If we as members of the Dartmouth community want a government that is responsive to the needs of its citizens and will work to provide the best opportunities for all Americans, we must re-elect President Bill Clinton and Vice President Al Gore on Tuesday.
During his four years in office, Clinton has shown his leadership in both the international and domestic arenas of policy.
In his address to the graduates at the College's Commencement in 1995, Clinton stated, "We cannot walk away from our obligation to invest in the education of every American at every age." He has shown himself to be committed to the cause of education. Clinton has advocated tax deductions and tax credits for families with students in college, created the Americorps service program for young people to help rebuild their communities, and facilitated the availability of direct student loans from the Education Department. On the other hand, Republican presidential nominee Bob Dole has said he is proud of his plans to abolish the Education Department, in effect creating a Cabinet in which educators will have lost their major liaison with the highest levels of the Government. In addition, during his tenure as Senate majority leader, Dole advocated cuts in the government's student loan programs, including the Pell Grant program, which assists the nation's neediest students.
Another issue that resonates with the College's principles is a commitment to furthering civil rights. Clinton has put those principles to action by opening up doors for historically underrepresented groups in government posts, defending affirmative action for qualified women and minorities and supporting federal laws to prohibit discrimination against gays and lesbians in employment and housing. Dole, despite his earlier support for some civil-rights measures in the 1960s and 1970s, forced his running mate Jack Kemp to renounce his support for affirmative action and has shown a lack of vision in helping America come to terms with its increasing diversity. He opposes laws protecting gays and has failed to outline a vision by which he would work to end the problem of discrimination in our society.
Protection of the environment has also become a primary concern for younger generations. Clinton stands as the nation's strongest bulwark against some of the G.O.P.'s more radical proposals. The President vetoed legislation by the Republicans, who swept into power in Congress two years ago, that attempted to weaken the Clean Water Act and open wildlife refuges to development. At the same time, Dole vigorously fought endangered-species and toxic pollution regulations and tried to slow the implementation of standards for safe drinking water.
On the critical issue of taxes and the federal deficit, Clinton has stated that he supports the concept of a balanced budget and has made major steps toward that goal with the passage of the 1993 deficit-reduction package. His efforts have contributed to the lowest federal deficit in 15 years, since the first year of the Reagan Administration. While Dole has spent a lifetime mocking supply-side economics in favor of balancing the budget, he jettisoned his principles and embraced a $500 billion tax-cut plan that would increase the federal deficit to staggering proportions.
Dole should be commended for his patriotism, integrity and many years of service and leadership on behalf of the American people. But the facts remain that the 73-year old Dole, a member of Congress for more than 35 years, is sorely out of touch with the needs of young people of this generation and other ordinary Americans. He illustrated this lack of understanding in his speech on the steps of Alpha Delta fraternity last February when he spent more time discussing his days as a member of a fraternity than laying out his vision and plans for the future.
On the basis of these key issues -- education, civil rights, the environment, and taxes and the deficit -- Clinton has the vision to continue leading the country and represents the Dartmouth community's best candidate for President.
