As an alumna, I'm very concerned about the youth vote - particularly the MSU vote - in this election year, which will, beyond a shadow of a doubt, represent a turning point in the history of our country. Everything is at stake: Will we throw out our Constitution in fear? Will we continue to move down the road of unilateral, pre-emptive war? Which direction we take is, as never before, up to students. As Howard Dean said, you have the power.

When I was in school, 18-year-olds had just gained the right to vote, largely because it's hard to deny the franchise to people who are going off to war, fighting and dying. We face similar times today, with House and Senate bills reinstituting the draft ready for consideration as soon as the election is over. Many people say there is no difference between John Kerry and President Bush on the war, but you only have to think back to 1972 when Kerry returned from Vietnam and became an anti-war activist to know that this is not true. Why do you think Bush has been pounding away at Kerry as a flip-flopper for months and months? Because he knows most people disagree with his policies, snap decisions and executive incompetence.

If college students turn out in force, we can at least begin the hard work of taking back our country.

Patricia Goldsmith
1975 MSU graduate