Lessons in history should be a prerequisite for being allowed to speak on a college campus. Republican party chairwoman Beth Harwell is scheduled to speak at UTM at 4 p.m., Wednesday, Nov. 19 in Watkins Auditorium. Perhaps someone could arrange for her to be in attendance for a political history class during her visit.

Harwell was quoted in The Jackson Sun as challenging anyone to name a Democratic initiative that “has actually worked.” A visit to a college campus may leave her with education on the subjects of President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s establishment of social security and TVA (Tennessee Valley Authority) plus Kennedy’s establishment of the Peace Corps.

She may also familiarize herself with Johnson’s establishment of Medicare, Medicaid, Head Start, Federal Student Aid and the 1964 Civil Rights Acts that provided fair treatment for voters at polling places.

The day’s lecture might even include President Jimmy Carter’s achievements with the Camp David Accords and President Clinton’s establishment of the Family Medical Leave Act that allows Americans to take off work to tend to sick children, spouses and parents without losing employment.

All of these men are Democrats who have had several initiatives that have “actually worked.”

Harwell was also quoted to have opened her speech with a joke detailing a question that her son asked her while passing a man in the hallway. The Jackson Sun said that after the man had passed, her son asked, “Was that a Republican or a Dummycrat?”

While partisan humor is appreciated and has its place, I wonder if words like economy, jobs, balanced budget and fair and affordable healthcare will actually be included in one’s vernacular. It would be a pity for a young person to be “left behind” and not have these words to add to their vocabulary. Or, maybe it is ok to allow Bush and a Republican controlled Congress to shortchange America $160 million for education.

But, I will agree that with every forum and presenter there is something to be learned. I plan on attending the presentation to reaffirm the fact that I am standing behind the right people such as Democratic Governor Phil Bredesen, Congressmen Jim Cooper, Lincoln Davis, Harold Ford Jr, Bart Gordon and John Tanner.

Hopefully everyone else that is in attendance will learn the truth: a Democrat in office means more jobs, affordable health care and balanced budgets. Hopefully they will learn that we can change the direction our country is going by putting a Democrat in office in 2004 and sending Bush back to the ranch.

Kevin Teets is the Managing Editor and a sophomore Communications major.