Issues define voters' concerns in this election
By Nyrie Karkazian
Some students couldn’t care less about the upcoming election and
the different issues that will be addressed by the two main candidates.
This is called apathy. They may not care until the future president’s
decisions affect their lives and their education—and by then it’s
too late.
“I have a very limited knowledge of the issues, but support Bush’s
stance; at least more than Kerry’s,” junior Brian Beltz said.
“They are very similar on a lot of them, but I would need to do
more research in order to sway my vote,” Beltz said.
Marsha Sheakalee said the fact she knows the candidates’ stance
on the issues does affect her vote.
“I am voting for Bush because I support the Republican Party and
I support Bush in his views on the different issues,” Sheakalee
said.
Carina Karakashian, a senior majoring in business law, said she is familiar
with the issues, but that knowledge will not change her decision in any
way.
“Though I don’t think either candidate is the best candidate,
I will vote for the party that I agree with the most,” Karakashian
said.
The following are some issues and where the candidates stand:
War:
Bush
• He is for the war and will continue to fight because of what has
been accomplished since the war began.
• His Web site says that 50 million people have been liberated from
totalitarian regimes in Afghanistan and Iraq.
“As the Commander in Chief, if Bush is successful it will be in
large part because the American people have confidence in him,”
State Senator Chuck Poochigian (R-Fresno) said in a recent interview.
Kerry
• Initially voted in favor of the war, but says that knowing what
he knows now, he is opposed to it.
•Wants to internationalize it because he believes now that we are
in it, we have to win it.
“How do you win it? How do you know when the war is over,”
said Vincent Lavery, the co-chair for the Fresno County Kerry/Edwards
campaign. “Terrorists are in 60 countries around the world, so how
do you know when you’ve won it? There’s no flag that’s
going to be raised saying ‘I surrender,’ so the whole thing
is absolutely ridiculous, stupid, insane and unnatural.”
Education:
Bush
• Will look into increasing student financial aid to help more students
afford college.
• Will offer enhanced Pell Grants which will allow students who
take the high school curriculum required by the State Scholars Program
to receive up to an additional $1,000.
Kerry
• Will offer a College Opportunity Tax Credit on up to $4,000 of
tuition for four years of college.
• Will offer national service opportunities by making a deal that
for students who serve America for two years in a school, health center
or strengthening America’s security, the government will see the
student attends fours years of college, tuition-free.
Job Security:
Bush
• Will take the initiative to provide $500 million for high-skills
job training in the 21st century.
Kerry
• Opposed to outsourcing, the exporting of jobs overseas, and says
he can create more jobs above the minimum wage in America.
Abortion:
Bush
• Opposed to abortion and is in favor of banning partial-birth abortions.
• Promotes sexual abstinence and has tripled funding for abstinence-only
education since 2001.
Kerry
• Personally opposed to abortion, but says it is an issue between
a woman and her doctor.
Gay Marriage:
Bush
• Backs a constitutional amendment banning gay marriage.
• In a Washington Post article, White House spokesman Scott McClellan
said, while Bush supports the amendment, he would also support the right
of states to provide various partnership benefits, including civil unions.
Kerry
• Supports each state deciding the issue.
More information on these issues and others are available on the candidate’s
websites,
www.GeorgeWBush.com and www.JohnKerry.com.
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