Jessica Carter

10/21/16
HUMA 1100

Civic Engagement
I attended the 4th congressional debate at Salt Lake Community College.
Incumbent Mia Love, battled her opponent, Doug Owens, for the second time. Many
important issues such as war, welfare, and financial aid, were addressed. They allowed
several students to submit questions of their own. Love and Owens were able to
express their values, and their plans to conquer the issues at hand.
This assignment relates very directly to Salt Lake Community College's learning
outcomes in several ways. The third outcome states Students think critically and
creatively. This includes reasoning effectively from available evidence; demonstrating
effective problem solving; engaging in creative thinking, expression, and application;
engaging in reflective thinking and expression; demonstrating higher-order skills such
as analysis, synthesis, and evaluation; making connections across disciplines; applying
scientific methods to the inquiry process. Attending, and participating in, the debate
relates to this outcome because processing the debate makes us think critically. We
must look at the evidence (the nominees values and plans), and use reflective thinking
to analyze how each candidate's plans will directly affect us.
The fourth learning outcome states Students develop the knowledge and skills
to become community engaged learners and scholars. This includes understanding the
natural, political, historical, social, and economic underpinnings of the local, national,
and global communities to which they belong; integrating classroom and
community-based experiential learning; identifying and articulating the assets, needs,
and complexities of social issues faced by local, national, and global communities;
evaluating personal strengths, challenges, and responsibility for effecting positive social
change in local, national, and global communities; drawing upon classroom and
community-based learning to develop professional skills and socially responsible civic
behaviors; engaging in service-learning for community building and an enhanced
academic experience. The relation between this outcome and the debate may seem

more obvious than the previous. In order to be a community engaged learner you must
first be engaged in your community. A part of being engaged in your community is
knowing what problems the community is facing and consider solutions. Sometimes, we
cannot by ourselves solve the issues our community is facing, so we must elect
someone to be our voice amongst the chaos that will accurately represent the entire
community as well as its values. To be sure to elect an official who will do such, more
than their opponent anyway, you will need to get to know each candidate, their values,
and the plans and solutions they intend to initiate.
I saw many similarities between the debate and the speech The Four
Freedoms, written by Franklin Delano Roosevelt in the early 1940s. There is a
passage within this article that read the future of all the American Republics is today in
serious danger. We have heard lines similar to this used by many candidates on
differing levels, multiple times, throughout the current election, including the
congressional debates. It is interesting to see that nearly 80 years later we still fear our
nation, and the morals of our nation, is in grave danger, almost as if we have learned
nothing at all from our past mistakes. What a shame that is.
The speech goes on to illustrate four basic freedoms people should never have
to fear losing. Within those rights Roosevelt mentions equality of opportunity, ending
special privilege of the few, and preservation of civil liberties for all. I cannnot help but
notice, yet again, these are the same things being brought up in current elections. It
makes one wonder whether the system will ever truly change. But then again, we are
taught over and over again if we want to see change we must demand change.
Though my eyes may have been opened, in a seemingly cynical manner but
opened nonetheless, to the lack of progression within our society, which can be a
somewhat depressing revelation to have, I am happy with the fact that I attended this
congressional debate. A lack of opening your eyes to the wrongs within your societies
government, and the entire system in general, is what allowed these injustices to
continue. For how can you change a problem if you do not know it is a problem. When
people ask why we continue to let accept the injustices being thrusted upon us the only

answer is ignorance. By attending these meetings and analyzing them in a humanities

way, I have destroyed a small portion of my own ignorance, therefore making me a
more engaged and accountable citizen. By a humanities way I mean with empathy, and
that every human, along with their experiences, are equally valid. In humanities you look
things as if there is one life, yet many lenses to see it through. Now, had I attended the
debate prior to understanding a humanities way of thinking, I probably would not have
walked away with the same understanding of what had happened during the meeting.
So, although the debate did have a positive influence on me as a citizen, it was the the
debate alone.
I mentioned in my pre-flection that I have never cared much for Mia Love, and
those negative feelings were entirely solidified during this debate. I mentioned I would
like to walk away from this debate with a clear understanding of why she was voted into
office in the first place, and sadly that clarity never did present itself. I found her to be
very sassy, and I noticed many of her answers consisted of her of blaming Washington
for things, or how Washington needed to fix things, rather than answering for herself. I
was pleasantly surprised to discover Love and I do have similar opinions on a few hot
topics. I did walk away from this debate with a clear determination of who I would be
supporting during this election, which was essentially my main goal for this debate.
Although I did enjoy the meeting enough to attend another, I must be honest and
say it will probably not be one that Mia Love participates in, therefore it is probably a
good thing I do not live in her district. I do however look forward to attending meeting in
my district, as well as paying more attention to larger debates that do not take place
anywhere near, in order to continue down my eye opening journey.
Witnessing incumbent, Mia Love, battle her opponent, Doug Owens, was a
frustrating yet influential debate to attend. I was able to relate this debate to my
personal life in many ways, including academically. I am pleased to say I walked away
more informed and with a better understanding of their individual campaigns for the
election. This debate, along with ones I will attend in the future, are sure to assist me
staying a civically engaged citizen.