Student political groups face off on Iraq war, gay marriage

Many say today's youth are politically apathetic. Some Penn students, however, are only too willing to lock horns over national and international affairs.

The Penn Democrats and the College Republicans addressed the political concerns of around 70 people last night in the Hall of Flags.

"What the Democratic Party represents is starkly different from what Republicans show us," College junior and Penn Democrats President Rich Eisenberg said in his opening comments.

The Republican panelists went on to defend the Bush administration and the 90-minute open-floor debate allowed both sides to challenge one another.

The high turnout and depth of discussion pleased panelists and the audience.

"It was very entertaining," College sophomore and Democrats supporter Niva Kramek said. "It raises the level of discourse on campus... it's very inspiring to see students so well-read and so well-spoken."

Eisenberg's opening comments consisted mostly of a strong call to vote President George W. Bush out of the White House.

In response, Eisenberg's Republican counterpart, College junior and Daily Pennsylvanian columnist Dan Gomez, claimed that his party's spirit and ideology was responsible for America's success.

"I believe Americans make America great, not the government," he said. He added that the U.S. had every right to defend itself, whether that meant pre-emptive strikes or carrying firearms.

In a reflection of nationwide and professional political debate, the war on Iraq and terrorism were both key points last night.

"We're going to aggressively attack terrorists," said David Copley, chairman of the Pennsylvania Federation of College Republicans and a former Daily Pennsylvanian columnist. "We defeat terrorism by going overseas, finding where they are and killing them."

Yet Democrats said that Bush's extreme tactics have provided nothing for national security and have actually endangered many Americans.

Bush is "putting the lives of young men and women in danger by making [the U.S.] a terrorist hot spot," Penn Democrats Issues Director and College sophomore Dan De Rosa said.

Democrats also pointed to the low international opinion of the Bush administration as a result of his unilateral actions.

"Bush has done more to isolate America than any president in the last 50 years," De Rosa said.

Clinton "realized it's important to engage the world community," Democrat and College sophomore Kevin Collins said. Collins, also a Daily Pennsylvanian columnist, added that even former president George H.W. Bush wrote in his memoirs that occupying Iraq would shatter international bonds.

While Republicans acknowledged hostile foreign sentiment, they said this was the natural consequence of having to make the tough -- and the right -- decisions.

"I think we're seeing a temporary phenomenon, picked up by the press reacting to a great story," Republican and College senior Mike Cognato said. "When you see the results... start to bear fruit, the tide will turn."

Audience members managed to turn the debate away from Iraq, however, onto domestic issues ranging from Medicare to the economy. The issue of gay marriage raised some dispute.

"Democrats say that the issue is that the legal recognition of marriage should be based on love," Gomez said. "It could have extremely bad results... like [movements for] polygamy, incest and pedophilia."

This struck both Democrat panelists and audience supporters as a ridiculous association.

"That's an arbitrary comparison," De Rosa said, adding that there was no logical basis to it, and that the powerful insurance lobby would speak out against gay marriage to avoid having to give more benefits.

Audience members commended the strong panelists from both parties.

"I was sort of expecting it to be focused on Iraq, I'm glad the subject got changed," Republican and College junior Alyssa Beaver said. "I think the Republicans had better arguments for their side... but the Democrats did a good job."

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