Keyhole News 10.1.2004 Page 2 News Spot Name: Joseph Mathews Age: 17 Grade: 12 News: On August 2730, Mathews attended the 2004 Arsaly National Conference in Washington, D.C. The purpose of the conference was to get more people between the ages of 18-24 to vote and become involved in the political process. The theme of the conference was "Pathways to Participating in Voting and Volunteering." During the time spent at the conference, everyone listened to speakers, participated in forum discussions and played legislative simulation games. Devil Dates Remember to vote for your choice for president on Nov. 2! page 2.pmd 2004 presidental election Andrea Thomas '05 Copy Editor For those of you who are already 18 years old and in the senior class, an important decision will need to be made in November. This decision will affect the country, how it is led and most importantly, you. There are so many campaign advertisements that it's enough to make your head spin. To some it will be a turning point in history, since we just recently started the reconstruction process in Iraq after a war. To others, it will not matter for whatever personal reasons. If you do decide to vote make sure that you have done your research. There are plenty of internet websites that will give you the information you need. If you have decided that you will not vote, just make sure that you have made the right choice. This will truly be a presidential election that will not be forgotten. Listed below are just a few facts about each of the candidates from the major political parties. For more information on these presidential candidates, you can go to www.who2.com, www.politics1.com or the candidates' websites. Republican Nominee Name: President George W. Bush Birth Date: July 06, 1946 Birth Place: New Haven, Connecticut Home City: Crawford, TX Wife: Laura Welch Bush Children: Jenna and Barbara Bush Religion: Methodist Political Experience: *President of the United States 2000-present *Governor of Texas 1994-2000 *Candidate for the House of Representatives1978 Contributed Photo Kerry has high hopes for presidency. Contributed Photo Bush runs to return to office. Democratic Nominee Name: Senator John Kerry Birth Date: December 11, 1943 Birth Place: Denver, CO Wife: Teresa Heinz Kerry Children: Alexzandra and Vanessa Kerry, John Heinz IV, Andre' Heinz and Chris topher Heinz. Religion: Catholic Political Experience: *MA Lt. Governor 1982-1984 *U.S. Senator (Massachusetts) 1984-present Other candidates up for the presidential ballot include: Ralph Nadar (Independent Party), Michael Badnarik (Libertarian Party) and Michael Peroutka (Constitution Party). Opposing Viewpoints Vote Kerry Vote Bush Jasmine Lawrence '05 Asst. Editor-In-Chief Four years is a presidential term and ample enough time to make something happen. George W. Bush has had four years; during which he has done nothing, so why should we give him four more? George W. Bush is a man who can’t make up his mind. Bush can’t even say whether or not the lives that were and are being lost in Iraq were really for the cost of freedom. What else is there to expect from a man who can’t make up his mind whether or not he was in Alabama during his service in the mili- 1 tary. If he can’t make up his mind whether or not to tell the truth about something as simple as that, is he fit to be our president? Bush has started a war that was mostly based on lies. There were no weapons of mass destruction found in Iraq. That was his reason to justify the war, and it was a lie. Bush was using his office as a means of payback. On September 11, 2001 there were many lives lost. Bush uses it to try to justify everything he does. September 11 isn’t something you can just use for your justification. Bush uses this as a reason for everything that takes place. Scott Rodriguez '05 Copy Editor Republican or Democrat? Until this year I always said I was a Republican just because I liked the name. Now I proudly say that I am Republican. I think that Republican George Bush has done something good for us and our freedom, which so many of us hold so dear. That is to eliminate a terrorist threat to the United States. To Democrats, like John Kerry, this threat was not real because we didn’t really have any proof. Even if Sadaam Hussein didn’t have the weapons when we invaded, he would have eventually and would have inevitably used them. 10/1/04, 3:41 PM I agree with Bush because he is a man of action. All Kerry wants to do is remove our troops from Iraq so the terrorists can reorganize and strengthen their forces so they can try to hit us again like on September 11, 2001. Bush wants to completely eliminate the threat before pulling our troops out. There are many reasons to choose Bush over Kerry, all you have to do is pick one. So far, Bush has done a good job, and I believe with another four years he could do some great things for our country.