Congressman Visits College
By Rachel Decker

Democrat Sherrod Brown, Oberlin’s Congressman for the past decade, journeyed to the College last Saturday to speak at the Teach-In on the War Against Terrorism. Following President Dye’s introduction, Brown took to the podium and described our nation’s current policies and proposed courses of action, as well as the possibility of war with the Middle East as simply “disturbing.”
He recalled the “political profiteering” done in Washington shortly after Sept. 11 and summed up the attitude he believes is held by many politicians: “By evoking Sept. 11, you can gets more votes on the floor,” he stated.
The government also pumped approximately $5 billion into the airline industry in the wake of Sept. 11 to ensure its continued economic viability, yet did nothing for the hundreds of airline employees that were laid off due to the financial repercussions of 9/11.
Congressman Brown also chided the “corporatist agenda” of President Bush and proposed some of his own thoughts on how the country should proceed in its international dealings.
By fostering trade agreements, taking steps towards debt relief in developing dictatorships and delivering financial aid to countries ridden with disease or famine, Brown suggested that it is certainly possible to change the outlook of the world on America and promote a positive response internationally towards the U.S.
“We have certainly showed our military might,” Brown said. “But we have done very little to enhance our standing in the world.”
He believes that a step-up in defense is not the proper course of action to take to create positive international relations.
America operates on a defense budget of $47 billion, six times that of all the nations considered members of the “axis of evil” combined. His proposed steps focus entirely on improving our image in the world through acts of conservation, good faith and non-aggression.
Brown believes that as a nation we should be asking ourselves how the world looks at us now as opposed to a year ago, and what courses of action we should be foregoing to be able to ensure that that change in attitude is one for the better a year from now.
Congressman Brown ended on a positive note, advising students and the community to, “not give up hope.”
“This is not a pessimistic time,” he urged. “We’ll figure it out.”