2008 Woodie Awards
Students' Political Views Vary
Ariane Rasmussen
Issue date: 9/29/05 Section: Perspectives
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Since the Presidential Inauguration in January of 2005, most Americans were already aware that the path lying ahead was going to be difficult and challenging with the country being so politically divided.
Yet, "difficult" hardly seems adequate when faced with the issues occurring today that leave many Americans with mixed feelings about our government and its leaders. With debris and water inundating cities, death tolls rising by the minute due to hurricanes and the war, and thousands left homeless, it is hard not to feel angry at our leaders and unsatisfied with the government.
"I am quite unhappy with our government due to the way they resolve the issues that are occurring right now. They should better prepare for natural disasters. They knew the hurricane season was going to start and didn't do much," said Elona Shape, sophomore, Bridgeport.
Whether deciding on how to deal with a hurricane, homosexual marriage, education, or abortion, political division has made it even more difficult to solve problems efficiently.
"I think that the Democrats and Republicans are very divided and more needs to be done to pull the parties closer together so issues can be resolved easier and without so much controversy," said Jennifer Arthur, senior, Trumbull.
Sophomore Adam Rua from Bridgeport, believes that too much pressure has been placed on the shoulders of the American people to pick only one side of the coin when voting.
"I think that the government, being mainly of either a democratic or republican view, is becoming too much of an extreme selection for the American people as a whole to be able to accept. We are being forced to take the better of two sides even though in some cases we don't fully agree with that party. For example, in 2004, I voted for John Kerry because I did not want [to vote for] Bush whom I feel isn't a leader, nor competent enough to be president leading me and this country. That didn't necessarily mean that I accepted all democratic views since I [also] feel [that] some republican views are good as well," said Rua.
Yet, "difficult" hardly seems adequate when faced with the issues occurring today that leave many Americans with mixed feelings about our government and its leaders. With debris and water inundating cities, death tolls rising by the minute due to hurricanes and the war, and thousands left homeless, it is hard not to feel angry at our leaders and unsatisfied with the government.
"I am quite unhappy with our government due to the way they resolve the issues that are occurring right now. They should better prepare for natural disasters. They knew the hurricane season was going to start and didn't do much," said Elona Shape, sophomore, Bridgeport.
Whether deciding on how to deal with a hurricane, homosexual marriage, education, or abortion, political division has made it even more difficult to solve problems efficiently.
"I think that the Democrats and Republicans are very divided and more needs to be done to pull the parties closer together so issues can be resolved easier and without so much controversy," said Jennifer Arthur, senior, Trumbull.
Sophomore Adam Rua from Bridgeport, believes that too much pressure has been placed on the shoulders of the American people to pick only one side of the coin when voting.
"I think that the government, being mainly of either a democratic or republican view, is becoming too much of an extreme selection for the American people as a whole to be able to accept. We are being forced to take the better of two sides even though in some cases we don't fully agree with that party. For example, in 2004, I voted for John Kerry because I did not want [to vote for] Bush whom I feel isn't a leader, nor competent enough to be president leading me and this country. That didn't necessarily mean that I accepted all democratic views since I [also] feel [that] some republican views are good as well," said Rua.