7
VOICES
NOVEMBER 15, 2 0 0 6
NEXT? will v e t o their a t t e m p t s and t h e y ' l l d a m a g e
As Howard Dean put it, "Booya!" Annika Carlson B y all m e a s u r e s , this m o n t h ' s m i d t e r m elections brought sweeping success for D e m o c r a t s : W e took the H o u s e . We t o o k the S e n a t e . W e took six g o v e r n o r s h i p s
their credibility with voters. C l o s e r to h o m e , S t a b e n o w and G r a n -
a m p l e , the fact that B u s h has only used his e x e c u t i v e v e t o p o w e r o n c e : on a bill w h i c h
possible. S i n c e a divided g o v e r n m e n t will m a k e it hard for D e m o c r a t s to a c h i e v e the
h o l m f a c e the s a m e c h a l l e n g e s — t h o u g h pressures are a d m i t t e d l y h i g h e r for t h e
e a s e d restrictions o n e m b r y o n i c s t e m cell
r e f o r m s on w h i c h they c a m p a i g n e d . D e m ocrats will h a v e t o w o r k t w i c e as hard t o
governor since Dick DeVos was a much
research. N o w that h e ' s not b a c k e d b y a R e p u b -
m a i n t a i n their integrity t o voters. T h e best w a y for D e m o c r a t s to a c h i e v e
lican legislature. Bush and his v e t o p o w e r are g o i n g to b e s e e i n g a lot m o r e o f e a c h
w h a t they p r o m i s e d v o t e r s — p a r t i c u l a r l y a p r a g m a t i c w i t h d r a w a l f r o m Iraq and m o r e
other. T h e A m e r i c a n system o f g o v e r n m e n t w a s d e s i g n e d to m o v e s l o w l y and
tougher c a n d i d a t e t o beat than M i c h a e l B o u c h a r d . In G r a n h o l m ' s case, c o n t i n u i n g to enact her j o b s plan a n d finding m o n e y in the b u d g e t t o d e v o t e t o long-term e d u cation i n v e s t m e n t are key s t e p s in p r o v i n g that her long-term vision for M i c h i g a n is
inefficiently, and with W a s h i n g t o n divided
fiscal responsibility in C o n g r e s s — i s to r e a c h across the aisle a n d w o r k with Re-
b e t w e e n t w o parties, t h a t ' s exactly w h a t ' s
p u b l i c a n s . Instead o f b u y i n g into t h e ex-
going to happen. So w h y a m 1 w o r r i e d ? Just like e v e r y
t r e m e l y partisan politics practiced in D.C. recently. D e m o c r a t s should step up a s bi-
b o l s t e r e d b y a H o u s e and S e n a t e w h i c h both had R e p u b l i c a n m a j o r i t i e s — a n d
political j u n k i e , I ' m a l r e a d y l o o k i n g a h e a d
partisan leaders, integrating c o m p r o m i s e
t o 2 0 0 8 — t h e next presidential election.
ethic reflected in the m a n y n e w l y elected
w h i l e it w a s n ' t necessarily a r u b b e r s t a m p
D e m o c r a t s w e r e h a n d e d a significant m a n date this fall, a n d if the party fails to live
into the plans they put f o r w a r d on Iraq, the e c o n o m y , education and countless other issues discussed in c a m p a i g n s this
from
R e p u b l i c a n s . Pretty m u c h a n y w a y
y o u cut it, w e w o n . In g e n e r a l , this m e a n s a lot less is g o i n g to get d o n e in Washington. D u r i n g the first six y e a r s o f B u s h ' s r e i g n , his w h i m s w e r e
for e v e r y t h i n g B u s h had in mind, a lot o f c o n s e r v a t i v e legislation w e n t t h r o u g h the s y s t e m w i t h o u t a s n a g . C o n s i d e r , f o r ex-
on track. The worst thing Democrats could do right n o w is rest on their laurels: w i n n i n g a n election should be the start o f the hard w o r k , not t h e end. I h o p e to see that w o r k D e m o c r a t s as they reach W a s h i n g t o n , D . C .
u p t o its i m a g e a s a n a g e n t for c h a n g e ,
fall. If D e m o c r a t s try t o p u s h their a g e n d a
in January. Annika is a member
w i n n i n g in ' 0 8 is g o i n g t o be n e a r l y i m -
t h r o u g h b y f o r c e a n d political g a m e s . B u s h
crats.
Liberal tsunami
ple to D e m o c r a t i c state leaders in Lansing. M o r e o v e r , R e p u b l i c a n s m u s t m a k e the
D e m o c r a t s w h e n there are n o R e p u b l i c a n s
of the Hope Demo-
m o s t o f and s h o w c a s e their s u c c e s s in the
in p o w e r to u n i t e against? D u r i n g the n e x t t w o years, the D e m o c r a t i c Party will h a v e
ing from t h e state's e c o n o m i c a s h e s is S e n .
places w h e r e they r e m a i n in c o n t r o l . As the
the o p p o r t u n i t y to explain h o w they plan
D e b b i e S t a b e n o w . R i d i n g the w a v e o f her s u c c e s s f u l b i d to r e n a m e a Detroit federal
j o u r n e y to 2 0 0 8 begins, be c a r e f u l not to b e " b l o w n a w a y " by m y r i a d m o v i n g v a n s
to put their rhetoric into practice. R e p u b -
b u i l d i n g , t h e i n c u m b e n t S e n a t o r n o w has
destined for locales o u t s i d e o f D e m o c r a t i -
licans s h o u l d be interested in D e m o c r a t i c plans for e d u c a t i o n , health care. Social Se-
a n o t h e r six years to p r o v e her passion for
cally restrained M i c h i g a n . A t the national level, the A m e r i c a n
curity a n d the w a r in Iraq. R e p u b l i c a n s m u s t be willing to w o r k to-
p e o p l e h a v e given a clear m a n d a t e for
o n c e again b e e n relegated to local control
everything "not Republican."
A c r o s s the
w a r d bipartisan solutions to the p r o b l e m s the nation will c o n t i n u e to f a c e . T h e D e m -
in the bulk o f W e s t M i c h i g a n .
F r o m this
nation, t h e b i g g e s t n e w j o b loss c a t e g o r y
ocrats h a v e lived as the m i n o r i t y voice, and
position, h o w e v e r , the c o n s e r v a t i v e s h a v e the o p p o r t u n i t y t o b o l s t e r the s t a t e ' s e c o -
is n o t M i c h i g a n m a n u f a c t u r i n g j o b s , but the R e p u b l i c a n r e p r e s e n t a t i v e s , s e n a t o r s
R e p u b l i c a n s m u s t learn to do the s a m e . With the D e m o c r a t s ' e l e v a t e d status in
Last T u e s d a y , voters in the state o f M i c h i g a n e x p r e s s e d their b e l i e f in Gov.
nomic standing through the m e d i u m s of private enterprise a n d u r b a n g r o w t h . In
a n d g o v e r n o r s w h o w e r e p i n k - s l i p p e d last
the S e n a t e and H o u s e o f R e p r e s e n t a t i v e s ,
G r a n h o l m despite the state's b e l e a g u e r e d i m a g e s t e m m i n g f r o m h e r policies. As
c o n j u n c t i o n with t h e D e m o c r a t i c - c o n trolled state g o v e r n m e n t . R e p u b l i c a n lead-
T u e s d a y . Clearly, A m e r i c a n s w a n t c h a n g e — a n idea that D e m o c r a t s rallied around
they n o w h a v e t h e o p p o r t u n i t y to p r o v e that they are d e s e r v i n g o f the p r e s i d e n c y in 2 0 0 8 . K e e p this in m i n d w h e n p r o b l e m s
j o b s c o n t i n u e to flow o u t o f M i c h i g a n and
ers s h o u l d strive t o b o o s t M i c h i g a n cities
this election. Democratic campaigns were based on
g r a d u a t e s are left with f e w e r o p t i o n s t o r e m a i n in the state, G r a n h o l m m u s t f a c e
b y p a s s i n g fiscally c o n s e r v a t i v e p o l i c i e s on t h e local level. W h e n s u c c e s s f u l , this
the task o f r e v e r s i n g this trend. A l s o ris-
policy c a n and should b e used as a n e x a m -
Sarah Baumgartner
Curt Aardema
*
Michigan. T h e R e p u b l i c a n Party in M i c h i g a n has
arise d u r i n g t h e next t w o years.
an a n t i - R e p u b l i c a n p l a t f o r m , cleverly c o n Curt
structed b y the D e m o c r a t i c N a t i o n a l C o m mittee. But will this p l a t f o r m sustain t h e
the lives o f Palestinians. T h e wall starts n o r t h o f the West B a n k and
In light o f recent activities concerning Palestine questions arising from
and the
g o e s a l o n g a " z i g z a g " line inside t h e Palestinian territory, e n g u l f i n g illegal
Israeli
settlements
(that
e n c a p s u l a t e s m o r e than 4 million Palestinians in 13 percent o f the
T h e r e are o t h e r s c o n s e q u e n c e s to
4 2 percent o f the West B a n k ; in
relevant are these. T h i s wall h a s b e e n d e e m e d
other w o r d s , it is the w o r l d ' s largest c o n c e n t r a t i o n c a m p w i t h
in u l t i m a t e disgust to a F r e n c h minister, I h a v e d e c i d e d to w r i t e
land) on its w a y b e f o r e g o i n g o n to e n g u l f s o m e e n v i r o n m e n t a l
s q u a r e mile. It is s u p p o s e d t o h a v e d o o r s
this brief letter to p u s h f o r w a r d the a w a r e n e s s a b o u t the apartheid
resources
and
to let Palestinians o u t ; h o w e v e r ,
agricultural lands) and c o n t i n u e s until it r e a c h e s J e r u s a l e m b e f o r e
their w o r k t i m e s are not defined and permission to pass through
wall b e i n g built in Palestine. F o r the last five years, t h e
density
g o i n g o n d o w n t o the south o f the
these d o o r s w o u l d require 3 t o 5
b u i l d i n g a 4 0 0 - m i l e wall a r o u n d
West B a n k . In J e r u s a l e m , it g o e s around
y e a r s o f p a p e r w o r k , e v e n if it is t o g o out a n d talk with y o u r f a t h e r
the
and
local n e i g h b o r h o o d s and a n n e x e s
w h o is s o m e w h e r e else in this
stealing 50 percent o f the land for its o w n benefit. W h i l e d o i n g s o
m o r e land. In d o i n g so, they d o
world. T h e e f f e c t s o f this wall are
terrorist state o f Israel has b e e n West
Bank,
annexing
without a n y r e m o r s e or s y m p a t h y , they destroyed h o u s e s , b u i l d i n g s and v i l l a g e s to build this w a l l ; a n y t h i n g on its path h a s b e e n d e s t r o y e d and leveled. The wall is b e i n g built a c c o r d i n g to w e l l - o r g a n i z e d p l a n s that benefit Israelis, a n d destroy
not care if your o f f i c e and h o u s e are f o u n d o n the s a m e side o f the wall or not, l e a v i n g m o s t o f the Palestinian p o p u l a t i o n in h u g e residential p r o b l e m s . T h e wall d o e s t h e s a m e with H e b r o n , w h i l e it b e s i e g e s B e t h l e h e m from t h e rest o f the w o r l d . So, in t h e end,
the
wall
lethal
and
devastating;
lost
agricultural fields are leading to increased poverty rates, w o r k e r s not a b l e to travel t o their w o r k p l a c e s is l e a d i n g t o huge unemployment
rates, and
students n o t able to c o m m u t e is t h r e a t e n i n g their e d u c a t i o n .
of the
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ANCHOR
h a v e b e e n acting in vain side b y side with the n a t i o n s o f the w o r l d to
T H E ANCHOR is n o w
s t o p this a t r o c i o u s terrorist
behavior. H o w e v e r , it is a l m o s t finished a n d no one can s t o p it or
cepting
is talking a b o u t it. You t h o u g h t t h e Berlin Wall w a s bad; this is e v e n w o r s e — 2 5
Manager
f e e t high and
5 f e e t o f thick
concrete. I e n c o u r a g e y o u t o h e l p us fight b a c k this wall b y b e c o m i n g more
aware
and
using
your
for
the
2007 semester.
for
Spring
T h i s is a
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send
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anchor@hope.edu on
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George-Philip Khoury ('09)
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members
illegal by the International C o u r t T h e U N a n d m a n y other g r o u p s
are o c c u p y i n g P a l e s t i n i a n - o w n e d
wdlls
world
o f Justice, the E U a n d the U.S.
Hope College community, and
(water
highest
are
this wall, but the m o s t direct a n d
per
the
Sarah
Hope Republicans.
Israel's security wall illegal, 'destroys' Palestinian lives To the Editor:
and
liable for p a y m e n t
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