by Konnor Gottfred | Feb 24, 2019 | News Slider, Opinion
This week, I sat down with Dr. Marc Schwerdt, a professor of political science here at Lipscomb to discuss and go over the potential successes and shortcomings of The Green New Deal. Before we get into the some of the points made within the interview, I would like to go over just what exactly the Green New Deal is and what it entails. The Green New Deal is a sweeping and newly-proposed resolution that is being championed by Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Senator Ed Markey. While it was mentioned all the way back in November after AOC won her congressional race in New York, the actual document containing the details and provisions behind a new ten-year plan was first introduced to Congress on Feb. 7 of this year. The Green New Deal declares that “because the United States has historically been responsible for a disproportionate amount of greenhouse gas emissions, having emitted 20 percent of global greenhouse gas emissions through 2014, and has a high technological capacity, the United States must take a leading role in reducing emissions through economic transformation.” Therefore, there are many domestically-centered projects and objectives outlined within the resolution that revolve around a global concern for our environment. AOC looks for America to move to a system of 100 percent clean, renewable energy by around 2030, and the deal also looks for the world to be able to have net-zero emissions by 2050. Not only would we be moving away from greenhouse gases and fossil fuels, but this also includes the decommissioning of all nuclear plants. According to the document, if we do nothing to reverse...
by Erin Turner | Feb 24, 2015 | News Slider
Lipscomb’s small piece of Nashville was put in sharp focus for the community during the 2015 Mayoral Candidates Forum Tuesday evening in the Ezell Center. The event allowed the seven mayor candidates to answer questions concerning quality of life issues. The event was presented by the Nashville Civic Design Center, a nonprofit organization that focuses on making Nashville a beautiful and functional city for everyone. Lipscomb’s Nelson & Sue Andrews Institute for Civic Leadership hosted the event. The institute — which was built on the legacy of great Nashville leaders — engages leaders in academic and community programs to create broader communities. The institute did just that during this event — with over 200 filled seats with community members and faculty, and two separate rooms for overflow attendees and students. The candidates were asked questions concerning neighborhood design, transportation, pedestrian safety, housing and parks. They also discussed some of what Mayor Karl Dean has done in Nashville already. The candidates who have officially declared their intent to run for mayor are Megan Barry, Charles Robert Bone, David Fox, Bill Freeman, Howard Gentry, Jeremy Kane and Linda Eskind Rebrovick. Sophomore Jay Klein said that allowing the candidates to speak on Lipscomb’s campus was a good way for students to become aware of the city’s issues. “It was a great way to get our students involved in the election process, whether they are able to vote for mayor this upcoming August or if they’re just trying to get involved in politics in general,” Klein said. Political science professor Marc Schwerdt said that students were mostly interested in issues relating to transportation and walkability. “Walkability...
by Brianna Langley | Sep 11, 2014 | News Slider
President Barack Obama publicly addressed the nation Wednesday night regarding a Middle Eastern – and potentially global – crisis that has emerged in the form of a terrorist group known as the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS). ISIS is a group of extremists who have been terrorizing and killing innocent people in Iraq and Syria, including Muslims. In recent days, the United States has been horrified by the direct and brazen beheadings of two freelance American journalists, James Foley and Steven Sotloff, who were inoffensively working in the Middle East. In reaction to this and many other barbaric acts of ISIS, President Obama delivered a speech to the American people in which he stated that the United States would be recruiting a coalition to “degrade and ultimately destroy” ISIS. This coalition will include the deployment of 475 U.S. military advisors to Iraq, bringing the total number of American personnel stationed there to 1,600. However, the president also made it clear that “these American forces will not have a combat mission; we will not get dragged into another ground war in Iraq.” President Obama also added that this mission “will be different from the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan; it will not involve American combat troops fighting on foreign soil.” Instead, this “anti-terrorist” coalition will focus mainly on airstrike campaigns. According to Lipscomb political science professor Guy Vanderpool, the president’s speech was just what our nation needed to hear. “It conveyed a clear warning to ISIS, assured Americans that their security is his top action and emphasized that the freedom and justice and dignity of world peoples remain...
by Emily Snell | Mar 3, 2011 | News Slider
Last week, President Barack Obama instructed the Department of Justice to stop supporting the Defense of Marriage Act, or DOMA, which defines marriage as being between one man and one woman. Lipscomb political science professors Marc Schwerdt and Dwight Tays shared their opinions on the issue. Tays, assistant professor of political science, said he thinks the president’s announcement doesn’t necessarily reflect Obama’s personal beliefs; rather, Tays said, it shows his official, political decision on the issue. “His personal stand is that he does not support same-sex marriages,” Tays said. “But one’s personal stand and official actions at times may be different.” Some consider the announcement to be a shift from Obama’s 2008 campaign stance on this issue. But Tays and Schwerdt said they think the announcement against DOMA is perfectly in line with his position. “His position is, I think, consistent with what he has always done,” said Schwerdt, assistant professor of political science and head of the department. “He has always taken a middle-of-the-road approach. He recognizes civil unions, but he doesn’t really want to recognize gay marriage.” Tays said he doesn’t think the president’s stance on DOMA will have much impact. He said that the act was “really an affirmation of heterosexual marriage.” “It really does not govern marriage,” Tays said. “It was more a political statement instead of a legal reality.” Both Tays and Schwerdt said that a federal statement about marriage doesn’t inherently carry great significance because states are most responsible for what happens regarding same-sex marriage. “I don’t think they’re going to mess with this issue,” Schwerdt said. He explained that, at this point...
