By Kyle Winslow
Aiming to encourage young people to get out to the polls on Election Day, the College Democrats, Society of Porter Scholars and the Association of Black Students have joined together to sponsor the “Get out the Vote” rally.
The rally will be held Fri., Nov. 3, at the University of Louisville’s Red Barn.
Dr. Ricky Jones, chairman of the Pan-African studies department; Dr. Phil Laemmle, retired political science professor; Lt. Col. Andrew Horne, a former Third District congrssional candidate; and Third District Congressional candidate John Yarmuth are slated to speak at the event.
Yarmuth has been auspicious about students attending the rally. “I asked the College Dem[ocrat]s, Society of Porter Scholarss and the Association of Black Students what issues they thought would be most relevant to students,” said Yarmuth. The organizations said they were interested in hearing about school desegregation, affirmative action, the war in Iraq, minimum wage and education. “I look forward to discussing these issues and urging students to get out and vote,” he said.
Yarmuth stressed the importance of students voting in the upcoming midterm election on Nov. 7.
“This is among the most important midterm elections in recent history,” Yarmuth said. “Among the largest burden on American society is healthcare. The un-insured have grown by 6 million since President Bush took office in 2001, and the cost of our healthcare will continue to spiral out of control until we have a legislature that will work for us instead of big corporations.”
Yarmuth voiced concern on issues such as oil. “The future that we face will be one where we will either be crippled by a dependence on expensive, foreign oil, or one where we are free to benefit from our own renewable energy source,” said Yarmuth.
Melanie Tate, senior political science major and president of the College Democrats also advocated the significance of students getting out and voting, “Young people from ages 13 to 27 are the largest generation since the baby boom. Together, we have to elect candidates that will fight for change,” she said.
Tate said there is a possibility of Yarmuth defeating incumbent Anne Northup (R.), “several polls from different sources have indicated that the race is statistically tied, so it’s definitely a possibility.
According to Tate this event will “get voters energized, give them a chance to get to know John, and hopefully get them fired up about going to vote on Election Day.”
Tate expects an enthusiastic crowd on Friday, “Students on campus are engaged in issues and excited about this years election, and I hope that many of them will bring that energy with them to the rally.”
However, not all of the students are going to be supporting Yarmuth.
“The world according to John Yarmuth is a fantasy novel, not based in reality,” said Jefferson Poole, a senior economics major. “Smart consumers of political gab will find Yarmuth’s presentation amusing, and then move on to seeking more sustainable solutions to our nation’s existing difficulties,” said Poole.
The “Get out the Vote” rally is a free event and all students are encouraged to attend. The doors of the Red Barn open at 11:30 a.m. and the rally is expected to last until about 12:45 p.m. Free food for students will be provided.
