A political debate sponsored by the Black Student Union angered and educated Wednesday night, as the College Republicans and Democrats addressed the question of which presidential candidate the African-American community should vote for in November.
Black Student Union President Simone Hicks presided over the debate, which packed spectators from wall to wall in 145B Student Union. Hicks and two other Black Student Union panelists kicked off the event with questions for both parties that reflected the concerns of the black community -- taxes, urban development, health care, affirmative action, education and segregation among other topics.
"As black people, we have been trained to vote Democrat because of an image that was created in the past alongside the civil rights movement," said M.J. Ballentine, a junior who spoke for the College Republicans. "But there are five major issues that we don't hold in line with the Democratic Party, which are abortion, taxes, school choice, separation of church and state and gay marriage."
Ballentine said despite their Democratic voting trends, blacks are anti-abortion, against tax hikes, support charter schools and faith-based initiatives, and oppose gay marriage. Ballentine added that it makes no sense that the black community still votes Democrat.
The College Democrats fired back by attacking President George Bush's education policy and his No Child Left Behind Act. College Democrat Justin Martin called the act "a worthy cause," but said it was grossly under-funded.
"We need to look at the facts," said Martin, a sophomore. "President Bush fell short by seven million jobs of his own projection."
According to Martin, if Sen. John Kerry were elected president he would cut taxes for both minorities and the general population.
Further into the debate, audience members were allowed to ask their own questions. Many seemed to feel that both the presidential candidates and student speakers have been talking in vague generalities.
"What about the issues that affect me?" asked Tangier Harper, a junior psychology major.
One of the major issues that came up repeatedly was affirmative action, which the Black Student Union panel pointed out was instituted to correct the several-hundred year "head-start" white Americans have on black Americans.
"That's why we support affirmative action, because we have to right the wrongs," said Matthew Pelkey for the Republicans.
Earlier, however, Ballentine had said, "I don't feel we need affirmative action any longer. It's creating a black-white issue. This is a melting pot."
Audience members directed the majority of their questions towards the Republicans, who were not only on the same page on affirmative action, but did not seem to win the hearts and minds of most spectators by the debate's end.
But neither necessarily did the Democrats.
"I don't think it's racial issues, I think it's political parties that are pulling us apart," said Shereefat Balogun, a political science major.
Balogun added she feels the debate did help her with some of the issues discussed and knows who she will vote for, but wishes the political system included parties outside the traditional sphere.
Although originally intended to assist minority voters choose a candidate, some the attendees said the debate clouded the elected candidates' stances. Many were left with a question: did the debate help them find a candidate?
"No, it didn't," said Durval Morgan, senior exercise science major.
Ballentine said he thought many attendees were closed-minded to the Republican side before the debate even started.
"Not everybody's ears and minds were open," he said.
Democrat Martin, however, was happy with the debate's outcome.
"I think it went very well," he said, adding that the issues like the war and economy should have been approached more thoroughly.
Whether the issues were adequately addressed made up a majority of complaints made Wednesday night, but most could at least agree they were thrilled with the solid turnout.
"This is not the time to be apathetic," said Donald Paradiso, a junior who spoke for the Republicans. "We're resting on the cusp of so many important issues."
