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Students Take a Presidential Platform: Express Your Views

Now that President Bush has been re-elected into office, he along with his advisors have to come up with a platform for his second term.  College students give their opinion on what they would do if they were re-elected into the presidential office.

"I would set up a fund so that social security will be available for my generation when they get older," said Lanee Bradley, a sophomore business management major from Bowie State University.  Bradley believes that everyone should have an opportunity to go to college, but she thinks that the cost of college is too high.  Bradley would try to lower that cost. 

She would also make sure that teachers in high schools would focus more on what students might want to do in life.  She believes that students should not have to wait until college to realize what they want to do in life.  Bradley is also very concerned with healthcare.  She believes that every worker should have some type of healthcare, even if a percentage is taken off his or her prescriptions. 

Bradley would do something about the war in Iraq.  "I would bring the troops back home.  Since we have been at war, there has been chaos and billions of dollars are being wasted on a lost cause," said Bradley.

Charles Watson, a junior social work major from Bowie State University, would focus tax money on healthcare. 

"Everyone should be entitled to healthcare because people can not afford it.  Everyone can receive some type of social security, but not everyone can receive free healthcare," said Watson.  Watson would also put a lot of money in elementary school programs because he believes that it is important to start at an early age. 

Watson is also concerned with international affairs.  "If I was president, I would get the troops out of Iraq.  Too many families are losing the lives of their loved ones," said Watson.

Tedrick Boxley, a senior economics major from Bowie State University, argues that it is important for the president to use federal money to fund education and create jobs.  "I would create jobs and education.  Without education you can not get a job and without a job you can not be a productive member in society," said Boxley. 

Boxley believes that small businesses create jobs and he would therefore come up with a different system for purchasing small business loans, which would in turn allow for the establishment of more small businesses.  Boxley has a different opinion about the war in Iraq.  "I would finish trying to liberate Iraq and then I would get the troops out of Iraq as quick as possible.  But, you can’t start something and not finish it," said Boxley.

Rushondra James, a broadcast journalism major from Howard University, also has ideas on what she would do if she were president.  James would try to have universal healthcare and would rebuild the social security system so that social security would never deplete.  James would also better fund the Accountability Act, which makes it mandatory for schools to teach students certain skills.  If these skills are not taught, the school is held accountable.  James has strong feelings against the war in Iraq. 

"I feel that nobody understands why we are over there and it seems like it is a war between powers not a war between the people," said James.

President Bush has a lot of planning to do for his next term in office.  There are many issues that people are concerned about—social security, healthcare, education, jobs, and the war in Iraq.  Students from Bowie State University and Howard University give their suggestions on what they would do if they had to plan for another term in office—now you give yours!