4 october 14, 2015
dailyorange.com opinion@dailyorange.com
conservative
Republican Party must stay focused amid the race for speaker
T
he Republican Party needs to grand ol’ prioritize right now. The Internet exploded with rumors last week buzzing that House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Rep. Paul Ryan (R-WI) would be the GOP’s preferred candidate for speaker. This idea began to circulate shortly after Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) dropped out of the race, which was allegedly caused by a fabricated report that he and Rep. Renee Ellmers (R-NC) were having an affair. Meanwhile, there have been a series of hearings regarding the investigation of Planned Parenthood, in addition to continued discussion of the activities of the Select Committee on Benghazi. It’s clear that there’s a lot going on in Congress right now. But what Republican members might not realize is that if they select a strong leader into the speakership, they will be able to tackle all of these issues in a timely, organized and professional manner. Having a resilient party leader is essential for the GOP at this time, as talks of them going into turmoil have been dominating headlines. Party leaders have been divided on who the next speaker should be, which does not help
VANESSA SALMAN
THE GOPARTIER the cause at all. The House Freedom Caucus, which is comprised of some 40 far-right winged members, formally endorsed Rep. Daniel Webster (R-WV) rather than backing the then-preferred candidate, McCarthy. Although members have a right to believe whatever they want and to partake in congressional membership organizations, factions such as the Freedom Caucus need to learn how to compromise in order to mend tensions within the party. It’s understood that this caucus, along with many far-right citizens, did not want McCarthy to be the preferred candidate; however, electing a far-right Speaker of the House is not feasible. Back in the 113th congressional session, there was an election for speaker, and far-right interest groups and citizens were pushing for Rep. Raúl Labrador (R-ID) and Rep. Louie Gohmert (R-TX) to replace John Boehner (R-OH). More than one year later, the far right
is playing the same games, and is still losing. Despite Ryan stating that he would not be seeking the speakership, it was rumored that incumbent Speaker Boehner personally asked him to step up to the task. While the former vice presidential hopeful has proven capable of leading his party, he’s not the only person qualified for the job. Rising GOP star House Republican Conference Chairwoman Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-WA) has proven that she is capable of leading with her push to incorporate modern ideas into the party’s agenda, as seen in her blog post “How technology can change the way congress approaches policymaking.” If the party is seeking a leader that understands the needs of the people, and the party, McMorris Rodgers may be that candidate. It’s bad enough the party is already failing in the public relations department at the moment, thanks to presidential hopefuls Donald Trump and Ben Carson, but now the party looks absolutely dazed and confused. Members of Congress have many jobs and tasks to uphold during their tenure in office, but it is important that they prioritize said duties. In
working to elect a strong speaker, the party can successfully work through uniting this ultra-polarized group of leaders. They have the ability to make a positive impact on their country and can only do so if they work together, as a unified GOP. Vanessa Salman is a junior political science major. Her column appears weekly. She can be reached at vksalman@syr.edu and followed on Twitter @VanessaSalman.
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student life
‘(In)Justice For All’ should include more diversity of opinions
P
olice brutality in the United States is not a “black issue,” it’s an American one. It’s also about to be a bigger discussion on the Syracuse University campus.
On Oct. 28, the National Pan Hellenic Council (NPHC) of Syracuse University is hosting a panel featuring the mothers of two children whose deaths sparked the Black Lives
Destiny USA
ZHANÉ SOUTER
DO I REALLY HAVE TO GRADUATE?
Matter movement — Trayvon Martin and Michael Brown. In addition to the mothers, the panel features a prominent black lawyer, Benjamin Crump, and two black journalists, Sunny Hostin and Fredricka Whitfield. The panel is sponsored and moderated by members of the NPHC, a council comprised of nine black Greek organizations. Department of Public Safety Chief Robert Maldonado will also be in attendance. There is a wealth of racial minority presence on the panel, but virtually no diversity. Syracuse University students need a racially diverse panel to get a well-rounded discussion of police brutality. A discussion featuring an almost entirely black cast speaking on a topic widely considered to be a “black issue” does not present an ideal environment for multifaceted discussion. It is not controversial to say that black people believe black lives matter. The panel must include the opinions of officials that have made statements and legal decisions exonerating the killers of black men in the United States for diversity. Nina Rodgers, Vice President of the NPHC and moderator of the event, said there weren’t offers made to other panelists. “NPHC did think about other speakers ... but once this particular group of individuals was thought of, there was no deviation from that,” said Rodgers, a former columnist for The Daily Orange. It would be unnecessarily cruel to have figures like Neil Bruntrager, the lawyer who defended Darren Wilson, the officer who killed Michael Brown, on the same stage as Brown’s mother. But this panel needs input from people like Bruntrager for truly diverse discussion. Lesley McSpadden and Sybrina Fulton,
the mothers of victims Michael Brown and Trayvon Martin, respectively, are not experts on the legal, political and socioeconomic reasons that led to the deaths of their sons. Their proximity to this conflict does not make them authorities — it makes them living victims. Rodgers said she believes it’s necessary to have the mothers present to hear their stories firsthand. “We see them on the news and read about them online, but having a personal interaction with them will hopefully help those in attendance to better understand how life has been for them since losing their sons,” said Rodgers. News media outlets that sensationalize police brutality have thrust these mothers into a sort of “Dead Sons Club,” which is predatory and frankly disgusting. It groups these women together because their sons have been killed without any acknowledgement of the different circumstances in each case; Trayvon Martin’s killer was not even a police officer. When news outlets put these women into the spotlight because of what they have experienced, they are forced into a position that makes them justify why their sons deserved to live — a position no mother should ever be in, let alone on a global stage. A panel on police brutality is a discussion SU needs to have, but it should also include all members of its community with a racially diverse cast. This panel needs the input of officials on both sides of this conflict for an educational discussion, but should not include the firsthand stories of the mothers. News media outlets have already forced these women to continuously relive the worst experience of their lives and SU should not perpetuate this type of cruelty on campus. Zhané Souter is a senior broadcast journalism major and forensic science minor. Her column appears weekly. She can be reached at zisouter@syr.edu and followed on Twitter @zhanesouter.