Marshall University’s College Republicans had a screening of “33 Minutes: Protecting America in the New Missile Age,” in the Alumni Lounge of the Memorial Student Center on Thursday.
The film is a one-hour documentary produced by The Heritage Foundation, a conservative public policy research institute, that suggests a ballistic missile fired from anywhere in the world could hit a U.S. target in 33 minutes or less.
“It’s a very real threat that we have knowing that at any moment dangerous people in the world would threaten us with a ballistic missile,” said Jordan Richardson, president of College Republicans. “I think this was a very good display of why we need to continue (missile defense).”
Richardson said he thinks it is important for members of the group and other people to be educated about this threat.
“Missile defense is not something everyone knows about,” Richardson said. “In 33 minutes, life as we know it in America could be over.”
Allegra Settle, public relations manager for College Republicans, said she agrees with the film’s suggestion to increase spending for missile defense systems.
“I definitely think we should because it’s obviously something that could have such a significant effect on our country,” Settle said.
The film featured several experts in fields such as national security, missile defense and international studies.
Lt. Gen. Henry A. Obering is featured saying that not putting more money into missile defense is morally bankrupt. Richardson agrees.
“I think if you have knowledge that there is a present danger and you’re not willing to do something about it, given the high cost of what the attack would be, I think choosing not to do something is morally wrong,” Richardson said.
He also said the current economic state should not slow the process of missile defense.
“The cost of an attack would be possibly trillions, so it’s an insurance policy,” Richardson said. “Instead of spending maybe $2 trillion on a health care bill that’s going to go bankrupt just like Medicare, Medicaid, Social Security, we could spend it on something we know will work for a tenth of a cost.”
Settle said she thought the information in the film was interesting and thinks it’s something all Americans should know.
Although only 11 people attended, Richardson said it’s all about getting people to talk about the issue.
“It’s about spreading the word. When I first heard about this movie, I didn’t know anything about it, and I told, apparently, 11 people about it, so they know and they can go tell other people,” Richardson said. “It’s something they can make a political issue out of.”
It’s an issue, he said, that could blur party lines.
“It’s really not a Republican issue or a Democrat issue, it’s an American issue,” Richardson said.
Kristen Footo can be contacted at footo@marshall.edu.
3 comments