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Opinion
The Clarion \ September 18, 2019
The politics of 9/11
By Julie Carter
Opinion Editor
Last week, on the eighteenth anniversary of
the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001,
Republican members of the North Carolina
House of Representatives made a surprise
move to override Governor Roy Cooper’s veto
of the state budget. The move left many in the
state with a sour taste in their mouths after
discovering the lengths the Republicans took
in order to accomplish this.
The Democratic members of the House of
Representatives claimed that they were totally
caught off guard after House Speaker Tim
Moore called a vote to reconsider the status of
the budget as they believed the meeting was
meant to be a formality only.
Many Democrats belonging to the House of
Representatives were attending a memorial for
first responders in honor of the anniversary of
the terrorist attack eighteen years prior. Just
enough Republicans were in the room to ensure
that a vote could indeed happen. This led the
Democrats to conclude that the Republicans
had planned this all along, purposely leaving
them out in order to forward their agenda.
Essentially, Democrats believe that the
Republicans of the House utilized a 9/11
memorial to gain a political advantage over
them; and, for all intents and purposes, they’re
correct.
The Republicans of the House are old enough
to remember what happened on 9/11. They
knew full-well that the anniversary was coming
up. They knew that many people, including
the Democrats of the House and the Governor,
would be in attendance at the memorial.
Yet, they still chose to go forward with their
political agenda.
9/11 is not a day for politics. It is a day
to remember tragedy, to remember pain, to
remember those who were lost. But, here we
are, dealing with partisan political tactics. It
does not matter what party did it. Either way,
it would be morally reprehensible. If you think
this behavior reflects the American spirit at all,
you are sadly mistaken.
There is a time and place for politics.
September 11 was not it. Mourn. Grieve. Then,
move on to politics.
Have enough respect to set aside your
pettiness for one day.
Pinning
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pig and politician stories to mark this evening’s
celebration. The first had to do with the way
both paint a picture of key character strengths:
like resilience, humility, and empathy. The
second is this: the very improbability of these
two very different “success stories” speaks to
us of what is potentially the best in ourselves,”
said Bringle.
Of all the things Bringle said, she left us with
some wise parting words:
““There is now” comes to us as a hopeful
and defiant refrain from the barking pig. Here
is a closing watchword from the politician.
Abraham Lincoln once professed, “1 am a
success today because I had a friend who
believed in me and I didn't have the heart to let
him down.” Seniors, there are a lot of people
sitting at a table and in this room with you
tonight who believe in you profoundly. We
know what you have learned here, what you
have set yourselves up to keep on learning for
the rest of your lives after you graduate. We
are confident you will not let us down. And
we stand ready to applaud with enthusiasm and
pride as each of you clip-clops your rightful
way to center stage.”
After Bringle left us those inspiring words,
a student speaker was introduced. Associate
Professor of Wilderness Leadership and
Experiential Education Clyde Carter gave a
fabulous introduction to Taylor Everard, a
WLEE major. Peer Leader and Climbing Club
member.
Everard had several important points to share
with his fellow seniors as well as a reflection
on his time at Brevard.
Everard spoke about three main points.
“Always seek truth, don’t fight fire with fire
and love one another,” Everard said. He went
on to talk about what each of the points meant.
He gave examples and told anecdotes.
In closing, he challenged us all to consider
what he had presented to us and to truly try to
follow those three pieces of advice. Do what
we can to make the world a better place to live
in and be the best that we can be.
The only thing left to do after that was
the main event, the pinning of the seniors.
President Joyce led this part of the ceremony.
He first gave us some words of advice, then
made sure to mention how proud the seniors
should be that they made it to that point. He
then said for seniors to turn to the person
pinning them and tell them why we chose
them, and followed that with the pinners saying
why they were honored to have been chosen
to pin us.
The pinning involved a lot of tears, but
ultimately pride and happiness were shared
throughout all that attended the event.
Congratulations to all the seniors at Brevard
This year’s student speaker Taylor Everard addresses a crowd of his peers and their mentors. Everard’s
humility and kind nature showed in his speech, which urged listener’s to be kind to each other.