2008 Woodie Awards
Colin Powell encourages students to vote, addresses time spent as secretary of state
Laura Houser
Issue date: 1/25/08 Section: Front Page
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These were the words of former Secretary of State Colin Powell as he addressed the Miami University community Tuesday evening, speaking on his past role in international politics and the current state of the nation.
Returning as the eighth speaker in the Farmer School of Business' Jack R. Anderson lecture series, it was Powell's second visit to Miami after he served as the inaugural speaker for the series in 2000.
Powell touched on several issues throughout the night, deviating slightly from the title of his speech, "Diplomacy: Persuasion, Trust and Values." While Powell is perhaps best known for his role in sending the U.S. to war with Iraq in 2003, the former secretary of state spoke on a variety of issues that spanned his expertise as a general to a modern crusader for
disenfranchised youth.
Powell briefly touched on environmental sustainability, dropping the term "global warming" twice during the evening. The issue of conventional warfare was also discussed, especially pertinent in light of Powell's 35 years as a
professional soldier.
Modern warfare is changing, Powell explained in a question-and-answer session before the speech, but the U.S. has the capabilities of meeting these challenges if it will only recognize its shortcomings.
"We have always fought wars with armies designed to fight another enemy," Powell said.
Powell also appealed to the youth in the crowd, urging the students present to "get off their butt" and become active in their communities, give back to others and vote.
As founder and chairman of America's Promise Alliance-a group that works to provide children and youth across the nation with education and safe home-Powell spoke most passionately on education, urging for the current system to be reformed.
A small contingent of Miami students, however, were less than pleased with Powell's visit, staging a protest against Powell's role leading up to the war in Iraq before the event.
And while it is true that Powell has received heavy criticism for his work as part of the Bush administration-particularly his 2003 speech to the United Nations (U.N.), presenting the case for war in Iraq-there is still debate as to the level of guilt that he still shoulders.
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