Inside
“The Law of Mother Earth”
Nation & World, page 11
Vol. # 94, Issue # 21
May 9, 2011
DREAM passes first hurdle
Editorial
Bin Laden’s death marks end of era, call to humanity By NIC CABLE
cate for the DREAM Act. Downstairs on the first floor of the capitol, a mariachi band played a celebratory song to a surrounding crowd that followed by chanting, “Si se puedo!” While awaiting the senate vote in the gallery, DREAM Act supporters received news that Governor Quinn opted Illinois out of Secure Communities, a deportation program that relies on cooperation between law enforcement agencies and operates under the management of the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Illinois is the first state to opt out of the program. Delgado, a champion of the Illinois DREAM Act, said after the vote, “The significance is that Illinois is finally listening and that
Late at night on Sunday, May 1, a text message notified me to turn on the news, if I wasn’t already watching it. So, I did. In bold type, which I assume Photo courtesy of the many will never Associated Press forget, the headOsama Bin Laden line read, “Bin Laden is Dead.” I froze, took a double take, and then it hit me: an era was over. This era was the narrative of terrorism as symbolized through the face of Osama bin Laden throughout the past couple decades. My immediate feeling was disbelief, and then it rushed over me; the memory of my seventh grade social studies class with Ms. Goodwin watching the news with my fellows students; the memory of sitting on my neighbor’s stoop that night over a lit candle, asking the hard questions and thinking about the even more difficult answers to the days events; memories of war and death followed, hitting me in the face with blood and screams of agony; all of these memories washed over me like an ice cold shower of suppressed pain. However, what was worse than that immediate reflection to that headline was a new memory that will haunt me even more for the rest of my life. Cheers, celebration and singing were the reactions by Americans as the news broke of bin
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Photo by Joe Ruppel
DREAM Act supporters celebrate outside the senate chamber after the DREAM Act passed with bipartisan support, 45-11. By JOE RUPPEL A warning from the senate gallery doorkeeper to hold applause couldn’t stop DREAM Act supporters from a rowdy gallery ovation as SB 2185 passed the Illinois Senate Wednesday. Almost 500 DREAM Act advocates travelled from Chicago to Springfield to show their support for the bill and witness the vote on May 4. Senators who fought for the bill left their seats and hugged one another after the bill passed with bipartisan support, 45 to 11 with three no-votes. Senator William Delgado blew a kiss to the supporters in the gallery, that included DePaul students Ross Richmond and Claudia Guzman, who travelled to Springfield to advo-
Concealed carry bill shot down in Illinois House
By TIFFANY BONCAN
The Illinois House of Representatives rejected the concealed carry bill on Thursday, although a House committee passed the bill on Tuesday. It only received 65 of the 71 votes it needed to pass. Thirty-two lawmakers voted against it. Had this bill become a law, it would have allowed Illinois residents to carry weapons on or near their person out of plain sight, provided they have secured a Concealed Carry Weapons permit and have gone through proper training. Supporters of this bill remind the opposition that it is an American’s constitutional right to bear arms. Illinois is one of the last states to possibly grant that right, as far as it pertains to concealed carry, to its citizens. Every other state, except Wisconsin, permits its residents to carry weapons, or have may-issue policies, where applicants must go though a long process to carry a firearm. What does this mean for DePaul students? DePaul safety policies state students may not carry weapons on campus. But by attending university in the heart of this city, students would have been among people who may be carrying concealed weapons, had this bill passed.
Students voiced opinions both for and against concealed carry. Graham Gilreath, a DePaul sophomore and Student Life worker, said that if this law were carried out correctly and safely, the possession of concealed weapons could add to the overall protection of the population. Students involved in school shootings like what happened at Virginia Tech and Northern Illinois University have said that if they had been armed, they would have shot back, and protected themselves. They could have added to the protection of the university population. “I think people can and will be responsible in most cases,” Laura Jo Clanton, a DePaul graduate student, said. “But they should be tested regularly for the judgment, ability, and stability.” She believes that everyone should be legally allowed to carry a gun, if they pass the proper licensing tests, training, and are mentally and emotionally capable of owning a weapon and using it solely for protection. Clanton also suggested it would be a good idea for owners to be retested every year. Life-long Chicago resident and DePaul graduate student
Graphic courtesy of MCT Wire Service
Rhonda Alexander wholeheartedly disagrees with the passing of this bill. “It’s a recipe for disaster,” Alexander said. She explained that the news is so filled with reports of violence resulting in serious injury, stemming from trivial
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