Kerry talks policy with Boston students

John Kerry, Democratic primary presidential candidate, addressed approximately 200 Boston area students at Harvard's Kirkland House on Monday.

This group of Boston students, said coordinator of Students for Kerry at Northeastern Makeese Motley, "sends a communal message that we believe in John Kerry".

The organization of Tufts Students for Kerry, was well-represented. "We really try to energize students, get them active in realizing how important this race is," senior Liz Richardson said.

Although the Tufts Democrats does not specifically endorse a primary candidate, many members attended the event to generate interest and enthusiasm.

The reception served as a unique student opportunity before each of the primary candidates is interviewed by Chris Matthews for "Hardball", a MSNBC program to be filmed at Harvard this week.

Kerry discussed his presidential platform and encouraged students to participate in politics.

Conscious of his audience, Kerry outlined his policy toward college students. First, he discussed his plan to make $4000 worth of tuition tax credit available to any student for use in college.

While acknowledging that this money would not fund the cost of private university education, he noted that the $4000 figure was the American average in-state public school tuition.

He also proposed that the federal government would pay a full four years of in-state tuition to any student who completed two years of community service between high school and college.

Kerry said his plan would ease the financial burden on graduates and help them enter more innovative careers that are not necessarily lucrative, such as teaching in inner city schools. He noted that many graduates do not pursue careers of interest due to financial constraints and paying off large student loans.

Kerry also described some of the shortcomings he perceived with the current administration. "[George W. Bush] has no plan for welfare, outsourcing of labor, no leadership with respect to AIDS in Africa, no respect for global environmental disasters," he said. "It's an anti-science administration that refuses to push the curve of discovery."

Bush, said Kerry, "[has only] asked us to support the war on terror and to shop after 9/11. The best leaders are the ones who ask Americans to dream a bit. We need a [politician] that begins to ask 'why not' and to make the tough choices that really define patriotism."

Kerry then opened the floor for questions, exhorting the students to "really grill" him. "You deserve answers from those who seek to lead," he said.

Kerry said that he hopes to "empower local communities" through education, discussing how varying resource allocation among communities of differing socioeconomic status has resulted in wide disparities in public education.

Kerry proposed both a domestic and international agenda when asked what his priorities would be if he were to take office in a month.

His major priorities domestically were reversing the Bush tax cuts and expanding on the Clinton health care plan.

Internationally, Kerry said he would "go to the United Nations with humility, reality, sensitivity, and vision" to lessen the American authoritarian image and the targeting of American troops in Iraq.

When questioned on his opposition of civil unions, in spite of his previous support of gay rights, Kerry said that this element of legalization of gay marriage was a state responsibility. At a time when states are slow to change, he said, he preferred to focus on legislation against hate crimes and to raise awareness.

Kerry attended Yale University, but decided to enlist to fight in Vietnam. After returning extremely opposed to the war, he embarked on an activist agenda of protest, citing pride in "being on Nixon's enemies' list at age 27".

"His story really resonated with me," said Tufts senior Liz Richardson. "He graduated from a top school, could have gone on to law school, but decided to go to war. [When he got back]... he didn't sit on his haunches and go get a job on Wall Street, but became one of the most powerful and responsible activists in history. He couldn't help but move and shake his generation."

"This is the first time that many college students will be old enough to vote in a Presidential election," said Tufts sophomore Jenna Dreher, coordinator of Tufts Students for Kerry. "It was wonderful that we had an opportunity to learn more about [him] on a first hand level."