Spring Break
Campus political organizations debate controversial subjects
NICK WARLICK
Issue date: 3/30/07 Section: News
- Page 1 of 1
Tensions flared as members from organizations spanning the spectrum of political ideology debated controversial subjects late Thursday.
Members of the Young Democrats, Campus Greens, Georgia GuardDawg, Roosevelt Institution and College Republicans participated in a structured debate on a variety of topics.
One member from each organization sat on a panel that tackled issues including health care, global warming and the war on terror in front of a crowd of about 50.
Emotions played a large part in the discussion of the war in Iraq.
Zaid Jilani, founder of the Campus Greens, said the invasion of Iraq was a violation of international law and there should be serious repercussions for those involved.
"The people who started this war should be tried as war criminals," he said.
The U.S. also should begin withdrawing from the region by the end of this year, he said.
Andrew Widener, senior editor of the GuardDawg newspaper, said because Iraq had a history of past aggression and harboring terrorists linked to a number of serious attacks throughout the world, something had to be done.
"I couldn't disagree more with what Zaid said," Widener said.
Deep Shah, president of the Roosevelt Institution at the University, said the issue of a potential pullout in the war in Iraq is a complex debate.
"We need a one to two-year pullout with specific troop intervals," he said.
He also said any withdrawal in the region should be accommodated by a neutral third party to deal with oil in the region.
Payton Bradford, political director of the Young Democrats, said he hopes to see more events such as this in the future.
"They get people thinking and engaged and asking questions. It is also extremely important to raise political awareness on campus."
Members of the Young Democrats, Campus Greens, Georgia GuardDawg, Roosevelt Institution and College Republicans participated in a structured debate on a variety of topics.
One member from each organization sat on a panel that tackled issues including health care, global warming and the war on terror in front of a crowd of about 50.
Emotions played a large part in the discussion of the war in Iraq.
Zaid Jilani, founder of the Campus Greens, said the invasion of Iraq was a violation of international law and there should be serious repercussions for those involved.
"The people who started this war should be tried as war criminals," he said.
The U.S. also should begin withdrawing from the region by the end of this year, he said.
Andrew Widener, senior editor of the GuardDawg newspaper, said because Iraq had a history of past aggression and harboring terrorists linked to a number of serious attacks throughout the world, something had to be done.
"I couldn't disagree more with what Zaid said," Widener said.
Deep Shah, president of the Roosevelt Institution at the University, said the issue of a potential pullout in the war in Iraq is a complex debate.
"We need a one to two-year pullout with specific troop intervals," he said.
He also said any withdrawal in the region should be accommodated by a neutral third party to deal with oil in the region.
Payton Bradford, political director of the Young Democrats, said he hopes to see more events such as this in the future.
"They get people thinking and engaged and asking questions. It is also extremely important to raise political awareness on campus."
Viewing Comments 1 - 6 of 8
Andrew Widener
posted 3/30/07 @ 4:28 PM EST
It should be on record that, in discussing the Israeli-Palestinian question, Zaid Jilani called the American-Israeli Political Action Committee "a low-grade terrorist organization. (Continued…)
Zaid
posted 4/01/07 @ 2:05 AM EST
Do you guys not get laid enough so you have to go around stalking anything related to your hawkish blow-the-whole-world-to-hell agenda (that plays well to anyone who lives in the surburbs and doesn't own a passport) down and spilling your guts on it? Damn, you guys need lives. (Continued…)
Charles R
posted 4/02/07 @ 6:13 AM EST
I'm sure Zaid, by now, can give a much better review of Weaver's _Ideas Have Consequences_ than what the GuardDawg produced a few semesters back. That's irony for ya. (Continued…)
Andrew Widener
posted 4/03/07 @ 8:02 PM EST
Zaid, you must have been under great durress when you penned your wild remarks. Frequency in intercourse doesn't have anything to do with AIPAC, although it is a frequent criticism of groups like Hamas and Hezbollah, which you support, that their sexual repression and latent homosexuality lead them to acts of obscene violence and prejudice. (Continued…)
matt
posted 4/04/07 @ 9:24 AM EST
Andrew, Zaid is not under any obligation to elaborate his position as long as you make bizarre statements about purported homosexuality among Hezb'allah and Hamas. (Continued…)
Andrew Widener
posted 4/04/07 @ 4:06 PM EST
AIPAC is a political organization. The burden to prove otherwise is on the accuser. When someone has made a point in support of the claim that AIPAC is a terrorist organization, then I will address those points, but I wouldn't know where to begin since the imputation is so opprobrious and far-fetched. (Continued…)
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