It’s 4:30 p.m. and the College Democrats, College Republicans and Young Americans for Liberty are debating about American foreign policy issues in Live Oak Room B.
The three groups debated America’s role in regions such as the Middle East, Latin America, China, as well as hot button social issues on Wednesday, Oct. 31. The event was open to the public, with as many as 30 people in attendance.
Representing the Democrats, was Chris Lazare,a senior political science major, and Landon Webb, a sophomore political science major. Speaking on the debate stage for the College Republicans was club president Jeff Arnold, a senior political science major, and Thomas DeMaio, a sophomore political science major. There was also club member Neil Hoffmann, a sophomore political science major, at the podium standing for the Young Americans for Liberty.
Young Americans for Liberty (YAL) is the largest, most active and fastest-growing pro-liberty organization on America’s college campuses.YAL seeks to recruit, train, educate and mobilize students on the ideals of liberty and the Constitution according to YAL’s website.
The rules were simple. Each debater had one minute to answer questions asked by the moderators and 30 seconds to respond to their opponents. More time was granted when the moderator felt it was necessary.
“I hope to continue the conversation in civil and respectful manner,” Owl TV Business Director, A.J. Jordat said, who moderated the debate alongside UP staff reporter Lore Khazem.
The debate opened with Jordat asking the Democrats if they agreed with President Barack Obama’s decision to ask former Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak to step down.
“[Obama] went ahead and supporting democracy in Egypt,” Lazare said. “Fortunately it ended up relatively peaceful, the transition ended up relatively peaceful.”
The Republicans responded in complete disagreement with Obama’s decision. “Mubarak may have not been the most human right friendly, he may have not even been the most western friendly. Although, he was western friendly as oppose to what Morsi is,” Jeff Arnold said.
Mohamed Morsi is Egypt’s newly elected president who assumed power during the wake of the Arab Spring.
Neil Hoffmann could not have disagreed with both men entirely. He said it was good for Mubarak to step down, but did not like the process of his removal.
“I don’t know why we are trying to help other nations that are not even asking for our help,” Hoffmann said. “Because when we do that we create resentment, we create a divide between the people there … we don’t want to create hate onto the United States of America.”
Next, Jordat asked each club member what the U.S. counterterrorism strategy should be. Arnold believed that our policy should be through nation building and through free and fair elections.
“It’s because of the international coalition that uses its financial weight, military weight and the weight of diplomacy that we can combat foreign extremism,” Arnold said.
Then the debate topic shifted to social issues. When Lore Khazem asked Arnold on the recent decision by the Obama White House on the HHS mandate and the uproar it caused among Catholic religious leaders.
The United States Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) is a cabinet level position in the United States government with its primary function is protecting and promoting the health services of Americans.
The mandate requires nearly all private health insurance plans to include coverage for all birth control.
“The HHS mandate is clearly unconstitutional and infringement on religious liberty,” Arnold said.
Landon Webb immediately rebutted with a question for Arnold.
“If that really the issue that we all have to pay for things that we don’t necessary want,” Webb said. “Why are you objecting to us going to wars?”
“Because war is the primary obligation of the U.S. government,” Arnold replied.
The debate topic shifted back to foreign policy when A.J. Jordat asked about China’s relationship with the United States.
“We need to make sure that we impose sanctions because the fact of the matter is [China] is not playing by the same rules as everyone else,” Arnold said. “We need to as Mitt Romney said, ‘keep China accountable.’”
During the course of the debate, the debaters interrupted each other to get their points across.
“The primary moderator, he did a good job,” Adam Leonard, a senior accounting major, said about Jordat. “He would cut them off if they were running too long and basically keeping the participants in line.”
“I’d say I was really impressed with the libertarian views and [Hoffman] was informative throughout the entire debate,” Patrice Kennedy, a junior political science major, said.
