South Texas College of Law Annotations (Houston, Tex.), Vol. 41, No. 3, Ed. 1, March, 2009 Page: 1 of 8
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Vol : XXXXI
ANNOTATIONS
\ South Texas Colicúe of I aw Student Publication
www.AnnotationsOnline.com
March 2009
I vis issue ol An not
trout ..ol .live line, and trade
Conservative is Not Synonymous With Republican
By Rob Carpenter
Editorial Writer
FiringLine@AnnotationOnline.com
Are you a Liberal or a Conservative? I am a conservative. (Let that sink in)
Some of you just winced, but even with my poor math skills I know
"Conservative" doesn't have four letters. Unfortunately, these days it may
as well be a horrible word. I am a political junkie, I like watching and
debating the issues, and I enjoy talking to others who are knowledgeable
on the different issues. I am not an expert or even the most informed. Yet,
it is important for me to look at any and all issues, think about the different
proposed solutions, and then make my OWN decision based on my OWN
beliefs. Too many people are quick to tell you what they believe but don't
have the ability to articulate why they believe it. We have lost the thirst
for knowledge that both refreshes the political system and keeps it honest.
This year a US Senator from Arizona ran for President. This year,
the Senator and Republicans lost in a landslide. This year, the Republican
Party was divided between true Conservatives and moderates posing
as Conservatives. This year, the Democrats will have large majorities
in both houses of congress. "This year", is 1964. Forty four years after
Goldwater lost the battle that set the stage for the Conservative movement
we find ourselves in the same situation. Yet, how did we get here?
The past eight years under President Bush have killed the
Conservative movement. William F. Buckley, considered the father of
modern conservative thought, agreed. "Bush is "conservative," but he is
not a "Conservative," he said and Bush was not elected "as a vessel of the
conservative faith." Buckley would distinguish between so-called "lowercase
c" and "Capital C" conservatives, the latter being True conservatives:
fiscally conservative and socially Libertarian or libertarian-leaning. This is
the definition that I use and the definition that must be reborn if it is going
to survive. We must be skeptical of politicians' promises and actions while
guarding against cynicism of the ideals they espouse. While the spirit of
ideals is willing, the flesh of human politicians is much too often weak.
The Republican Party is not the first party to forget from where they
came, who it was that sent them to Washington, or why they were sent.
Though many believe they are, Republican and Conservative are not
synonymous. When I have voted for Republicans it is because they have
shared the tenets of Conservatism. I am not a Republican, Republicans
have been Conservatives and I have voted for Conservatives. They are
no longer the torch bearer for Conservative thought. Worse, they have
perverted the name and soiled its reputation, leaving many believing
the two words carry the same meaning. I assure you, they do not. #* pj
STCL Graduate/Judge Backs Pilot
Program With His Own Time and Money
By Bob Banta
Copyright 2009 Austin American-Statesman
Reprinted with Permission
Eight men convicted of felonies are attending
pilot project classes in Judge Charlie Baird's
299th District Court.
De'Leon Atwood was hopeful as he
began the first of six classes on how to be a
good parent. "I want to learn techniques other
parents use to raise their children," the 18-year-
old father of a young son and daughter said as he
took a break from the fatherhood class Sunday in
Judge Charlie Baird's 299th District courtroom.
"Mainly, I want to learn self-control."
Atwood and his seven classmates have
good reason to finish the course successfully. All are convicted felons and
must complete the sessions to fulfill the terms of their probation or risk going
to prison. The eight men were selected by Baird as the most likely candidates
among the 1,700 offenders on probation in his court to become good fathers
despite their criminal records.
"A lot of fathers out there could use this class," said Atwood, a waste
disposal worker on probation for drug possession and burglary. "This is
going to be a good experience for me."
The judge hopes so. "Almost without fail, the young men I see in
my courtroom grew up in families without a father or male presence," Baird
said. "When I ask them where their father is, most of them tell me he's in
jail, or they say, 'I don't know.'"
Baird, who took office in January 2007, is so enthusiastic about
the project he created that he is underwriting the costs of the program with
money from his campaign and officeholder accounts. The Austin Criminal
Defense Lawyers Association is also helping out.
"This is costing Travis County nothing," Baird said. If it works,
Welcome Year of the Ox!
STCL's APALSA Celebrates
the Lunar New Year
By Paulina Harris
Staff Writer
The Lunar New Year, more
commonly known as the Chinese
New Year, often evokes images
of firecrackers popping in a fury
of smoke with a dancing dragon
contorting through a crowd. With a
large population of Asian Americans
here in Houston, the holiday has
annually been a cause for much
celebration. In the past, there have
been festive events at such locales
as the George R. Brown Convention
Center and the Viet Hoa Center,
drawing in people of all ages and
ethnicities. This year, members of
STCL's Asian Pacific American
Law Student Association (APALSA)
joined the Houston chapter of f
gatapS
Is Your Background Good
Enough to Pass the Bar's
Character & Fitness Test?
By Yolanda Bevill
Staff Writer
Imagine, if you will, spending
three years and $100,000 to obtain
a law degree only to be told that
you cannot receive your license to
practice law because the Texas Board
of Law Examiners has determined
that you do not possess good moral
character and fitness. Do not let this
nightmare happen to you. While
a negative character and fitness
assessment is unlikely (most people
receive a positive assessment) you
should still be aware of what to do to
increase the likelihood of a positive
assessment and what to do if you
have a less than stellar background.
Every first year law student
#•***
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Poronsky, Bradley L. South Texas College of Law Annotations (Houston, Tex.), Vol. 41, No. 3, Ed. 1, March, 2009, newspaper, March 2009; Houston, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth144590/m1/1/: accessed April 27, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting South Texas College of Law.