LC welcomes Nader

by David Oppenheim

On Sunday, Oct. 6, 2002, Ralph Nader spoke in front of nearly two thousand students, faculty and members of the public.

Although not filled to capacity as event organizers had hoped, those present at Pamplin Sports Center for Nader's speech were adamant in their support for what the perennial Green-party candidate had to say. Nader spoke for nearly two hours on a wide variety of topics including corporate responsibility, President Bush's war on terror, civic responsibility, and the media.

The speech, which ran nearly one full hour overtime, focused on the countless crimes that the massive conglomerate corporations in the US commit regularly.

"Stockholders, the public interest in corporations, have no power over what theyown except to buy and sell stock," Nader stated. "This has to change. Why do we give every consitutional right excluding the Fifth Amendment to corporations? Only human beings should be allowed to participate in government, not corporations!"

Nader outlined the need for a new public interest in the ever-evolving world, including the necessity of civic participation in the democratic process. At times sharply critical of mass public's apathetic stance on democracy and corporate greed, Nader extolled the need for more civic education to increase voter turnout and awareness of "the real issues at hand."

Nader also spoke on the grave danger of the sale of American public television and radio airwaves to massive corporate interests, asking "Why don't we charge the TV and radio stations [in this country] rent? [The airwaves] are, after all, public domain," continuing, "there are nearly 15,000,000 college students in this country. With all the shows on TV... why is there not one 30-minute program a week dedicated to what is going on [in terms of research and student interests] on college campuses?"

He finished by reiterating the importance of public participation in government, especially on college campuses.

"Who would win if we finally woke up to our civic duties?" he asked. "I think you know the answer. [Do not] waste your twenties getting over personal problems you should have gotten over in your adolescence. It is time to wake up as a society."