An article from The Vermilion
Fall 2008

                              

Over the past few weeks anyone who wanted information on President-elect Barack Obama and Sen. John McCain could have easily turned on the TV or looked on YouTube to find that extra bit of information they needed in deciding who to vote for. The Democratic and Republican parties are the two major parties  everyone knows almost everything about. What about the other parties though?

You have all heard of Libertarians and Socialists, but do you know much about them?

On Thursday Oct. 30, the Philosophy Club hosted a debate in H.L. Griffin Hall between those two parties to help students get a broader view on those two parties' values. The two debaters were both students: Braden LaGrone, president of UL College Libertarians and Jeremy Brannon, events coordinator of UL Students for Democratic Society. The debate was officiated by the president of the Philosophy Club, Cory Hebert. The debaters were asked to defend their parties' values on the topics of taxes, the war on terror, the war on drugs and immigration.

The Libertarians' believe in no taxes, no draft, truly free market places and the legalization of drugs.

"We stand for self-ownership, constitutionalism and conversation and trade with all countries while having no entangling alliances like NATO," said LaGrone. "When it comes to drug problems we should educate each other that it is not cool to be a 38-year-old man sitting in your mother's basement eating Funyuns."

The Students for Democratic Society (SDS) is an education and social action organization dedicated to grassroots democracy and building a movement for a society free from ignorance, war, discrimination and exploitation.

"Our organization wants to increase awareness of the social, political and economic alternatives available to people in a constantly changing world that demands a sustainable future," said Brannon. "SDS has many viewpoints, ranging from anarchism to social democracy, but we all desire a society based on mutual cooperation, not competition."

The Philosophy Club's next meeting will be on Thursday Nov. 13 at 5 p.m. in H.L. Griffin Hall, Room 318. The discussion by Rick Swanson,Ph.D., is entitled "The Injustice of Hell" and will be discussing the topic: if you believe in hell then you are worshiping the devil.