exchanged between the two frontrunners at the recent GOP Presidential debate hosted by Fox Business confirmed that both candidates were in it to win it, officially breaking their truce as they began attacking one another.” lead in New Hampshire, and squeezing out a close contest in Iowa, as well as Texas and California. While many GOP mega-donors are coming to accept the possibility of Donald Trump as the Republican nominee, losing to Cruz in Iowa could result in losses in Texas and California for the New York business mogul, given his narrow lead in the large states, both of which share a large prize of delegate votes
essential to winning the nomination. While leading in the national polls by double-digits, Trump’s massive lead might not be enough to absorb a loss in an early voting state like Iowa, testifying to the long season ahead that the election is far from over. On the campaign trail, both candidates have framed themselves as outsiders, and even teamed up on one occasion to host a rally in Washington DC to stop President Obama’s nuclear deal with Iran. As voting is set to begin, however, their cordial relationship has ended quickly. The words exchanged between the two frontrunners at the recent GOP Presidential debate hosted by Fox Business confirmed that both candidates were in it to win it, officially breaking their truce as they began attacking one another over issues of the past including Cruz’s eligibility for the Presidency and Trump’s adoption of “New York values.” Because both candidates agree on many of their policy proposals, their exchanges are often regarding actions of the past, and may have repercussions on either, since both candidates share many of the same supporters. Winning the early voting states of Iowa and New Hampshire can certainly turn the tide for a primary season, but doesn’t always guarantee a pathway to victory. Former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee and Pennsylvania Senator Rick Santorum won the Iowa caucuses in 2008 and 2012, respectively, but didn’t end up securing the Republican Party nomination. In Santorum’s case, however, he was in last place in the national polls at the time of the caucus, and winning the key battleground state allowed him to win enough delegate votes to finish second by the end of the primary race behind Mitt Romney, the eventual nominee. The battle to win the presidency bolsters both parties, alliances will fall and attacks will get more personal as the frontrunners brawl to turn their high poll numbers into meaningful voter support.
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FEMINISLAM
Feminislam Written By Luke Kusick
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hroughout 2015, the left has become increasingly obsessed with identity politics. From feminism, to Black Lives Matter, to #weareallMuslim, the left has increasingly become the party of “progress” and “multiculturalism.” The recent influx of refugees into Europe has caused quite a dilemma for the left, which it has attempted to ignore but can no longer. Toxic masculinity, “rape culture,” and the “wage gap” are about as mythological as a dragon. The real threat to “feminism,” an ideology that could only occur in Western liberal capitalist societies, comes from radical Muslims. I imagine in the future the Amber Rose Slut Walk will be greeted by the hordes of Muslim refugees treating the event about as kindly as they treat women’s clitorises in Egypt. All the “rape culture” that straight White men
“The left became obsessed with identity politics and claims to be the political ideology for all the “oppressed” people in the world. The obsession is comparable to a drug addiction.” are committing in the West is clearly minute in comparison to the massive increase in rapes throughout Europe ever since the Syrian “refugees” came. From Cologne, Germany having 2,000 women saying they were sexually assaulted on New Year’s Eve to Sweden becoming the rape capital of the West, radical Muslims’ values are clearly in total opposition to anything feminism has been fighting for in my lifetime. Certainly the “sluts” in the slut walk who had exposed nipples, lingerie, and were twerking live on stage would be shamed by Muslims worldwide and potentially asked, “where is your hijab?” Yet, for some reason or another
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the left continues to defend radical Muslims? It is actually astonishing to see leftists movements like ANTIFA claiming that “rape culture” is the real problem in Europe in instances like Cologne and not these refugees. The left is looking for a unicorn to blame, or more precisely a White straight male, when radical Muslims are staring them in the eye and screaming that they are guilty of the crime. So how can the left, how can Europe, how can any sane person defend these radical Muslims and defend feminism at the same time? The issue ultimately is identity politics. The left became obsessed with identity politics and claims to be the political ideology for all the “oppressed” people in the world. The obsession is comparable to a drug addiction. They are so obsessed with protecting the “oppressed Muslims” that they cannot see that they are oppressing women all around the world. No feminist in the West wants to address the issue of stoning adulterers, homosexuals, and even women who don’t want to wear a burka. Instead they want to pander to radical Muslims for being a minority religion in the West. They have a utopian version of the world where the men telling women to wear burkas and who throw gays off of buildings stand hand and hand with the LGBTQ community and are guided by the economic prowess of Bernie Sanders. It simply is illogical. Unfortunately for the left, facts exist in the world and the fact of the matter is poll after poll shows that idea that only a minority of Muslims has radical beliefs is far from the truth. While not every single Muslim is a jihadist or a full-blown supporter of ISIS, which no one ever claims, a good majority have ideas that go completely against Western societies views, including feminism. The problem itself isn’t what the Quran teaches or what groups like ISIS say. The problem is rather the people who actually practice the belief outside of the terrorists. In
a country like Indonesia, the country with the most Muslims in the world, yes not all Muslims come from the Middle East, have 50% Muslims surveyed say they want strict Sharia law in all Muslim countries. In countries like Bangladesh, 66% of all Muslims surveyed they believe that honor killings were acceptable in certain circumstances. Imagine in the West if a woman cheats on a man his husband got to kill her to save his honor? Or better yet what if his daughter had
“The left must be so deep in their safe spaces that they cannot hear the cries of the women being raped in Sweden, Germany, and throughout Europe and muslims taking the credit” premarital sex, the horror, and he had the right to kill her. A majority of us in the West both left and right agree with basic human rights. A majority of right-wingers and left wingers in the left disagree with what the majority of Muslims agree with are sane legal precedents, sane law code, and sane ethics. But the right wing is not trying to destroy itself. The right wing isn’t begging for radical Muslims to come in and destroy all of the values it has created. The right wing, while opposed to PC culture and almost most ideas that the left has, does not want the execution of all those who show a little cleavage on the street. Yet radical Muslims not only want it, but actively scream it. The left must be so deep in their safe spaces that they cannot hear the cries of the women being raped in Sweden, Germany, and throughout Europe and Muslims taking the credit for it. Radical Muslims and feminism is a contradiction in terms, but then again no one has ever claimed that left wing has ever presented any ideas that aren’t contradictory in nature.
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