This post was written by Hatchet reporter Chris Hebdon
With less than a week before the election, two of GW’s fringe political groups decided their members’ voices needed a platform.
About 50 students came out to watch the GW Young America’s Foundation and GW Liberty Society spar over social issues including drug legalization, same-sex marriage and abortion for nearly two hours Thursday.
The politically-charged debate – which included mockery and personal attacks – highlighted the differing positions held by the libertarian and all-around conservative members. Moderator and Liberty Society member Ryan Peck introduced the debate, calling on students to take pride in varied viewpoints on campus to regain its crown as the most politically active college in the U.S. News and World Report ranking. GW slipped to No. 3 3 on the list this year after holding the top spot last year.
“The goal is to return GW to most politically active campus in the country” by engaging groups other the College Democrats and College Republicans – which held three joint student debates this election season.
The Liberty Society, which typically comprises liberal social policies and conservative fiscal policies, called for minimal government intervention while YAF, which typically holds socially and fiscally conservative positions, stressed family values.
“Drugs should not be legalized in this society. It’s a degradation of family values and it doesn’t help anyone,” YAF member Chris Oman said.
But sophomore Marcelo Arteaga Mata said legalizing drug use could lead to a decrease in use, like in Portugal over the last decade.
“If you live in a free country you have the rights to put anything into your own body,” Mata said. He argued that decriminalizing drug use would reduce dependency and end the war on drugs.
“People are dying because of the war on drugs, innocent civilians are dying,” Mata said.
The teams also sparred on same-sex marriage, a big topic this election season, though Mata said the topic should be a “non issue.”
“Gay couples and heterosexual couples should be given the same rights. We know better than to treat gays as second class citizens,” he said, while junior Chris Wassman argued to preserve the status quo.
“We are against redefining marriage that has had a historical definition and don’t want to change it because some people didn’t like it,” Wassman said.
But abortion drew the most heated speech of the night. In a twist, the Liberty Society brought Casey Berger on stage to add a female perspective to the previously all male panel. YAF then followed suit and brought Emily Jashinsky on stage.
Berger said she should have a right to her own body and argued for early term abortions. She said life does not begin until into the second trimester.
The two parties agreed that abortions should be legalized when they result from rape or incest or would endanger the mother’s health.
The groups plan to hold two more debates on economic issues and foreign policy this year.
