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Congressman Michael Capuano (8th Congressional District of Massachusetts) visited Wentworth and engaged students, faculty, and staff in an interesting discussion on politics, his political background and experiences, and current issues shaping Massachusetts and the country. He spoke about his beliefs and the passion he brings to his position working on behalf of the residents of the Commonwealth.
The congressman shared stories on how he became involved in politics, his upbringing in Somerville, and how his college experience impacted his belief system and provided an avenue for him to influence social change. He provided advice for students who may be considering a career in politics and encouraged them to pursue this career path if they are in it for the right reasons.
He was clear on his reasons for becoming a politician and he reinforced the idea that he “entered politics to change the world tomorrow.” He noted the importance of compromise in working with constituents and that one must “respect that there will be differences of opinion and that you must understand where other people are coming from.”
After his introduction, Congressman Capuano fielded questions from the assembly on topics related to unfunded mandates, steroid use in baseball, antiquated Massachusetts laws, differences between democrats and republicans, the economy, renewable energy, public transit, bi-partisanship, universal healthcare, the second amendment, Iraq, the Patriot Act, and higher education.
Capuano was direct in his responses and clearly has strong opinions about certain issues, and he used straightforward, direct language to help the audience understand issues and to think critically about them. He integrated personal and professional stories into his responses to drive home a point or provide a more thorough explanation of a topic. |
