*Note: Chip Brownlee, College Democrats member, is the community reporter at The Auburn Plainsman.
In the spirit of election season, Auburn's most politically involved gathered in the Student Center for The Great Debate on Thursday, March 3.
Represented were the College Democrats, the College Republicans and Young Americans for Liberty. Each party delegated two students to debate issues proposed by the audience and questions that were prepared before hand.
Moderating the event was David Carter, history professor. After the debate was finished, Carter commended the debaters and the audience for their maturity throughout the debate.
A few of the topics set for discussion included, subsidized health care, Veteran's Affairs, gun policy and the Middle East.
Each party was allotted equal time to make initial remarks in reply to the proposed issue and once all three had spoken, rebuttals commenced.
When faced with this question, "Should the U.S. continue to stand with Israel, the only free and democratic nation in the region, in spite of its difficult relationship with other Middle Eastern peoples and nations?" all sides responded strongly.
Troy Ferguson, senior in chemical engineering, spoke for Young Americans for Liberty. He reminded the audience of the complex issues in the Middle East and America's involvement thus far. Ferguson pointed out the extreme faults and aggression exhibited by both countries and whether it was a well thought-out decision to support one or the other.
"The two sides have been fighting constantly and with that much aggression and that much violence, how can we really say that anyone is right?" Ferguson asked. "We're justifying rockets flying into buildings on either side. Your justifying schools being bombed by accident or on purpose; you're justifying so many different little things by taking sides in this."
Chip Brownlee, freshman in political science and community reporter for The Auburn Plainsman, spoke for the College Democrats on the United States' relationship with Israel.
"There's this black and white that we either have to hate Israel or love Israel, but there is the fact that we can have a relationship with Israel and not fund a regime that some people say is an apartheid state," Brownlee said.
Cole Davis, senior in political science, disagreed with Brownlee's point, saying that the issue was one that needed to be answered one way or the other. Davis said that there must be a concrete decision made and he stood to support Israel.
Once time ran out and the questions ceased, the presidents of each organization graciously thanked the attendees and congratulated the debaters on a successful night of conversation.
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