Phil Orenstein

The Queens Village Republican Club proudly honored Khurshid Abdul-Mutakabbir with the Educator of the Year award at the Lincoln Dinner, February 10, 2013. In his acceptance speech he talks eloquently about the values of hard work, self-reliance, individualism, character development that were inculcated into him early on by his Republican parents and grandparents who were proud patriotic Americans. His classical education background which shaped the curriculum of Maspeth High School developed from his Catholic School upbringing. Maspeth High School, the unique and flourishing product of his background, is a new public school created from scratch offering a classical curriculum that exceeds the state graduation requirements. Classical education is the “mechanism through which the morals, values and ethics of our Western Civilization were developed, built upon and still examined.”

Khurshid Abdul-Mutakabbir, Educator of the Year from Queens Village Republican Club on Vimeo.

At the end of the 2013 Lincoln Dinner speaking program, John Catsimatidis was called upon to say a few words about his candidacy for mayor of New York. Joe Lhota and George McDonald were present for the cocktail hour, but Catsimatidis was the only GOP mayoral candidate who stayed through the entire dinner party. Catsimatidis followed Greg Buckley, Sr. and Pamela Geller, which was a tough act to follow. The first thing he said, in a veiled quip at Lhota, was that if he were head of the MTA, she would get her signs right away and wouldn’t have to sue. He spoke about his own 20 year old son and how he understands the pain of the Buckley family. He has a lot of friends in Washington and he said he is willing to do whatever he can do to help. He said “your son deserves justice, and nobody forget in this room, that we’re not going to stop until we get justice.”

Greg Buckley, Sr. told the tearful story about his son’s insider murder in Afghanistan in a safe zone, his marine military base in Helmand Province, Afghanistan on August 10, 2013, at the hands of the Afghanistan police the marines were training. There was not a dry eye in the room as everyone stood up and listened with rapt attention as he spoke about the stonewalling and disrespect from our government and requested that we all unite to demand justice for his son. The Queens Village Republican Club made a promise to support the Buckley family and seek justice for LCpl Greg Buckley Jr. This is the complete video of the moving speech and call to action delivered by Greg Buckley, Sr. at the Lincoln Dinner on February 10, 2013.