FORT WORTH -- Politically savvy teens at Paschal High School sparred in a debate Thursday that touched on national debt reduction, foreign policy and immigration.
The 40-minute debate was part of the school's participation in the National Student Mock Election, in which schoolchildren learn about the democratic process in classroom lessons and activities and cast ballots in state and national elections.At Paschal High's debate, representatives from the Young Republicans, Young Democrats and Young Libertarians outlined their party platforms and answered questions from student moderators.Asked how their candidate would reduce the deficit, Young Libertarian leader Reece Ringnald said the country must pass a balanced budget, decrease the rate of inflation and stop borrowing money from China."Let me tell you how you start fixing the debt," said Ringnald, 16, a junior. "You press the stop button on the [currency] printing press. Other countries have done this when they had a recession."Young Democrats vice president Ben Border, a 16-year-old junior, said: "It is our duty as Americans to reduce our debt and deficit. However now is not the time to do that by cutting spending and cutting taxes. If anything, we should increase spending and decrease taxes."Young Republicans president Jack Eiband agreed that taxes should be decreased."Wow, it sounds like the Young Democrats just endorsed the Bush tax cuts, which is great," said Eiband, 17, a junior. Jessamy Brown, 817-390-7326Twitter: @jessamybrown
Online
National Student Mock Election: www.nationalmockelection.org
Youth Leadership Initiative's 2012 National Mock Election: www.youthleadership.net
Channel One News One Vote 2012: onevote.channelone.com
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