Letter to the Editor:
To The Editor:I am disappointed in the Baker Institute Student Forum's choice of topic for the fall 2013 student debate, "The U.S. Government Shutdown: Whose Fault Was It?" I understand that it is a debate, but pitting Republicans against Democrats to point fingers and lay blame echoes the extreme partisanship and political gridlock in Congress that got our country into this mess in the first place. There has to be a more meaningful way to explore and debate United States policies and political problems than by debating which political party or individuals behaved most disgracefully. I think it would be far more interesting and relevant to think about the potential long-lasting effects of the shutdown on a variety of issues: domestic policy, foreign relations, the economy, minorities, women, future elections. I do not want to debate who is more to blame for the idiocies of our elected government - I want to know whether Americans will remember the shutdown come next election and kick their representatives to the curb. Rachel MitchellSid Richardson College Junior