Letter from the Chairman: "Show Solidarity with Rebecca's Family"

Fellow Raven Republicans and all Ravens,

Yesterday morning our Benedictine Family lost a young member in a very tragic way. Freshman Rebecca Lueke died in a car accident in a crossover collision on her way back to campus. No doubt many of you have already heard of the terrible news, but I would like to highlight some aspects I’m learning as I read about her. I never met Rebecca, but perhaps I should have.

• She was here at Benedictine College on a scholarship for basketball; she cared for her body and enjoyed the vigor of hard work.
• She was the captain of her basketball team in high school; to at least her coach, she showed leadership, a quality of a true Raven.
• According to her high school, St. Teresa’s Academy, she was “an absolute gift to both her school and parish communities.” Her parish involvement shows a passion for her faith.
• As one report said her organs will be donated to others; she wanted to serve others beyond her own life.

I have no authority to speak on her life, but it seems to me that Rebecca was an incredible person who loved life. It is not easy for a family or community of any size to suffer the loss of a loved one. Her family, teammates, and friends will no doubt mourn her death the most. At the same time we as fellow Ravens also grieve. I was especially struck while watching the news report on her accident. There was a moment when the camera focused in on a police officer carrying what appeared to be a backpack; it was at this moment I realized a sudden loss. This was no impersonal statistic to be analyzed; this was a young woman going back to school from home to complete her final exams.

I do not mean to intentionally draw emotions from you—the event itself will do that enough. But I do want to show some solidarity with my Raven Family and with Rebecca’s loved ones. There seems no answer to the question of “why.” There seems no apparent reason behind this seemingly senseless loss of life. Anger, confusion, and downright depression are present.

This, though, is not forever. With help from family and friends we can come to be more at ease with death. No, time does not necessarily heal; there will be moments that we will be overshadowed with sorrow. But time and love DO win the war against our loss. With fervent prayer and community our losses become our understanding that our loved ones are gifts. Now, Benedictine, is the time we begin to understand. Yes, we must first mourn: “Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.” Pope Francis says to let the tears of our sadness flow. “All of us have felt joy, sadness and sorrow in our lives, but have we wept during the darkest moment? Have we had that gift of tears that prepare the eyes to look, to see the Lord?"

I encourage all of you to draw from this tragedy a renewed vision of life, to see the Lord. See the good and the Truth, and find value in everything. Call your family and say that you love them, or miss them, or just hello. Mourn and then rejoice, for God looks forward to comforting you. Today is when we gain a new understanding of our school’s motto: Forward. Always Forward. Everywhere Forward. Keep moving forward in Christ.

One way is to pray and show whatever support we can to Rebecca’s family. Attached is a card with a short prayer for Rebecca and her family. There is space as well for a small note and your name. I encourage you to print it, fill it out, and return it to myself, the other executive members, or the SGA office in the Upper Student Union. To my fellow Raven Republicans: this is especially a time where we enact our belief of family and community as the central building block of society. Take five minutes to show, in a small way, your love for a Raven.

Thank you, everyone, for taking time to be mindful of life. It is so precious and dear. May God bless you all, and may God comfort Rebecca and her family.

For the repose of the soul of Rebecca Lueke. Eternal rest grant unto her, O Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon her. May the souls of the all the faithful departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace. Amen.

Heartily,

Stanton Skerjanec, BCR Chairman

Prayer Card here: https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B81V6OuE_-6WRnpDQ3hfaHNVVkk/edit?usp=sharing

The President's Christmas Card

Many legitimate criticisms are made of our current President, but some are bizarrely petty.  For example, in 2011, Todd Starnes of Fox News Radio condemned the Obama's Christmas card design in a blog post titled No Christmas in White House Holiday Card.  (This happened two years ago, but it's Christmas card season, and that makes it topical.)  He reported ominously that the card features First Dog Bo and poinsettias but no Christmas tree. Sarah Palin offered her opinion,

“It’s odd,” she said, wondering why the president’s Christmas card highlights his dog instead of traditions like “family, faith and freedom.” Palin said the majority of Americans can appreciate the more traditional, “American foundational values illustrated and displayed on Christmas cards and on a Christmas tree.”

Palin may find the card odd, but I find it odd to associate "American foundational values" with something that withers and dies in our living room.

This was the offending Christmas Card:

I don't know about you, but I like this card.  The room looks cozy and the poinsettias and the evergreen on the mantle certainly indicate that it is a Christmas card.  I have no problem with highlighting Bo.  I like Bo.  He is the only member of the Obama household that would happy to see me if I showed up unannounced in the White House living quarters.  Sure it would be nice if the card included something religious, but I rather doubt that a non-religious Christmas card is an affront to God.  Pick your battles and leave Bo alone.

Crossposted on Button's Blog

Free Courses on Liberty!

The Cato institute is offering 12 free audio programs on the foundations of liberty.  Though the Cato institute is a libertarian organization, they promote intellectually rigorous and valuable ideas that any conservative can appreciate.  Check it out! 

Link: Free Audio Courses

Obamacare Holloween

Uncle Sam is all tricks and no treats.

Government Shutdown

by David St. Hilaire

Government Shutdown Our country is going through a very...shall we say....interesting time. Apparently the government is "shutdown".  But who can tell? I definitely haven't noticed anything. We're still getting the mail, the troops are still in the field, and our Congressmen are still getting their paychecks.  Oh right, but all the National Parks are shut down, 80 year old WWII veterans were arrested for trying to visit their own monument, and a bunch of .gov websites are shut down (because we all know how terribly expensive it is to keep a website running).  Probably the biggest effect of the shutdown is the furloughing of 800,000 "non-essential" government workers (Good grief, we have that many non-essential government employees? Talk about big government...).  In my opinion, it seems wrong to shut down our parks and monuments but still pay Congress and the President.

So, whose fault is all of this?  Obama is blaming Congress -- specifically the Republicans in Congress.  The front page of whitehouse.gov says, "Because Congress did not fulfill its responsibility to pass a budget, much of the federal government is shut down."  The GOP is blaming Obama, Harry Reid and company.  However, the House is passing bill after bill to fund the government, giving in to the Dems on many issues, but the Democrat-controlled Senate won't budge, or so it seems.  How 'bout a little compromise here, guys?  Anyone?  And I'm not just talking to the Democrats.  Both sides need to come together and work something out. 

In the words of Dr. Kessler, according to the liberal media, "the sky is falling" and its all the GOP's fault.  Since the media always tells the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth, I guess it must be true.  Seriously though, as much as I hate the word, Congress (both parties) has to make some serious compromises, or nothing is ever going to get done.  Maybe the Boehner and the GOP need to allow the debt ceiling to be raised (yet again), and maybe Obama, Reid and the Dems should consider delaying the funding of Obamacare.  Just a thought.  What do you think?  Leave a comment below.

David St. Hilaire is the Vice-Chairman of the Benedictine College Republicans
Read his blog here: Patriot on the Plains

The Liberal Advantage

Conservatives are better at some things, and liberals are better at others.  For example, conservatives are better at target shooting, and liberals are better at appreciating bad art.  Unfortunately, the ability to effectively articulate one's political philosophy is an area where liberals have an advantage.  The reason for this is simply, simplicity.

Someone who restricts his reading to the Huffington Post might think that liberalism is a nuanced and complex philosophy, and that conservatism is nothing more than a primitive instinctual reaction to a changing world.  Like much of what one reads on HuffPo, this is not entirely accurate in the sense of being true.  Though there are plenty of complex debates between liberal technocrats about how to best apply their ideology, that ideology is actually quite simple. 

Conservatives refer to multiple "first principles" but liberals need look only to a single first principle, the principle of equality.  Russel Kirk attempted to summarize conservatism in "Ten Principles," but the liberal ethos was adequately defined in three words by John Rawls, who preached, "Justice as Fairness."  Chesterton's description of Islam as a "simple faith for simple men," is applicable to liberal egalitarianism.  This does not mean that Muslims and liberals are stupid people, but that their belief is straightforward and easy to articulate. 

When liberals talk about the need for an equal society, they sound convincing because their rhetoric comes directly from their basic principle.  When conservative politicians try to articulate their philosophy, they tend to sound uninspiring at best, and foolish at worst.  Many politicians don't want  to make the effort to thoroughly examine political ideas, and conservative ideas require more effort.  Even those conservatives who have thought deeply about their principles can struggle to communicate them because the depth of conservative thought makes it difficult to express in a soundbite.  Instead of a genuine explanation of conservative ideas, the public is treated to vague assertions about American exceptionalism and the value of a free market.

What is the solution?  I don't know; I'm a blogger, not a rhetorician.  However, I do recommend that politicians and voters alike, whatever their political persuasion, truly educate themselves about conservatism .  An education in conservatism can begin over the internet.  Check out the Russel Kirk Center and the Intercollegiate Studies Institute for stimulating conservative thought.

Crossposted on Button's Blog

Welcome!

Happy Friday, fellow Partiers,

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