Civil rights, justice, the economy – which presidential candidate has the best policy on these issues? I think it’s Democratic candidate Howard Dean.
Dean became the governor of Vermont in 1991. He added sexual orientation and gender identity to Vermont’s hate crimes statute, and in 2000 he made Vermont the first state to recognize same-sex unions, giving gays and lesbians legal rights like rights of inheritance, child custody, and decision-making power (giving couples access to hospital visits and health insurance).
“I signed a civil unions bill … when only 35 percent of the people in my state supported it,” said Dean at a Sept. 25 debate at Pace University in New York.
If elected, Dean plans to expand same-sex couples’ rights nationally. For example, he will allow federal employees to list same-sex partners as beneficiaries, and he will work to ban workplace discrimination of gays and lesbians.
Dean also says he will repeal parts of the Patriot Act that undermine our constitutional rights. The Patriot Act allows the government to conduct surveillance and gather intelligence to fight terrorism, but many feel this needlessly attacks civil liberties.
Dean proposes to create one million jobs through a $100 billion Fund to Restore America. He says this will aid state and local governments in creating jobs in the fields of health, homeland security,
and education, and by building and restoring schools and roads. He also says he will balance the budget, even if that is unpopular. “It’s not an accident that in 1993 when the House and Senate supported balancing the budget, that that kicked off this tremendous time of prosperity,” he said May 17 at an American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees debate in Iowa.
Dean’s economic record in Vermont is a strong one – he created 56,000 new jobs and decreased the unemployment rate from 6.9 percent to 3.7 percent. When he came into office, Vermont had a $70 million deficit, but in 2001, Vermont had a $10 million surplus.
Other students at the college favor Dean as well. “Howard Dean is the only candidate with the experience, integrity, and vision to be President,” first-year Adam Waxman said. “His campaign will go down in history as one that changed American politics forever. Dean’s campaign is eclectic – I think young people have a real opportunity to become leaders and help to really shape the future of the country.”
However, why should you care at all? Why should you vote? To quote the song “Freewill” by Canadian progressive rock trio Rush, “If you choose not to decide, you still have made a choice.” Too few people aged 18 to 25 vote. According to the Center for Information and Research on Civic Learning and Engagement, 42.4 percent of 18-to-25-year-olds vote, but a whopping 70.3 percent of people over age 25 vote – and theirs are the voices that will be heard if you don’t cast your ballot.

Dylan Grayson is a first-year.