By RORY MOORE
Tiger Media Network
The Political Science Department organized the annual debate between the Fort Hays State University Young Democrats and College Republicans on Tuesday inside Cody Commons. Lillianna Nash, Genesis Wilson, Isaac Hargett and Sarah Braun represented the Young Democrats, while Hazel Frans, Mickey Mason and Jackson Sinsel represented the College Republicans.
Many hot-button issues were discussed, including foreign policy, abortion, immigration, gun violence, the economy, climate change and political social media. Other matters that pertained to the state were submitted to the panelists by the audience.
The campus parties debate each in Cody Commons. 
Hazel Frans, Mickey Mason and Jackson Sinsel represent the College Republicans 
Lillianna Nash, Genesis Wilson, Isaac Hargett and Sarah Braun represent the Young Democrats. 
Frans spoke about how the 2024 Presidential Election will impact the futures of college students. 
Sinsel shared the FHSU College Republicans’ platform of America First policy, protecting the Constitution and preserving conservative values. 
Mason stressed that international aid to allies is essential but the American people must know where it is going. 
Nash expressed the Young Democrats’ commitment to reproductive rights, protecting democracy and providing economic opportunity for all. 
Hargett and Braun emphasized how the United States must fight authoritarianism around the world by staying committed to her allies, namely Ukraine. 
Both parties heard their arguments and debated civilly. 
The Young Democrats and College Republicans debate in front of an audience inside Cody Commons.
The Young Democrats based their platform on reproductive rights, equality, democracy and America’s role in world affairs.
“Everyone should have an equal chance in life, no matter their starting point,” Hargett said. “Our great nation must work to expand the values of liberal democracy abroad and prevent the international community from slipping into authoritarianism already seen in many nations.”
The College Republicans based their platform on upholding the Constitution, protecting conservative principles, ensuring free enterprise and putting America’s interests first.
“We believe in America First, common sense policy with the goal of supporting the Constitution,” Sinsel said. “Through this, we offer economic freedom and conservative values.”
Frans stressed the importance of the presidential election on college students and their career paths.
“We are planning on entering the workforce within the next four years, buying a home, and starting a family,” she said. “This is the year that we get to vote and we get to put whoever we want in office, whether that be the Democrats or the Republicans.”
On the question of foreign policy, both parties differed in their answers. The Young Democrats argued for interventionism to prevent tyranny around the globe.
“What America needs to do is support our allies abroad, such as Ukraine,” Hargett said. “They’re combating Russia in this war of forcing that has pushed them to the breaking point, and we need American money and guns to help them. China is strengthening abroad, and America needs to push back on that. What we need to do is impose our own strong diplomacy with the support of their enemies as well.”
The College Republicans concurred with the answer but gave a precautious response.
“I don’t think we’re very far off in what we believe,” Sinsel said. “We think we should support our allies abroad. Our main thing is understanding if we are going to support those countries, we’d like to know where that aid is going and how it’s being used in a way that we can see if we are helping.”
The Young Democrats pointed out that older, seldom-used weapons have been sent to Ukraine, but the College Republicans questioned the money that has been spent on the war efforts.
“Supplying old weapons and such in order to help our allies is one thing,” Mason added. “Cutting a blank check is another. We need to understand where that money is going.”
When the question on abortion was asked, both parties gave responses that were traditional for both parties.
“The war on abortion isn’t a war of the death of unborn fetuses,” Nash said for the Young Democrats. “It is a war on women. Over 75 million abortions are performed each year, and just because employers are saying that you cannot use our health care will not stop these abortions from happening. It is incredibly important to make abortion safe and readily available. Women like Amber Nicole Thurman would agree that we need to make abortion readily available to anyone, and that is healthcare.”
Frans gave a response that was sympathetic but common of Republicans.
“On the topic of Amber Thurman, that is a horrific event that happened,” she said. “I think it’s a horrible experience, but we have to recognize that the two pills that she took were the reasons that she died and also that they did not provide for a D&C in Georgia. This is due to abortion laws being very vague, and I think that if there are going to be abortion laws, they need to be simple enough for everyone to understand them so that doctors do not have to hesitate to provide care in terms of the life of the mother.”
Former President and Republican Presidential nominee Donald Trump has spoken about his plan to use military resources at the Southern Border and carry out mass deportations. Both campus parties were asked a question that pertained to that.
“We should be able to use military forces at the border in times of crisis or in times we need it,” Wilson of the Young Democrats said. “We shouldn’t be able to use it for things like mass deportations or caging people at the border. It should be used humanly, and it should be used in a way that we can be proud to be called Americans at the end of the day.”
Mason of the College Republicans agreed with Wilson’s perspective on the issue but disagreed with it when it came to the matter of immigration.
“One of the most common applications of military use would often be in cartel intervention,” he said. “I think that is one of the most important uses of it. Anytime there are military weapons used by the other side, our people need to be able to act effectively against that.”
One question submitted by the audience linked mental illness to gun violence.
“Republicans and Democrats both support common sense gun restrictions when it comes to mental health issues,” Mason said. “When it comes to mental health issues, we need to make sure that everyone is capable of understanding the threat of gun violence.”
Frans emphasized the fact that violent action by people is not limited to firearms.
“They will hurt somebody using whatever they can,” she said. “I agree that gun violence is awful, but taking away guns will not stop all violence.”
The Young Democrats stated their agreement with not taking guns away from all people but stressed the need for red flag laws. They also addressed the issue further by expressing their support for the Affordable Care Act.
“Donald Trump and other Republicans are for appealing and repealing it by making sure we don’t have Obamacare any longer,” Wilson said. “Obamacare makes it so millions of Americans can get mental health resources. The Democrats are a party of helping mental health, giving affordable health care, and making sure people can get that help so it doesn’t have to go as far as then getting a gun in their hands.”
Statistically, along with immigration, the economy is the country’s most important issue, and the parties were asked how to lower inflation.
“It doesn’t take me or any of you very long to understand that I go to the gas pump and the store, and everything is extremely expensive,” Sinsel said. “I paid about $120 for 10 things in my grocery cart. That’s pretty outrageous. When we are mentioning presidential candidate [Kamala] Harris putting in these stops for corporate, I’m trying to understand why she hasn’t done that in the last four years of the presidency. She’s a vice president, she has a lot of power.”
Nash went on to defend Harris and attribute inflation to corporate greed.
“Vice President is not President,” she said. “Grocery prices are high because of corporate greed, and the way we can see that is Target has said they’re going to reduce the prices on 5000 frequently bought items. If they can do that without losing their profit, then how is that caused by inflation? Gas prices, we’re doing good. OPEC controls gas prices, and what we’re seeing now is that Biden increased crude oil production in the U.S. at the highest level.”
Both parties closed their arguments by encouraging audience members to vote.
“It’s so vital to our democracy that people vote,” Hargett said. “People need to get out there and vote so we can have a true American government.”