Nader focuses on social advocacy

By Ryan May
Daily Forty-Niner

Green Party presidential candidate Ralph Nader made several appearances at Cal State Long Beach Wednesday, lecturing on the importance of growing up with a civic mind, focusing on personal issues rather than corporate advertising.

He gave two speeches focusing on the corporatization of America, to audiences that overflowed into the hallways of the University Library and University Student Union.

Nader, 66, began his first address by removing his tie and asking the audience to evaluate their involvement in social issues.

"Advocacy makes you go to the source of the problem," Nader said. "Why should anybody in this country be hungry? Why should anybody in this country be poor? Why should anybody in this country lack health care?"

He focused on the importance of mobilization, stressing the value of a continually positive attitude toward social causes.

"Information is the currency of democracy and the freedom of information law is the tool," Nader said. "The only place democracy comes before work is in the dictionary."

Sharon Olson of the Odyssey staff said Nader was chosen for his focus on technology and the global community.

"We thought he had a message that was appropriate with corporate and environmental issues, and things that apply to the future of all of us," Olson said.

After breaking for lunch, Nader addressed a packed audience at the student union. As students and supporters lined the walls and spilled out through corridors and doorways, Nader made the only reference to his campaign, a reference to his running mate Winona LaDuke. Nader was enthusiastic about LaDuke, the first American Indian to ever be listed as running mate for what Nader termed, a major party in a presidential election.

In his second address for the day, Nader focused more on the abuse of power by corporations. In it, he recalled a study on the history of commercialism, in which every religion in the world opposed giving power to the merchant class.

"The Supreme Court in 1887 ruled that a corporation was a person for purposes of the 14th amendment," Nader said. "Corporations should not be dealt with as persons. They are artificial entities. They should be subordinated constitutionally to the rights of real human beings."

He then switched from corporations to education.

"Have any of you ever thought that since you went to grade school free, since you went to high school free, why you can't go to college free?" he asked.

As the applause died down, he continued.

"You take all the students in all the public universities in our land.

It would cost about 33 billion dollars to pay all the tuition so you could go tuition free," Nader said. "Do you know [what] 33 billion dollars is like in Washington? They lose that in a few days."

Although not officially campaigning on his stop at CSULB, Nader did offer one piece of advice in reference to politics.