Dear Editor, ‘ ‘ ‘ I am writing in response to The Pitt News’ coverage of the presidential and… Dear Editor, ‘ ‘ ‘ I am writing in response to The Pitt News’ coverage of the presidential and vice-presidential debates. Every four years we are stuck with the same boring, substance-lacking debates, leaving pundits disputing pointless gaffes rather than important issues facing the United States. ‘ ‘ ‘ We all wonder why our ‘greatest’ leaders leave us out to dry on the issues that matter. The answer to the problem lies in the company that controls the debates. The majority of Americans do not know that the Commission on Presidential Debates hosts the presidential debates. Don’t let the name fool you: They are a private company, run by Frank Fahrenkopf, a former head of the Republican National Committee, and Paul Kirk, a former head of the Democratic National Committee. They purposely exclude third parties ‘mdash; creating a dull, anti-democratic, parallel interview. Both candidates sit down with the commission and pick what they wish to discuss. Because of this, their soundbyte responses possess the same amount of substance as an episode of ‘Dora the Explorer.’ The narrow dialogue that has strangled our voices inevitably leaves countless issues unaddressed. ‘ ‘ ‘ To make my point even more clear, look at the bailout bill. Both candidates voted for the bailout bill that passed, yet no substantial provisions, oversight or crackdown was included. As a result, the economy continues to plummet. Our candidates rewarded reckless corporations for putting the United States down the drain, and now they are drowning in our money. We can’t even ask them why they blindly supported the bill. Why won’t the moderators ask them why they voted for it? Is it because the candidates requested not to discuss it? How can that be justified? At what point does it go from ‘we the people’ to ‘they the corporations?’ ‘ ‘ ‘ Such immoral acts can only exist for so long until our entire system collapses because of the corporate greed that eats away our civic rights. We must open the debates and never allow the dialogue of our country to be controlled by such tyrant forces. This is a slap in the face to our values, our culture, and most importantly, our democracy. Jordan Romanus School of Arts and Sciences