[Peace-discuss] Dunn article

[illyes at uiuc.edu]

I found the illini pundit article by Robert Dunn with help from Wendy. To you Robert, save yourself some time and leave AWARE out of this. Many of our most active members are Christian. Republicans are alive and well in the county, but are often as disgusted by the corruption and lies of the Bush administration as liberals. We do not represent the left, but the mainstream. The problem is not Republicans, it is neocons. They are enemies of the Republic and of the founders, not just of liberals. They are your enemies too.

Here is the letter, folks:

I have recently moved back to Champaign-Urbana from a 4 year hiatus in Southern California. I noticed that what is lacking and may be one of the reasons behind the GOP loosing traction in Champaign County is that there is not an organized grassroots effort independent of the parties that can put pressure on governmental units. I am a convert and have been involved on the other side. I helped get several far-leftist onto the Urbana City Council. As a smoker, (trying to quit) i feel responsible for the smoking ban in Urbana.

How the Left won in 2000, and how they were able to chase out the reasonable Democrats and lurch the Urbana City Council further to the Left was due to organizations at the grassroots.

We can't just rely on our party central committee to do the work for us. If it was not for radical groups like AWARE, the UCIMC, and others, Laurel Prussing would not be mayor of Urbana, the Democrats would have not gained control of the County Board, and Naomi Jacobsson would have to waste her own money instead of taxpayer dollars.

Where are the rights equivalents to AWARE, the UCIMC and other Leftist groups in the CU community? Where was the opposition to the "Anti-war referendum" at the Township levels? Why is there not a contingent of people on the opposite side of Main Street in Champaign when AWARE demonstrates against our troops?

What should happen is local conservative residents of the CU/Champaign County area needs to team up with campus groups like the College/Young Republicans, the Orange and Blue Observer to network and bring back the conservative silent majority. We are not silent when it came to our defense of the honored Chief Illiniwek, however, when our troops are being dishonored by Carl Estabrooks and other radical elites, where is the noise?