Teig Lynster, ’05, is not sure how he feels about the current situation in Iraq. On the one hand, he thinks the regime of Saddam Hussein is a threat, but he does not agree that the United States should use military force against Iraq. “I think Hussein is a threat to both America and his own people. I don’t think the U.S. should use force against him though…it is totally uncalled for at this point in the game. First they have to find proof that he is plotting something against us.” Lynster also believes that Bush should seek the approval of Congress if military action is looming. “He needs to get Congress’ approval…it’s what they are there for – to keep each other in check.” Lynster’s sentiments represent the opinion of most students surveyed in a poll of Fairfield students conducted recently. When asked if Saddam Hussein poses a threat to the United States, 26 percent of students strongly agreed, 64 percent of students agreed, and only 9 percent of students disagreed. Dr. John Orman, a politics professor, thought that the results are typical of the student population here. “It seems like everybody knows what’s going on,” Orman said. “Although a disproportionate amount of students are probably from middle-class or upper-class families, due to the fact that it costs $35,000 a year to go here. Because of this, they are more predisposed to be loyal to the President.” Other results from the recent poll indicate that students feel skeptical about the Bush administration’s actions towards Iraq. When asked if President Bush should have to get the approval of Congress before taking action, 82 percent of those surveyed responded that he should seek Congress’ approval, while only 18 percent said he should make the decision himself. Sixty-nine percent of students thought that the United States will end up fighting Hussein, and 28 percent think the situation will be resolved without fighting. The Iraq situation seems to be a somewhat important issue with students on campus. Among students surveyed who voted in the most recent elections, 24 percent responded that the issue of war with Iraq was the issue most important in deciding for whom to vote. Reagen Smith, ’03, voted in the recent elections, and said the Iraq situation was the deciding factor. “I have a lot of friends in the military,” she said, “and I don’t want to see them put in harm’s way for unnecessary purposes. I think our leaders should be cautious in this case.” Orman also said that whether the United State goes to war or not will most likely depend on events in Iraq, not the policy position of the Bush administration. “I know the president wants to go to war, but events are going to dictate that,” Orman said. “If it looks like Hussein allows a fair inspection, I don’t see how Bush can unilaterally go to war. I think it’s all up to the weapons inspectors.” Orman also believes that over time there has been a change in anti-war sentiment at Fairfield University. “In the late 60s and early 70s when people could be drafted, there used to be anti-war demonstrations here,” he said. “That’s the big difference. That would be a big question for a poll, whether people would put their names in for a draft should we go to war. You’d probably get a result back of something like one percent.” In theory, in 19 cases out of 20, the results based on such samples will differ by not more than five percentage points in either direction from what would have been obtained by seeking out all Fairfield University students.
Leave a Reply