By Jessica Sierocki, photo editor.
Speakers Rosa Clemente and Ruben Navarrette Jr. brought a mixture of their knowledge in politics for a night full of hard-hitting issues as part of the 18th President’s Speaker Series on Oct. 26.
“We were asked to speak about this election. This incredible election. This incredibly bad election,” says Navarrette.
Navarrette and Clemente spoke about the upcoming presidential candidates, their policies, and how they are dealing with the current issues.
“We have a presidential candidate who hasn’t been very kind to my people, Muslim people, LGBTQ people, or women in general and he’s running for president of the United States. Even if most likely Trump loses, that rhetoric doesn’t go away the next day, in fact that rhetoric is heightened,” says Clemente.
Neither Clemente or Navarrette like either Democratic or Republican presidential candidates and were not afraid to inform the students and community members who attended the political forum.
“What’s wrong with saying you made a mistake? Hillary Clinton can’t do that. She can’t do that on emails, she can’t do that on Benghazi, she can’t do that on gay marriage or Black Lives Matter. She’s incapable of doing that just like Donald Trump doesn’t do that. Donald Trump doesn’t do anything. These two people lack that little gene that allows them to say, ‘I’m sorry, I was wrong,’” says Navarrette.
Dr. Jean Goodnow, president of Delta College, was delighted to have two speakers talk about the upcoming presidential election.“I think it’s extremely stimulating for all of us, students, instructors, administrators, and staff to hear different opinions. I think the closing remarks this evening were just so right on in terms of how we need to be communicating with one another and understanding and appreciating the differences that we have,” says Goodnow.
Barb Handley-Miller, Chair of the President’s Speaker Committee, was happy with the audience turnout. “The students were very respectful listeners and our two speakers really modeled the civil dialogue that Ruben Navarrette ended his speech with. There are going to be policies that we disagree on, but let’s make sure we understand each other before we’re talking over each other,” says Handley-Miller.
The goal of the President’s Speaker Series is to bring different views to the community and help them learn from experienced speakers.
“We have to look for what are the things we can work together on and what are the things that we really need to concentrate on. Let’s figure out how we can really work together on some things. I sure hope that’s what happens,” says Handley-Miller.
