Dem. candidate Jonathan George speaks to College Democrats

College Democrats met at 8 p.m. Monday in Ballantine Hall to hear a speech by Jonathan George, a Democratic Party candidate for Congress in Indiana’s 9th District. George, a retired Brigadier General with more than 4,000 hours of cockpit time and multiple honorable medals, was once a director of the National Security Council.  

George started the speech as a philosophy lecture by talking about physics.

“Physics are cast in stone and don’t change,” he said. “That’s another way to say the world isn’t always as it seems to you.”

George then discussed the philosophy of why we should help the poor.

“People with less resources figure out a better way of doing things because otherwise, they stop existing,” he said.

George also placed a great deal of importance on youth.

“Creativity is the realm of the young,” he said. “What I mean by that is this: Almost every great invention discovery was done under the age of 30.”

On the other side, he also commented a potential demise as a nation.

“America’s great society is closer to its end today than it was at its beginning, oh, about 50 to 100 years ago,” he said.

About half an hour into his speech, George talked about his first policy stance. He said community productivity needs to increase.

George continued by listing issues that need work in southern Indiana. He said the lack of jobs is a problem here.

“How many of you expect to find great employment where you can find careers that you can thrive through when you get out?” he asked rhetorically. “Not many.”

George compared southern Indiana to Afghanistan, listing similarities like leprosy, agricultural basis, drugs and bad education, health care and transportation.

“It stood out to me that he always brought all of the issues back to southern Indiana,” said junior Hannah Dixon, a member of College Democrats. “This shows me that he was interested in making things better for his district.”

“I think it’s extraordinary to have the experience of serving our country,” senior and President of College Democrats Logan Souder said. “Veterans like General George have gained experience throughout their service that makes great public servants.”

Joshua Roberts, a freshman and member of College Democrats, said George’s faith in young voters appealed to him.

“Most people these days, particularly politicians, seem to ignore the younger generation, yet we are the ones that hold the biggest influence on the future,” Roberts said.