Young Americans For Liberty, a student organization at Washburn University, is currently being revamped by president Matt Becker to help expand student libertarian presence on campus.

“We are a libertarian based ideology group; we try to promote freedom, absolute freedom limiting government. We are for both sides of the spectrum–Republican and Democrat–we share a lot of view with them,” Becker said.

The group is open to people who lean either left or right.

“Like the democrats, we share individual rights, we share gay marriage, and decriminalization of certain drugs; the republications, we share free market aspects with them,” Becker said.   “Also we have a softer foreign policy–we don’t feel like telling sovereign countries what to do is our job. They run their country as they want to they let us run our country as we want to.”

The organization will be hosting a debate between two economics professors Dr. Jeniffer Ball and Dr. Paul Byrne on the Affordable Health Care Act on Friday September 27. The event is open to all students and will be held in Henderson 100.

“We are going to have questions for them to answer economically and constitutionally,” Becker said.

The organization meets every Thursday from 3:30p.m. to 4:30p.m. to plan their weekly event, have webinars, and discuss current events. The group is open to all students regardless of major.

“If you lean Democrat or Republican we would still love to have you there.  We live for debate, we live to try to get the country working back into the direction that promotes freedom,” Becker said. “I think both sides can truly benefit from coming together.”

Becker would like to see the organization help students expand their connection with politics.

“A lot of times, especially our generation, we like to stay out of politics.  We feel like we are disconnected from it.  I want to show people that we can get connected back in it,” Becker said.  “We are the power; if you want freedom, if you want to feel like the government can’t tell you what to do all the time, this is the organization for you.”

Connect with the organization on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/groups/152330448197440/                                                Washburn Young Americans For Liberty.