Issue date: 2/21/07 Section: News

Wade Barker - THE BATTALION College Republicans member David Bellow, a senior political science major, gives a rebuttal.

Aggie Democrats and College Republicans joined together for a friendly yet heated debate to discuss controversial topics concerning the United States.

Approximately 100 people attended the debate Tuesday night in Rudder Tower to watch and listen to the two opposing groups' panel members engage in discussion with people who are interested in policy but have opposing viewpoints, said Warren Linam-Church, president of the Aggie Democrats.

Twelve questions were compiled by each group to foster discussion from the opposing side. The topics discussed in the actual debate were chosen randomly by a moderator and included minimum wage, universal health care, sex education, border security, taxation, abortion advertising and the HPV vaccine for young girls.

"There's nothing bad about political debate," said Colt Jim Clemens, president of the College Republicans. "You learn about the opposing side to issues and why you feel important about them."

Both sides agree that the real enemy is apathy, not the opposing political group, Clemens said.

"Government is extraordinarily important, and students need to be actively involved in the things they believe in," Linam said.

Students are directly affected by the government, and they "need to care and understand that government is both beneficial and harmful in their lives," Clemens said.

The anti-abortion presentation in Rudder Plaza received many side comments from the audience.

College Republicans asked if the graphic advertising was effective for discussing abortion.

"The images are mostly bloody fetuses from back-alley abortions and can be defined as pornographic," said Andy Cotter, junior political science major and Aggie Democrat panel member.

David Bellow, senior political science major and College Republican panel member, said, the truth is sometimes unsettling in response to Cotter's comment.

"Abortion is a serious personal and moral issue that should be discussed in a calm and open environment," said Robert Edmonson, senior political science major and Aggie Democrat panel member.

Members of the College Republican panel said that education on birth control and the HPV vaccine should not be imposed upon students.

Aggie Democrats explained that they believe sex education is just to make information available for people who may not know about STD's or proper birth control use.

Although the two sides did not completely agree on any one issue, members of each side agreed that the debate was a positive experience.

"(The debates) help form conversation instead of yelling and sensationalizing issues," Cotter said. "It's important to have a middle ground to hash out these issues."

Having a face-to-face conversation instead of debating topics in separate meetings makes for a positive experience, Bellow said.

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