Monday, April 15, 2013

Congressman Joe Garcia, A.B. '87 and JD '91, Speaks at UM on "U.S.-Israel Relationship"


Law students and university student leaders recently attended a reception with the first Cuban American Democrat to represent South Florida in Congress, Joe Garcia, about the importance of the U.S.-Israel relationship.

Garcia, no stranger to the University of Miami, graduated from the university, A.B. ’87, and Miami Law, JD ’91. The son of Cuban refugee parents, Garcia was appointed to the Florida Public Service Commission, an agency which regulated utilities, after law school and in 2000 was named executive director of the Cuban American National Foundation, where he advocated for human rights in Cuba and Latin America. In 2009, he was appointed by President Obama as a director in the Department of Energy’s initiative to lower energy costs for families. In 2012, after two unsuccessful campaigns in 2008 and 2010, Garcia won the election against incumbent David Rivera in the newly created 26th congressional district.

 Michael Levine, 3L, Lia Calabro, 2L, Rafael Yaniz, 1L (and American Israel Public Affairs Committee activist), Dean William VanderWyden, Congressman Joe Garcia (UM Law '91), Director Joanne Harvest Koren, Dean Janet Stearns, Kevin Yombor, 2L (and American Bar Association Student Representative), Brendan Corrigan, 2L, and Joseph Sternberg, 3L (and outgoing President of the Cardozo Jewish Legal Society)


Hosted by the University of Miami Hillel, Canes for Israel, and the Cardozo Jewish Legal Society,
Garcia discussed how the Cuban community strongly identifies with Israel’s exile and the Jewish diaspora story while Israel identifies with the Cuban liberty movement. He has travelled to Israel twice and plans to return this summer.

“I love Israel – I’m going again this August. It has a rare vibrancy, a place of the here and now. It’s a dynamic society that’s on the cutting edge of so many things. I look forward to being back and, unlike some of my colleagues, I will not be skinny-dipping in the Sea of Galilee,” said Garcia, referencing the faux pas by Republic lawmakers and staff in 2011.

Garcia expressed his concerns over the conflicts in Egypt, Iran and Syria, as well as his support for the Iron Dome Missile Defense Fund, a U.S. funded military technology system designed to track an incoming missile’s trajectory, alerts humans and deploys an intercepting missile to stop the attack.

“I support the Iron Dome. What we’ve done is develop a strategic alliance with Israel,” said Garcia. “Israel is one of the few powers in the world that can buy almost anything off our shelf. This means jobs in America, but most importantly, it helps us combine our newest technology with Israel, which allows us to better protect Americans in the long term, while helping stabilize a key player in the region.”  

Rafael Yaniz, 1L, a non-Jewish Cuban-American Roman Catholic and pro-Israel activist with the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC), led the discussion with Garcia. Yaniz strongly identifies with the Jewish community, saying, “the story of a people exiled from their homeland is not new to me.” He has visited Israel three times and has lobbied the U.S. Congress to fund the successful Iron Dome project in light of the rocket attacks against Israel.

“When those sirens go off, you have 15 seconds to find cover – sometimes less,” said Yaniz referring to incoming rockets.  “You’ll hear the explosions and not know if your neighbor or family member died because of it. Playgrounds have bomb shelters under the caterpillars so kids can run under it instead of running into a building. It is brutal terror that has caused post-traumatic stress disorder rates to skyrocket in the communities of southern Israel.”

Roiy Frenkel, the Israel Fellow and Director of Israel Programs at the UM Hillel, served as a commanding officer in Israel’s military for four years. Originally from Shoham, Israel, a town halfway between Tel-Aviv and Jerusalem, Frenkel serves as an emissary for Israel to the U.S., talking with students about Israel’s history and explaining the conflict in the area.

“What’s many Americans don’t understand is that this is a border war. I’m not crossing 30,000 miles - I’m crossing the border. It’s literally in my backyard,” said Frenkel. A half Arab with family from Tunisia and Romania, Frenkel attributes the conflict to a long history of betrayal and the radicalization of Muslim children. “In their schools, they’re taught to hate us. My father never taught me that,” said Frenkel. “Unfortunately, the reality is that [the history between our countries has taught us] that we reach our hand to peace, but with the finger on the trigger.”

Kevin Yombor, 2L and Miami Law’s American Bar Association representative, studied international relations with a focus on Asia and was always interested in politics, but prior to Garcia’s discussion, had not been familiar with the Middle East and U.S.-Israel relations. “It was interesting to learn that Israelis and Palestinians intermingle and find a way to work together and live in peace in certain zones in the West Bank,” said Yombor. “I learned a little bit more about the world.”

According to Yaniz, the purpose of the event was to allow law and student leaders to hear about the U.S.-Israel relationship from a member of congress. Yaniz was also grateful for the attendance of Miami Law administrators, including Dean of Students Janet Stearns, Assistant Dean of Professional Achievement William VanderWyden, and Director Joanne Koren. 

“I am lucky to enjoy strong relationships with several administrators, even as a 1L,” said Yaniz. “That is something that is particular to Miami Law - the student focus is second to none.”

Monday, January 21, 2013

Presidential Inauguration Brings History Full Circle

This year's presidential inauguration brings with it a slew of historic milestones:


Vice-president Joe Biden is sworn in by Obama's first Supreme Court Justice nominee and the first Hispanic on the Supreme Court, Sonia Sotomayor. What's more, Sotomayor marked another milestone: being the first Latina to administer the oath of office. 

Sotomayor recently released her book, My Beloved World, and will be appearing at the University of Miami on February 1, 2013 at the BankUnited Center. The talk is titled "A Conversation with President Donna Shalala."

Monday's inauguration marks the fourth time President Barack Obama is sworn in, making him the second president to do so. The first president to be sworn in four times was Franklin D. Roosevelt (term limits were instituted after FDR's presidency). During Obama's first inauguration in 2009 with Chief Justice John Roberts, mistakes were made and that oath was redone the next day. This time, the Constitutional end of Obama's second term fell on Sunday, January 20, during which Roberts administered the oath in a private swearing-in ceremony and then again during Monday's official inauguration.


The inauguration is, appropriately, on the 150th anniversary of the Emancipation Proclamation and the 50th anniversary of the March on Washington, said Obama in a video about what the inauguration means to him. 

It's also on Martin Luther King, Jr.s birthday. 

Taking Monday's presidential oath upon a bible once owned by King (and on a bible once owned by Abraham Lincoln), Obama brought full circle the connection between two notorious champions of freedom and civil rights and our nation's first black president.

On Friday, January 18, 2013, King's son, Martin Luther King III, spoke at Broward County's YMCA breakfast at the First Baptist Church of Ft. Lauderdale, honoring 15 children for their service to the community. King III lamented about the lack of progress, stating that he always has a "heavy heart in January because we have not fully realized the dream." King III's words echo Obama's during the 2008 DNC, "we still have more work to do." 


Read the full story about King III's visit: King's son brings message to South Florida


Analyzing the news elements of The Miami Herald's "King's son brings message to South Florida." 


News Elements: 

  1. Prominence: Martin Luther King III is the son of Martin Luther King, Jr., a prominent civil rights leader who was assassinated. 
  2. Timeliness: The story was released on the weekend celebrating Martin Luther King, Jr. day. 
  3. Proximity: The story tells of King III visiting South Florida. This is news to local readers of The Miami Herald. 
  4. Human Interest: The story writes about 15 YMCA children who are being honored at the breakfast that King III was invited to speak. The 15 children were honored for their community service project, "Own the Overpath," which mobilized a campaign to combat gang-related bullying in the area. 
Sources:

Politico.com

Journal Gazette.net
MiamiHerald.com