Nader to speak in Bloomington, Indianapolis Saturday

While some Bloomington students are participating in the Little 500 insanity, the greater Indianapolis community will be celebrating Take Back the Earth Day with Ralph Nader at 5 p.m. Saturday. After Nader headlines Saturday's events at IU-Purdue University Indianapolis, he will be addressing the students of IU. \nThe chairman of Nader's state campaign, Dallas Stoner, said Nader will be speaking at 7:30 p.m. Saturday at the Solarium in the Union. The event is free. Nader will also be speaking in South Bend Sunday, Stoner said\n"The other two candidates have failed to show any interest in this state -- the Republicans think they've got it in the bag, and the Democrats have given up hope," Stoner said. "This is a chance to show Indiana that Mr. Nader is serious."\nBallot-access laws and environmental policy will be the major topics of Nader's speeches this weekend, in addition to voter registration and voter turnout. According to www.msnbc.com, Nader's campaign is focusing first on the states with the toughest ballot-access laws; Indiana ranks among the top five along with other states such as Texas and North Carolina, which have a history of consistently voting Republican. Colorado is projected to be the first state to add Nader to the ballot, as the ballot laws there only require fees instead of voter signatures.\n"It's an insult, really that no one else has bothered to come here," Stoner said. "It shows that the members of the duopoly (the two party system consisting of the Democratic and Republican party) consider Indiana residents incapable of voting progressively or voicing dissension."\nJeff Melton, the Bloomington campaign coordinator, stresses advertising Nader's arrival through word of mouth and e-mail. \n"The more people we can get involved, the better," Melton said. "Bloomington students know the duopoly is ineffective; this is a chance to get somewhere."\nStoner also emphasized the potential base Nader could gain with college students. Nader's campaign has just reached the point at which he can receive government funds; 60 percent of those donations accumulated via Internet sites, with most of the donations less than $100.\n"Students have an awesome responsibility," Stoner said. "They're inheriting a faulty system, and I understand what students mean when they say they're overwhelmed and don't have the time, but that's the kind of complacency which is going to kill our country."\n-- Contact staff writer Allison Ricket at aricket@indiana.edu.