House candidate speaks at IU

With the primaries approaching, David Sanders spent Tuesday evening discussing his campaign platforms, with the IU College Democrats. Sanders hopes to represent the 4th District in the U.S. House of Representatives, replacing the incumbent Steve Buyer. \nMandy Carmichael, president of the IU College Democrats, said Sanders contacted her to speak at IU, even though IU is not included in the district that could vote to elect Sanders to office. \nIn a lecture titled "Serving One's Country," Sanders stressed preserving democracy, which he says is under assault. He faults the current Republican Congress for failing to adhere to the most recent amendment to the Constitution, saying that the "cost of living increase" is a direct attack against the integrity of the U.S. government. The 27th amendment states that Congress cannot increase its salary in the middle of a term. \nSanders said incumbent Buyer is degrading the credibility of Indiana, accusing him of unethical behavior. These accusations include Buyer's support of the use of nuclear weapons in Afghanistan and consideration of reinstating the draft. Sanders faults the media for failing to bring to the public's attention to Buyer's mistakes, saying the media neglected to cover Buyer's appearance in front of the House Ethics Committee.\n"Buyer always uses the line that he served in the Gulf, when actually, he was a lawyer who advised interrogators," Sanders said.\nSanders participated in the Nunn-Lugar Program, which strives to eliminate weapons of mass destruction by investigating former weapons labs. His role in the program included interviewing former weapons scientists to confirm their expertise is concentrated in civilian projects instead of creating potentially destructive technology. \nAs an associate professor of biology at Purdue, Sanders has worked with viruses such as Ebola and West Nile. He commented that a knowledge of science is imperative not only in national security, but also in making any decision in congress.\n"Most current issues have a basis in science, and I can deal with these on a firsthand basis, and if I don't know the answers, I know the people in academia who can give me the answers," Sanders said. "I won't have to rely on lobbyists and money to tell me how to vote."\nEnvironmental issues, Sanders said, are an area where his views contrast the most from incumbent Buyer.\n"Springtime is here, and the difference between me and the other candidates is that I notice and appreciate the changes," Sanders said. "Buyer doesn't see a forest he doesn't want to cut down, a wetland he doesn't want to pave over or a river he doesn't want to dam."\nSanders has made appearances in all of the counties in the 4th District to generate recognition of his policies. He plans to foster a collaboration between industry and academia, as the 4th District encompasses many college campuses and industrial facilities, including Purdue University. Convincing students current issues will affect them well into the future and motivating them to take a proactive role in government, Sanders said, is a difficult task. \nGreg Bales, a sophomore majoring in political science, agrees with Sanders concerning the lack of student participation. Bales was the one of five spectators who attended Sanders' lecture.\n"Sanders covered a lot of stuff," Bales said, "but the IU College Democrats must be really unorganized because there isn't anyone here."\nCarmichael says the organization hopes to raise student interest by holding activities like the Voter Registration Drive, which will take place in Dunn Meadow Thursday.\nSanders concluded his lecture saying, "Democracy requires participation. Far too many elections resemble those of authoritarian governments, and we need to protect our democracy."\n-- Contact staff writer Allison Ricket at aricket@indiana.edu.