ANALYSIS: Did Green Party vice presidential candidate tackle issues City College values most?
As a teenager, Rudolph Ware was so captivated by “The Autobiography of Malcolm X” that he read it cover-to-cover in a single night. The next day Ware read the Quran and converted to Islam.
That two-day experience sparked in Ware a lifelong commitment to the Black radical tradition, anti-imperialist struggle and community organizing, leading him to run as the U.S. vice presidential candidate on the Jill Stein Green Party presidential ticket.
Determined to dismantle what he calls the “two faces of fascism” in American politics, Ware is speaking to all voters who may be disillusioned with the current state of the country and are seeking an alternative to the two-party status quo.
“No mercy, no compassion, no quarter for the leadership (of Democrat and Republican parties),” Ware said. “But as for the rank and file followers, I would like to humbly suggest a different approach … The goal is to put power back in the hands of the American people.”
Ware, who is also a University of California Santa Barbara history professor, made a campaign stop at the Centro Cultural de La Raza Oct. 13 to deliver a wide-ranging speech outlining his vision and the Stein-Ware campaign policy platform.
San Diego City College English Professor Paul Alexander invited the candidate, who he knows personally, to San Diego to highlight the Green Party as a viable alternative that addresses the needs of those overlooked by both major political parties.
“I invited him … because I think he has an important message that people should hear,” Alexander told City Times. “It’s important to understand that the Green Party is more than just a party that’s going to pop up for presidential elections.”
When asked about the presidential race’s relevance to City College, Alexander acknowledged the importance of presidential elections to education and the environment on college campuses.
“Each elected official in general,” Alexander said, “and also presidents have the potential to directly impact the environment, the learning environment on campuses.”
Current and previous U.S. presidential administrations have caused their respective repercussions on City College students.
City Times Media attended Ware’s speech and identified statements from the candidate that describe his plans if elected. CTM organized these statements based on issues raised in the City College Community Agenda and listed them below.
CTM included statements by the candidate that are directly related to his policies and that contain context he provided as a basis for those policies.
The City College Community Agenda is an ongoing survey of City community members, in both English and Spanish, asking what issues and questions they want candidates to address as they compete for their votes. If you have not submitted your issues and questions to the survey, please do so today.
CTM has analyzed the presidential and mayoral debates using the same format.
On the app? Can’t see the graphics below? Click here.
Your donation will support the student journalists of San Diego City College. Your contribution will allow us to purchase equipment, cover the cost of training and travel to conferences, and fund student scholarships. Credit card donations are not tax deductible. Instead, those donations must be made by check. Please contact adviser Nicole Vargas for more information at [email protected].
