Before I start, I just want to say that I had a fantastic time on Thomas Coen’s radio show on Oct. 10. We had an engaging discussion regarding the Lamont-Lieberman race and the harmful impact Lamont’s candidacy is having on the Democratic Party. I also want to thank Megan Greenberg, Abigail Hinchcliff, and Holly Wood for their constructive and well thought-out responses to my last article regarding abortion. One of the key elements of American politics is the idea that people can have frank discussions on the issues, and this year it is extremely important that we do, in fact, discuss the issues and fight for change.
But what makes this year so special? Well, the election coming up in eleven days will be one of those elections that will be remembered in all of the history books. The election of 1994 was called the Republican Revolution—in the House, the Republicans won 54 seats and defeated 34 Democrat incumbents, winning the majority and bringing the balance to 230-205. In the Senate in ’94, the Republicans won eight seats and gained another two seats because a couple of lousy Democrats defected to the majority party, bringing the balance to 54-46. Ever since then, for 14 years, the Republicans have controlled Congress. They’ve had control over every piece of legislation debated. They’ve had control of every committee, every Congressional investigation, and every penny spent by the Federal Government. This is election is shaping up to be exactly like the election of 1994—except in the opposite direction.
Before I go any further, I need to point out that if you want the Republicans to retain control of Congress, then stop reading now, because this article isn’t for you. For the rest of us, now is the time. Now is the first time in 14 years that we have a real shot at winning back Congress. This year we’ve seen a Democratic surge like never before. A recent CNN poll questioned voters over which party they’d rather see control Congress—the Democratic Party was ahead by 21 points, 58% to 37%. Congressional Quarterly ratings currently have 70 Republican-controlled Congressional seats where the Republican isn’t safe, and eight Republican-controlled Senate seats where the Republican isn’t safe. However, in order for this to happen, anybody and everybody who claims to care needs to work to make change happen. Merely voting is a nice first step, but frankly, it is the least a concerned citizen can do.
Wesleyan is supposedly an activist campus. Today we are faced with our best shot in 14 years at making a real difference in America. We have two of the closest Congressional races in the nation a mere 15-minute car ride away. Outside of the Wesleyan Democrats, which only has a handful of active members, virtually nobody has been working on any of these vital campaigns. Few Wesleyan students have been out making a real difference in the outcome of the most important Congressional election in 14 years.
Wesleyan, where is your activism?
Of course many will claim that there are other ways to be active than to support the two-party system by working for a Democratic Congressional candidate. Many of those people were among the folks who petitioned and protested Rosa DeLauro, one of the most liberal members of Congress, because they felt she didn’t fight against the war with enough vigor. That’s a nice idea, but if they took all that energy and focused it towards defeating Republican members of Congress who actually support the war, they would have had a much bigger impact. Even if you don’t like the Democrats, removing the Republican majority is vital to our nation’s future. They’ve been nothing more than a rubber stamp for the Bush administration, and that must come to an end this year.
Going out and spray painting in the tunnels is a great way to show that you care about your what’s happening in your life. The campaign to bring back chalking is a wonderful expression of free speech within the Wesleyan community. Every day there are countless examples of people who are concerned about their environment. Yet few here at Wesleyan seem to truly care about the fate of our nation. Sure, many individuals spend time talking about how much they hate Bush and they despise Republican policies, yet what have they done about it? Ask yourself the key question, “What have I done to fight against dangerous conservative policies in America?”
If there is a time for people to redeem themselves and make up for their façade of concern, it is now. Now is the time to spend your afternoons and weekends going out and working on campaigns here in Connecticut. Now is the time to get off your ass and make a difference in this world. The election is a mere eleven days from today, and now is the time to prove how much you really care.
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