Daily Deacon

Wake Forest College Republicans host former Louisiana state senator — Chris Caswell

Wake Forest College Republicans hosted former Louisiana state senator and congressional candidate, Elbert Guillory on Feb. 12.

Guillory has drawn considerable interest across the country due to his multiple changes in party affiliation. According to The Daily Advertiser, a Louisiana newspaper, Guillory was a registered Republican prior to 2007. In 2007, he switched to the Democratic Party when he first ran for the state House. Then in 2013, he returned to the Republican Party.

In 2013, he released a video explaining his choice to switch affiliations. In the video, he explains that he believes the Republican Party is better for blacks.

“The left is only concerned with one thing: control,” Guillory says. “Programs such as welfare, food stamps; these programs aren’t designed to lift black Americans out of poverty. They were always intended as a mechanism for politicians to control the black community.”

At the College Republicans event, instead of giving a speech, Guillory encouraged an open discussion, but he began by introducing himself and talking about the events in his life that shaped his career and beliefs as a politician.

According to Guillory, he was arrested at a public library when he was 15 years-old. He was arrested for sitting in the library after the librarian refused to let him check out a book. He has said in a previous interview with the National Review that this was a driving force in his life, leading him to public service.

Guillory mentioned another important event in his life, too. At the age of 17, Guillory was the Editor-in-chief of his school’s newspaper, but a year later, he was expelled from his school at gunpoint because of articles he wrote about civil rights.

Guillory was shaped by these discriminatory events, but he emphasized that the U.S. has changed a lot since then.

“The United States is not perfect, but it’s come a long way in my lifetime,” said Guillory. “I’m not sure it ever will be [perfect], but it’s the best thing on Planet Earth.”

Though Guillory thinks the country has come a long way in his lifetime, he still believes it faces important challenges ahead.

When asked what he thought the biggest single issue was facing the U.S. today, he responded with funding, in particular, the national debt.

“It will affect every decision Americans make over the next decade,” said Guillory. “There is no money for the jobs of tomorrow.”

Students asked Guillory what the government can do to control the deficit and what programs should be cut back. He responded that it must put a ceiling on debt and should cut back on “just about everything.” An example Guillory gave was social security. He said that the government should cut it back, because it is unstable and unsustainable.

Another issue that he spoke of is education. Guillory said that the American education system has deteriorated over the past several decades.

He compared scores from his community – amid the civil rights movement – to now and claimed that scores were worse now than when “separate but equal” was still legal in schools. Guillory said that education is an area in which the U.S. must improve to compete globally.

“We cannot compete on an international basis, and we can’t grow anything, like the economy, with an illiterate country,” said Gillory.

Later on, when asked how exactly he proposes the government strengthen schools, he said schools should take disruptive children out of the classroom so other can learn.

“The federal government said that the bad kid has to stay in the classroom,” Guillory said. “They should put that kid in a better environment.”

However, he also said that, in response to a question about Common Core standards, that the federal government should leave guidelines on education to states.

The College Republicans were, overall, pleased with the discussion.

“Senator Guillory spoke extensively on ways in which the left has created a culture of dependence that is harmful to American welfare as a whole and detrimental to equality,” said Joe Macy, President of College Republicans. “We hope his legacy will reach across several generations to renew core values to ensure a better future.”

Another student shared Macy’s enthusiasm for the event.

“It was a wonderful chance for Wake Forest students to get a good perspective from a sitting senator,” said graduate student Eric Henderson. “For me, it’s nice to see a good turnout, because a young crowd isn’t privy (sic) to participating in politics.”