Progress and Accountability

CNN and other around-the-clock political news stations definitely had their hands full this year. Along with the election of the nation’s first African-American president came many other important political controversies and watershed moments. In the year of change, we supported expanding freedoms in areas such as stem cell research and homosexual rights. We asked for more accountability among elected officials and backed a large stimulus to help jumpstart our economy. Most importantly, we believed—and still do—that Barack Obama was the correct choice for the 44th President of the United States.

This year was one of scandals. It was disgraceful how many of Obama’s appointees had their nominations stalled due to tax problems, and how so many elected officials believed they were exempt from the law. Just like regular citizens, politicians should be required to obey tax codes. Moreover, the timing of many of the scandals was truly unfortunate. There should be higher levels of scrutiny in place and more tax records demanded from high level public officials to identify corruption earlier than in confirmation hearings.

One politician who was truly unfaithful to his electorate was former Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich. Blagojevich’s decision to sell then-Senator Obama’s seat was despicable, and equally upsetting was his installation of Senator Roland Burris as the junior senator from Illinois. Blagojevich should not have been given such power after his unlawful actions, and the circus that ensued afterward was truly an abomination. The appointment of a new senator should have been made fairly and lawfully, and, most importantly, not by a person who was indicted on corruption charges and soon thereafter impeached.

While we demanded more accountability among elected officials, we asked for more freedom for all Americans. This year could have been an important one in terms of securing the right to marriage for gay couples, with according referenda on the ballot in several states. Unfortunately, special interest groups had such an influence that the majority of people in those states voted to deny rights to a significant minority. We were strongly against Prop 8 in California and its equivalent in other states; now, we hope that these referenda will be overturned in the future, for these couples deserve the opportunity to marry.

Another area in which homosexuals are continually denied rights is the United States army. This year, there was a great amount of attention paid to the Reserve Officers’ Training Corps program. Though we supported the University making it easier for ROTC students to cross-register at MIT, allowing military science courses to appear on transcripts, and improving the financial aid policy so that ROTC grants do not preclude students from receiving Harvard funds, we remained firmly opposed to the national “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” program. We support Harvard’s refusal to officially recognize ROTC, just as it would refuse to recognize any other organization that denied membership to applicants who are openly homosexual, but we hope that President Obama and Congress will overturn DADT in the near future so that ROTC can have a place on Harvard’s campus.

Another hot topic in national politics this year was stem cell research. Under President Bush, the religious beliefs of a sector of the population had too great of an impact on scientific policy. Under Obama’s administration and with the backing of the current Congress, embryonic stem cell research is permitted to be publicly funded once more—a decision we wholeheartedly applauded. We see enormous potential for a more amenable government view of stem cell research and are steadfast in the belief that using stem cells will help us find cures for a broad range of diseases.

Moreover, we encouraged Congress to go even further and spend more money on science. When President Faust and other members of the Massachusetts Life Science Collective urged Congress in January to increase federal funding for the National Institutes of Health, the National Science Foundation, and other scientific research agencies, they were correct in asserting how important it is to increase spending on science even when cutting spending in other areas due to the economic crisis. We were delighted when the House of Representatives approved billions of dollars in funding to be spent on scientific research, and hope that the trend toward increasing research will continue. Not only will such research save lives, but it will also provide jobs, spur the economy, and maintain America’s competitive edge in the global community.

Overshadowing all other opportunities for substantial progress this year was the financial crisis. Reviving the economy through government spending on education, infrastructure, and healthcare, along with tax cuts, rebates, and unemployment benefits was necessary. Though we were happy that Obama’s stimulus package passed the House of Representatives anyway, we were disappointed that not one of the House’s 177 Republicans voted yes on it.

Though much happened in national politics outside of the presidency, the most exciting moment of the year was the election of President Barack Obama. Strikingly different when compared with the Bush administration, Obama’s respect for intelligence and encouragement of change are what we asked for in our leader. We chose Obama after weighing heavily his concerns versus those of his opponents. We believed—and still do—that Obama’s plans to address the economy, health care, energy, foreign policy, education, and more are all improvements for a broken system. We were encouraged by Obama’s response to our nation’s economic meltdown, and believed that his ideas for a stimulus were simultaneously pragmatic and beneficial. In a world plagued by threats of terrorism and war, Obama brings to the table a diplomatic approach that we wish more leaders would employ.

The theme of Obama’s campaign was “change” and, indeed, there have been many recent changes to the political landscape, most of which are positive. As our politicians continue to legislate, however, we hope that they will become increasingly accountable and work harder to ensure that all Americans have equal opportunities.