A Blog on McConnell Center Life

Abeer Sikder By Abeer Sikder , Class of 2014 I recently had the urge to write something controversial and divisive. I read an article about the drone war (correction: the one-sided drone war) the US is perpetuating. It put me in an uncomfortable state, and I felt the need to express my views on horrific nature of violence.  Furthermore, I hope this piece serves as a criticism of the Obama administration and America’s current foreign policy. Game of Drones (inspired by the namesake Al-Jazeera article from Feb. 16, 2013) Robots in the sky do all the dirty work Now killing is efficient – a great wartime perk. Is this actually immoral or really all the same? I mean it’s just murder, with less torture and pain. Thousands are dead, but so few complaints Do we really not care about the image this creates? As long as we’re the superpower, they can’t do a thing But if they brought their shit here, we’d kill all their kings. We wa...

Thad Williamson and Mark Mitchell By Taryn Mahanes, Class of 2013 Last week, as part of the reTHINK lecture series, the McConnell Center hosted a debate between Thad Williamson and Mark Mitchell about the search for the Humane Scale. This lecture proved to be very popular for the students and faculty of the University of Louisville as there were several classes and students doing research specific to this topic present. Neither side seemed to find much disagreement with one another. One of the ideas presented was the idea of stewardship, in which we should be focused on preserving the particulars and not the large and impossible task of saving the entire world. A popular idea among the scholars is emphasizing and protecting small communities. Mitchell mentioned that at the core of Conservatism should be conserving something, which is why conservatives should attempt to really strive for sustainability in their politics. Both sides agreed that stability on this level would protect...

Janna Imel By Janna Imel , Class of 2014 On February 14, 2013, I attended Priscilla Clapp's lecture on Burma. This lecture was particularly interesting to me since, as a McConnell Scholar, I met with Daw Aung San Suu Kyi last fall. Clapp discussed the history of Burma, as well as her predictions for the future of Burma. She labeled Burma as the “gateway between South and East Asia.” It is a place of many different cultures and languages, boasting 135 different ethnicities. Burma was a British colony for almost one hundred years and finally gained independence at the end of WWII. The country began with a Democratic Parliament government from 1948 to 1962. Around 1964, the head of the army staged a coup and overtook the government. At this point, the entire economy was nationalized and Indian and Chinese merchants were dispelled from Burma.  Clapp spoke of the 1988 rebellion and public protest. As a result of this, multiparty elections were promised to happe...

By Abeer Sikder , Class of 2014 On the night of January 23, the Center for Asian Democracy at the University of Louisville hosted Harry Wu as their annual speaker. I had the great fortune of hearing his sad and moving words about all the suffering he went through and his current human rights campaign. His speech motivated me to write a poem for him, and for all the people who have suffered and are still suffering around the world.  Laogai “Reform through labor” – that’s what they call it But the inhabitants there know its true name. Chained and suffering in this blackened pit A lifetime of death, torture, and pain. They gave us flowers for the revolution So a new socialist garden could bloom. But it grew into a vast human contusion Nothing but lies, sentenced with doom. Now, barely anyone knows the truth We cover our eyes with opaque veils. Intentionally blind to the global abuse, We waste our time on pointless trails.  He says he is...

Meghan Waters By Meghan Waters , Class of 2014 This past week I attended Dr. Daniel Tauss’ lecture about Confucianism sponsored by the University’s Center for Asian Democracy . Dr. Tauss focused mainly on Confucian ideas regarding government, particularly the importance of public opinion. As I came to find out, early China and China today look almost nothing alike, especially when it comes to government and politics. I found Tauss' discussion of the “Mandate of Heaven” or the “Will of Heaven” interesting. This was the notion that government adheres to a specific hierarchy between hea ven, the ruler, and the people.  God selects a virtuous ruler whom He deems fit to govern the people. The king rules over the people and answers to God. He also answers to the people, who serve as a check on his power. Additionally, the people have a responsibility to inform Heaven about the ruler’s performance. Under this model, the people have both the autho...

The Platonic Imagery of Mumford & Sons? by Gary L. Gregg, Ph.D. I am not someone who should ever review music, my tastes being without pattern when they exist at all.   But, my students and an old friend have recently introduced me to a very intriguing band who released their second album to great fanfare in late 2012.   Mumford & Sons, a quartet from west London who play a version of American folk rock music, have travelled the U.S. in their "Gentlemen of the Road" tour.   Last evening a friend who has gone to their concerts described them to me as full of "20-somethings who love the music and 40-60 year olds who are there pondering the deep meaning of the lyrics."   Since I am in the latter age category, I've got a few thoughts about some of their lyrics which I find full of powerful imagery and deep meaning. This week the students in my political leadership course at the University of Louisville and I discussed Plato's famous "Alleg...

Meagan Floyd and other moot court students from the McConnell Center By Meagan Floyd, Class of 2013 Upon mentioning that I am a member of a moot court team, most people respond with the classic, “Moot…meaning it doesn’t matter?”  I then respond with a standard definition that moot court is similar to mock trial, however, unlike mock trial, moot court participants do not debate guilt or innocence of a defendant but rather the constitutionality of a circuit court decision.  Every year, the American Collegiate Moot Court Association creates a fictitious constitutional debate in Olympus State. Over the past four years, through the McConnell Center's Moot Court Team , I have come to know the ACMCA characters of Chester Commorfield and William DeNolf in a variety of roles–whether the two are partners petitioning for health care and same-sex marriage, college administrators writing an affirmative action plan, or a pair of friends running an undercover drug operation. ...

oSha Shireman By oSha Shireman , Class of 2014 Last Wednesday evening, January 23, I was privileged to attend U of L’s Center for Asian Democracy ’s 2013 Lecture. Harry Wu, a human rights’ activist and former political prisoner in China, delivered a speech entitled, “In the Mouth of the Dragon: U.S. & China Relations in the 21st Century.” Wu spoke of his imprisonment in the Laogai and compared that experience to those of the gulag in the former Soviet Union. He spoke of the fear of being taken to the Laogai for no particular reason, simply for standing out in any crowd. He was intent that "Laogai" be put into the dictionary, and despite his efforts to do that through his work at the Laogai Research Foundation in Washington, DC, the Chinese government has outlawed the term “Laogai.” It was eye-opening to hear of Mr. Wu's stories: getting his arm broken for having a secret copy of Les Miserables and other gross human rights abuses of the other members of the La...

Meghan Waters By Meghan Waters Class of 2014 On January 23, the University of Louisville had the honor of hosting Mr. Harry Wu, a Chinese dissident who spent 19 years in a labor camp system known as the “laogai.” A political prisoner of the Chinese Communist party, Mr. Wu suffered extensive abuse, nearly dying from beatings, torture, and starvation. Now a free man living in the Land of the Free, Mr. Wu has dedicated his life to exposing the horrors of the Laogai System and educating the world about the serious human rights issues in China. Prior to attending Mr. Wu’s lecture, I was unaware of the Laogai System. I’m not alone: only 22 percent of the world’s population is familiar with the Laogai System; even some Chinese citizens are ignorant of it. The Chinese term “laogai” means “reform through labor.” As Mr. Wu explained, the Laogai System serves primarily to brainwash the political enemies of the Communist party. He was labeled a “counterrevolutionary,” an obstacle t...