Wilkes political science students brought two speakers to the Miller room in the SUB last Tuesday to speak on behalf of national security. Although it has been 10 years since the devastation of 9/11, many believe national security remains a topic with many questions remaining.
“As the two panelist discussed, it is still an open debate,” said political science professor Kyle Kreider. “Even though we know what the issues are, we still do not have set answers as to what is the proper balance between liberty and freedom.”
The Wilkes chapters of Pi Sigma Alpha, Sigma Pi and the National Political Science Honor Society along with the rest of the political science department welcomed two speakers who presented “Ten Years Later: 9-11 and American Life.”
The two presenters, Richard Glenn of the department of government and political affairs at Millersville University and Reggie Shuford, executive director of the Pennsylvania American Civil Liberties Union, both shared their knowledge on the history of national security before turning the discussion over to the audience for open conversation.
The matter of debate was finding an acceptable balance between government actions toward security while maintaining the ideal freedom America was founded upon. Concern for national security has been an everlasting weight on the shoulders of each president to take office.
Kreider explained that presidents receive classified information daily that the public never knows about and therefore the responsibility to keep the country safe lies predominantly in their hands.
“The presidents have a need or desire to protect national security,” said Kreider. “They are the ones that would face the recourse at the ballot box if there is a terrorist attack in the United States; they feel the pressure to keep America safe.”
Because the president has such a huge responsibility to maintain national security, the matter allegedly makes political party obsolete. For example, Kreider explained how many expected Obama to reform the policies Bush implemented for the War on Terror drastically. However, Obama kept the policies in place and just recently began bringing troops home from the Middle East.
Political science professor Andrew Miller explained how significantly different views are to students on such a controversial issue.
“I think it’s important for students to get a different perspective,” said Miller. “To cover different topics with different voices.”