Posted on 10/08/2004 8:35:30 AM PDT by NYURepublican
I sent this to our newspaper the other day. Its little bit too long but I said that since there arent any non-leftists I felt it deserved to have more to it. Last year they had at least 2 prominanetly shown Republican-like writers. This year 0. If it gets published, which I doubt, Ill tell you guys.
To the Editor:
How anyone here can actually believe that the Democratic Party is the party for young people is beyond me. While paying close attention to the political race, I have looked for things that are important to me as a young person. With this I can honestly say the Democratic Party has left the youth behind.
The clearest example of this is with the issue of the draft. Earlier this week the House voted against the Universal National Service Act, cosponsored by New York’s very own Charles Rangel. The act would have made all young people, women included, serve. This certainly is not a plan that is good for the youth of this county. The bill failed 402-2 with Rep. John Murtha, D-Pa and Rep. Pete Stark, D-Ca supplying the only yea votes. The fact that Democrats have brought this up and in this case have voted for it is clear evidence that they certainly do not care for the youth of this nation. President Bush at the first Presidential debate, a horrible loss for him, came out ahead in the end for me when he said in his closing statement “The military will be an all-volunteer army.” Someone finally stood up to the Democratic propaganda machine that is looking to scare young people into believing that Republicans, not Democrats, are for the draft when it is clear to anyone who knows anything about the realities of the world that it is the Democrats who support such action.
Still the draft is only one part of the reason the Democrats have left young people behind. Social Security is the second issue. The Republican Party looks to reform Social Security in what they call the “Ownership Society,” an all out plan that encompasses Health Savings Accounts, Social Security reforms, and helping families buy their own homes. Privatizing Social Security is meant for young people. Bush does not plan to alter current retirees plan so don’t be fooled again. Instead of being taxed 12.4% of our payroll, privatization would allow us to invest that in mutual funds, or the stock market, or an IRA, etc. With that much money a year going to our own investments we can yield conservatively three times the benefits the government currently gives us (see www.socialsecurity.org for more information). Even if someone is scared of the risky investment world they don’t have to opt out of the current system. Bush will keep the current system in tact for anyone who wants to use it. When a system like this is passed over the course of a few years the majority of young Americans will be saving their own money and building a great nest egg in the process. Australia, UK, Chile, and several other countries all have successful individual retirement accounts.
If the Democratic Party really cared about young people, they would be for privatization not against it. John Kerry on the other hand doesn’t even mention a plan for Social Security on his website. One must download a 200+ page book and even then its only mentioned in passing seven times. He has said that his plan to save the failing Social Security system is to make the economy better. In a world where young people actually knew what they were talking about and followed what these guys say, John Kerry would be booed for skirting the issue and offering not one real plan. George Bush’s privatization plan costs a lot of money, and for someone like me who hates his liberal spending habits this should be your only concern. Not to worry, the high costs are worth it in the end if it means that I can earn a greater return off of my income and not have the government controlling everything. The same argument about it costing too much was made about 401k plans years ago. Now it is clear to everyone that the cost was worth it as the vast majority of Americans use them to better save their own money. Don’t let them scare you into thinking that it will cost too much. Spending the money to help the youth of this country is far better than doing nothing and hurting the American youth in the process with ideas of raising our taxes or only allowing us to retire by age 70. Before people go out complaining we live in a Third Reich-like police state maybe they should call for the dismantling of the government controlling everything we have—most especially our own money for our future.
These two plans by the President are just some of the plans that show they are the better party for the youth. Before the hordes of hate mail about this letter pour in, I recommend you at least check out the President’s further plans for helping us. I also recommend that you check out third party sites such as the Libertarian party, who are generally more socially liberal than the Republican Party yet favor privatization.
The sole reason for the LIbertarian plug was because people here are practically communists so I needed something to at least sway their opinion back to reality.
Check your facts. Bush did not suffer a "horrible" loss in the first debate.
I skimmed your article, and will bookmark it.
I know what it's like, being vastly outnumbered at a liberal school. You're swimming against the tide there, but you may well change a few minds, or at least get some people to think (if they're not afraid to). You will get flak too but at least you will have had the satisfaction of speaking your mind.
Good luck.
Not a horrible loss but he sure didn't win any points either.
It is young conservatives who are willing to serve and to put their life on the line for America. But they won't serve a man like Kerry who never misses an opportunity to belittle our gallant efforts in Iraq -- just as he belittled and smeared his fellow servicemen in Vietnam.
Our present service men and women overwhelmingly favor Bush over Kerry, including those in harm's way in Iraq.
Thanks for caring enough about your future to stand up and be counted. Too many college students are too wrapped up in themselves or warped by liberal causes. (Although, pretending to be liberal allows you to sleep with liberal chicks but that's another story)
SS has become distorted and frankly, it's too far gone to save. The surplus is used to finance other spending and the government is using it as a general revenue fund. Free choice would allow you to opt out but they don't want you to cuz they want your money.
Start getting active on campus. Get away from the liberal/conservative thing and stick with the issue that matters to you. Once you get people to buy in on the idea then party ideology becomes less important to people. In the end, there will be a politician who will follow your group's lead if you can deliver the votes.
Its funny all of my girlfriends have been moderate to center-right. Even the ones here at NYU. I guess that would make sense since theyve all attended Stern (the business school) like I do but still its weird.
NYU is way out of wack and everyone here, myself included, think Bush lost the debate. I'm not going to sugar coat it. To me it dosnt even matter since everything Bush said I agree with. I could care less how he speaks as long as he isnt going to veto the stuff thats important to me.
THe purpose wasnt really to change peoples minds. Its far to late for that. It was more just to vent.
Good Article. Did it get published in the paper? Or was there "just not enough room" for it in the current edition?
Nope didnt get published. Obviously.
I, too, am an 'NYUrepublican'. I'm a Phd student in Cognitive Science, and also from NJ. Glad to see there are a few of us.
I'm on the Law Republicans listserve--if you're not a subscriber, I highly recommend it. There are some very smart people on there, and they keep me up-to-date about all of the liberal hypocrisy at the school....
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