Collegiate Times

Next Tuesday, at 7 p.m. in Squires Colonial Hall there will be an event that takes place every semester as an exercise in civics ? the Great Debate. What makes this one particularly noteworthy is there will be more than just two viewpoints represented. For the first time, the Libertarians at Virginia Tech will join with the College Republicans and Young Democrats in discussing issues that affect the lives of every member of the Virginia Tech community.

On a campus that prides itself in diversity of ideas, this inclusion is long overdue. However, it is not just Virginia Tech that needs more political views out in the open; our society as a whole is craving for something new and different.

We have been trained from the very beginning of our lives to think in terms of black and white, left and right, liberal wiener and right-wing nut job. Yet many people realize that political thought (and all thought, really) is far too broad to be lumped into two singular categories. That being the case, why should we operate under a very restrictive two-party system?

Ultimately, the two-party system harms our democratic republic. We can see this from recent history. One party says they want to control your money but leave your personal liberties in place. The other says they want to control your personal life but let you do what you want with your money. The problem comes when one lies about fiscal responsibility and the other loses its spine on civil liberties whenever anyone mentions Sept. 11 (I?ll leave it to the reader to figure out which party is which). The end result is that the government has eroded personal freedoms as well as run up massive debt for our children?s children?s children. With a situation like this, is it any wonder that voter turnout is low, especially among young people?

This is why alternative parties must be included in political discourse. And it shouldn?t just be the Libertarians. The Greens, Constitutionalists and others deserve a voice as well.

While the activists in these respective groups should be pressing hard to play a bigger role in our political system, it is imperative that we the people ? especially the younger people ? become more engaged ourselves. And that means more than simply voting once every four years. It means more than voting in every election. It means becoming informed as to where each candidate stands on an issue before you walk into the booth to mark your ballot. An uninformed voter is worse than a non-voter when it comes to maintaining a healthy republic.

It is with this reason in mind that the Political Science Club sponsors the Great Debate. The addition of more voices will only serve to enrich the audience, and the PSC along with the other participants should be commended for recognizing this.

So what are the issues to be discussed and why are they important?

The first is health care. When most of us hear that in the context of politics, we think of programs for the elderly and poor, such as Medicare and Medicaid. Yet young people who are about to leave college and enter the real world should be concerned about this, too. The cost of health care is rising. Why? What can be done to ensure that health care is both affordable and accessible to upcoming workers? Should it involve more government regulation and socialization, or less?

The second issue is higher education, something to which we can all relate. How (and should) we make it more accessible to people? How can we make it more affordable to those who choose to pursue a higher education? What role ? if any ? should the federal government play in higher education? The last issue is substance laws, something else many of us can relate to. What substances ? if any ? should be government regulated? Is it effective to fight a war on drugs such as marijuana? Has the war on drugs done more harm than the drugs themselves would if they were legal?

These are the types of questions that each group will be discussing next Tuesday night. Whether you are curious to know where each party stands, or simply want to watch an engaging debate, I encourage you to come out and become a more informed citizen.