Republicans avoid issues

I think I speak for many students on campus by saying I was surprised to read that the College Republicans, under new leadership, “hope to bring awareness to political issues in the 2004 election.”

With the election less then two months away, the only things I have seen the group do so far is decorate our sidewalks with messages labeling decorated Vietnam veteran John Kerry as a “War Zero” and Vietnam dodger George W. Bush as a “War Hero” and litter the campus with pamphlets attacking John Kerry for the length of his face.

I think I speak for the majority of not only college students, but American citizens as well by saying if you would like your organization to be credible, you should focus on discussing real issues. Talk about Iraq, the economy, the struggling middle-class, deficit spending, health care, the environment and our suffering public schools rather than insulting personal appearances of candidates and showing off childish, misinformed sidewalk art.

Also, do not just tell me what is wrong with Kerry’s plans; tell me what is right with Bush’s. I would like to hear why I should trust an incumbent telling me he deserves my vote to get us out of the mess he led us all into.

Will the College Republicans really be an issue-oriented group? Probably not, but what can you really expect more out of an organization than the candidate that they choose to represent?

MIKE HOGUE

STUDENT