Horowitz’s speech having an effect on campus
On Sept. 30 Metro State students organized a press conference in response to the presence on our campus of racist political bulldog, David Horowitz.

Student Body President Felicia Woodson spoke at the press conference as an impassioned student, concerned that Horowitz’s rhetoric could be used to silence outspoken individuals. Unfortunately, it turns out her suspicions were right on.

A cell of extreme right wing activists have organized themselves under the banner of the College Republicans and are currently pushing the Horowitz plan. This group, headed by student George Culpepper has its agenda set by an outside national council. Culpepper, under the order of his minders, has targeted Woodson for speaking up. Culpepper is campaigning to have Woodson removed from office, a position she was elected to because of her passionate political views. Culpepper’s charge against Woodson: he doesn’t feel that Woodson’s views represent his own. Perhaps someone should remind Mr. Culpepper that is how American politics work, there are winners and there are losers. You can bet that if this group isn’t able to get Woodson removed they’ll attempt to hold a recall on campus. Yes, yes, a little bout of Republican recall fever, right here at Metro. It is like a law of the universe, if conservatives can’t win a political contest fair and square, they will try and steal it. This is quickly becoming their sweetheart tactic.

Woodson is only the first individual to be targeted by the College Republicans. The Republican Youth will not stop at punishing Woodson. There will be others. This Group represents a minority of well-funded ideological thugs but they are only as dangerous as we let them be. We as a conscientious campus need to resist their extreme agenda at every turn and must start by rallying our support behind Felicia Woodson.

Wishes of peace,
M. Christian Stone

Cooling off with Syria
In Justin Breuer’s October 9, 2003 column entitled “The Fault of a Preemptive Defense Policy” he states, “Israel executed a preemptive strike against Syria, targeting an alleged terrorist training camp for the Palestinian group Hamas.” I question Mr. Breuer’s use of the word “preemptive” since only hours before the strike 20 Israelis were intentionally murdered, including several children, by a female Palestinian suicide bomber at a restaurant in Haifa, Israel. It was the terrorist group Islamic Jihad that claimed responsibility this time, not Hamas. Islamic Jihad’s objective has nothing to do with the disputed territories of the West Bank and Gaza Strip. Its goal is to annihilate Israel and replace it with a Taliban-style Islamic theocracy. Israel retaliated by bombing the Ayn Tzahab terrorist training camp in Syria that was used by a number of terrorist organizations, including Islamic Jihad and Hamas. Currently, it remains unclear what the strategic ramifications might be of Israel’s surgical air strike.

One thing that is clear, however, is that the United States was planning on toughening its relations with Syria long before the Israeli air strike on Oct. 5, 2003. This planning recently emerged with the reintroduction of the Syria Accountability Act that would impose tough sanctions on Syria. On Oct. 8, 2003 the House International Relations Committee approved the Syria Accountability Act that would cut off trade, downgrade diplomatic relations, and disallow U.S. investment in Syria. The full house is expected to vote on the bill soon.

Syria continues to be one of the world’s leading sponsors of international terrorism and has done little to prevent Syrian fighters from infiltrating into Iraq to kill Americans. They provide support and safe haven to terrorist groups, including Hezbollah, who prior to 9/11 took more American lives than al Qaeda. Syria continues to development weapons of mass destruction, primarily chemical and biological weapons. It illegally occupies the sovereign country of Lebanon with over 20,000 troops.

Mr. Breuer suggests that the United States engage Syria more through diplomacy, but with Syria entering its 25th year being on the State Department’s list of states that sponsor terrorism, and the reemergence of the Syria Accountability Act in congress, it’s doubtful relations with Syria will be warming anytime soon.

Davette Zinik
Auraria Library