ObamaCare is going to replace Medicare, moving the U.S. towards a more socialist oriented nation. The affairs in the Middle East, might lead America to more warfare raising religious and racial issues, while at home the abortion conflict continues. Campaign finance reform continues to pit the working class against the wealthy. Now, President Barack Obama has four more years to battle those conflicts. And more.
Obama’s experience with Middle East makes him ‘better president’
Sarah Muschiol
In the last presidential debate Romney and Obama talked about foreign affairs and especially concentrated on the conflicts in the Middle East. Even more conservative nations than Texas as Syria, Lebanon, Egypt, Iran, Iraq and Afghanistan have a Muslim belief and are fighting for civil rights and a democratic state after years of oppression and war.
Obama and Romney claimed in the presidential debates to support and stand on Israel’s side in case of potential warfare; the question is how do these religious beliefs stay in conflict, and how is our future president going to deal with them. The Democratic Party platform on Palestinian terrorism against Israel encourages the pursuit of peace but insists on Israel’s right to exist and reject violence. The Republican Party platform says that the Palestinian people must respect Israel’s establishment of a democracy and should be unexpected to negotiate with entities pledged to Israel’s destruction.
The campus survey showed students do not believe religion was a significant issue in this election.
Ryan Read, a freshman in engineering, voting Republican in this election said, “I don’t think necessarily being Mormon is going to lead to any issues, but it might affect how Romney is going to handle these issues, and definitely how Obama would handle them or any other religion would. I am not afraid of them, because these conflicts are going to happen either way.”
Obama grew up with a Christian mother and a Muslim father, who later claimed to be atheist. Obama now claims to be an active Christian.
Sarah Young, a junior in biology, voting for Obama said, “Obama is going to be the better president, because he has more experience and knows from his background more about Middle-Eastern religions and their emphasis on morals and culture.”
Gavin Belle, a junior in mass communication, considers himself liberal, but he would vote for Obama, if he was a citizen. Belle said, “My views are that religion and politics usually don’t interact too well. I could see why Obama would be the smarter choice in regards of foreign affairs, but I personally believe that religion should stay out of politics.”
Sophomore: ‘Obamacare is good for the people’
Jessica Davis
In March of 2010, under President Barack Obama, Congress passed the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, also known as ObamaCare, with an aim to reduce the overall cost of healthcare and to decrease the number of uninsured Americans. This is a concern for students and working-class citizens. The national opinion of the act seems to be split; however, the support of students is apparent.
“ObamaCare is for the good of the people and I don’t see why it should ever be eliminated,” Robyn Foster, a sophomore in business, said.
While students support it, tax increases are a concern for adults who oppose the act, Foster said. By 2014, a person will pay $95 in health insurance with a $325 increase the next year and $695 once the act is fully set in.
“Obamacare is worth the tax money,” Foster said.
Along with the tax increases, another concern for ObamaCare include its potential unconstitutionality of forcing religious institutions to provide services that violate their faith and imposing taxes in which the Constitution does not approve. The act also allows room for individuals to take advantage of being unemployed, spending money earned by hard-working individuals.
“I understand and respect that not all users of Medicaid/ObamaCare are actively nonproductive,” Mitch Saville, a freshman engineering student said. “However, money is being taken away from those who spent their lives reaching financial security and success, and it is being handed out, with good intentions, in a way which is, unintentionally but quite thoroughly, encouraging otherwise capable individuals to stay in that [lazy] mentality simply because they can, and because it will cost them more money to earn a higher income. It discourages the pursuit of higher success.”
Although, students have mixed opinions concerning this act, Texas Representative Mac Thornberry voted to repeal it.
“While the Supreme Court ruled the majority of the law was constitutional that certainly does not mean ObamaCare is a good law or that it is right for America,” Thornberry said.
Eighty-four percent of Americans already have insurance, he said, so the health care system needs to find a way to expand access of care for the remaining 16 percent instead of changing the entire system to require everyone to obtain insurance.
“Although the Supreme Court has ruled the individual mandate is constitutional, I strongly believe that the health care bill was a mistake and that it will adversely affect health care for most of the people in our area and around the country,” Thornberry said.
Pro-choice versus pro-life: Students react to abortion controversy
Kenni Wallace
Staff writer
Abortion has largely divided the American people: the “pro-life” contingency versus the “pro-choice” faction. Few other issues have been as polarizing as abortion for the last century.
Republicans lean toward being “pro-life” – the belief that life begins at conception, whereas democrats lean toward being “pro-choice” – the belief that it is a woman’s right to choose whether or not to terminate a pregnancy. In a campus poll, students claim to be Republican and, therefore, “pro-life.”
Sophomore nursing major and right leaner, Brittanie Tullous, contributes to the majority. Tullous said abortion is 100 percent unacceptable, regardless of the situation, which is one reason why she decided to be republican.
“There could never be a good enough reason to kill an innocent human being. Yes, it would be horrible to get pregnant from being raped, but two wrongs don’t make a right,” Tullous said.
Even though the Republican views are known to be “pro-life,” presidential candidate Mitt Romney seems to have moved toward the center on the controversial issue.
“Taking innocent life is always wrong, and always tragic, wherever it happens,” Romney said.
On the contrary, President Barack Obama, a democrat, has revealed himself to be a strong supporter of the “pro-choice” position. He showed his Democratic opposition to any attempts to de-fund Planned Parenthood.
“The Democratic Party strongly and unequivocally supports Roe v. Wade and a woman’s right to make decisions regarding her pregnancy, including a safe and legal abortion, regardless of ability to pay. We oppose any and all efforts to weaken or undermine that right.” the Democratic Platform states.
Students say race played a major role in presidential election
Joseph Solis
Staff writer
In 2008, Barack Obama, an African-American and United States senator from Illinois, won the presidential election of the United States of America becoming the first African-American elected to the position. He received 81 percent of the minority vote (which includes African-Americans, Hispanics, Asians, Native Americans, and Pacific Islanders).
“In the first election, minorities felt as if their voice was finally being heard because this country and its government are majority Caucasian. When Barack Obama came out, minorities felt as if they were finally coming up in the world and felt a sense of real equality,” said Jair Lozano, a junior in respiratory care.
Lozano said he experienced the 2008 election and by doing so he gained a better understanding about how people thought about the candidates.
“I believe race does have to do with it to an extent. I think it was more of an issue in the first election though. This one not so much,” Lozano said.
Cornelius Roberson, a senior in music education, also said he believes that race plays a part in this election.
“I feel like the biggest issues regarding people and voting are race and social class,” Roberson said.
Roberson said the upper class consists of majority Caucasians and the middle and lower classes tend to hold the majority of the minorities. “Romney favors the upper class and Obama wants to strengthen the middle class,” Roberson said. “Of course this makes it seem as if it’s totally a race issue, and in some cases it is, but it mostly has to do with race and social class together. ”