raging about rotc
I am grateful for freedom of speech. I believe that is one of the most powerful freedoms we enjoy and that it should not be stifled unless absolutely necessary to public safety (screaming "bomb!" as a prank in a crowded place, for example, should be punishable). I'm also grateful for the freedom to demonstrate. So don't get me wrong. I support the right of the people to do what they are doing today at my alma mater, it just makes me very, very angry that they are doing it.
The gist: under the guise of "stopping the unjust war in Iraq," a group is organizing a protest today urging the administration of Marquette University to abandon the ROTC program. Worse, two Marquette student groups - The Muslim Students Association and J.U.S.T.I.C.E. - have sent emails to their members to support the event.
Why does it make me so angry? Here's just a few reasons.
1) ROTC makes it possible for students to get a high quality education who not be able to otherwise afford it
2) ROTC benefits the university training students in the three of the four pillars of Marquette: Excellence, Service, Leadership (the fourth being faith).
3) Several of my friends were/are ROTC students.
4) This protest disrespects the military in general, not just the Iraq war. Many ROTC grads have nothing to do with the Iraq war.
Look, I get it. You don't support the Iraq war. You think it's unjust. You feel it's your duty to protest. I completely disagree with you with virtually every fiber of my being, but I respect your conviction. Trying to end the ROTC program at Marquette, however, in a twisted, illogical means of trying to end the Iraq war is pretty much the definition of asinine. I don't think I can even enumerate all the reasons this is a Bad Idea. I mean, what do they think is going to happen?
SCENE: White House
AIDE: President Bush! Marquette University in Milwaukee, WI has ended its ROTC program in protest over the Iraq War!
BUSH: Oh. My. God. We'll never survive this. Get all our troops home now. NOW!!!
Unlikely.
Like the skeptic I am, I think there is something very different going on here. This is an attempt to use the Iraq war as a guise for pushing an agenda against a group that these people have long despised and feared. They don't like the military. They don't like the fact that it pays for students to get a good education. And they're hiding behind the Iraq war as a means to try to get rid of it. That's the only explanation that makes any sense to me. I know that extreme liberal thinking usually falls in the realm of pie in the sky ideas like "wouldn't it be wonderful if... (cost didn't matter in health care, government provided everyone's needs and wants for free, etc.)" but actually believing that both A) their protest will cause anyone to even consider getting rid of ROTC B) if MU ROTC was ended it would make any difference in the war in Iraq is utterly incomprehensible to me. I can't believe that people actually think that, and thus I believe that the Iraq war is simply a guise to justify taking a shot at ROTC.
I shouldn't be so angry about this. They have zero chance of affecting any change. Still. While I support their right to this protest, the fact that they use this right (bought and paid for with the blood of our soldiers) in such a manner is disgusting to me. I've already signed the online petition supporting the ROTC program at Marquette and I am considering taking a long lunch to participate in the counter protest.
As always, your thoughts and arguments are welcome.
Edit: Someone in the petition suggested that any University that abandons the ROTC program be denied federal funding. Makes sense to me.
The gist: under the guise of "stopping the unjust war in Iraq," a group is organizing a protest today urging the administration of Marquette University to abandon the ROTC program. Worse, two Marquette student groups - The Muslim Students Association and J.U.S.T.I.C.E. - have sent emails to their members to support the event.
Why does it make me so angry? Here's just a few reasons.
1) ROTC makes it possible for students to get a high quality education who not be able to otherwise afford it
2) ROTC benefits the university training students in the three of the four pillars of Marquette: Excellence, Service, Leadership (the fourth being faith).
3) Several of my friends were/are ROTC students.
4) This protest disrespects the military in general, not just the Iraq war. Many ROTC grads have nothing to do with the Iraq war.
Look, I get it. You don't support the Iraq war. You think it's unjust. You feel it's your duty to protest. I completely disagree with you with virtually every fiber of my being, but I respect your conviction. Trying to end the ROTC program at Marquette, however, in a twisted, illogical means of trying to end the Iraq war is pretty much the definition of asinine. I don't think I can even enumerate all the reasons this is a Bad Idea. I mean, what do they think is going to happen?
SCENE: White House
AIDE: President Bush! Marquette University in Milwaukee, WI has ended its ROTC program in protest over the Iraq War!
BUSH: Oh. My. God. We'll never survive this. Get all our troops home now. NOW!!!
Unlikely.
Like the skeptic I am, I think there is something very different going on here. This is an attempt to use the Iraq war as a guise for pushing an agenda against a group that these people have long despised and feared. They don't like the military. They don't like the fact that it pays for students to get a good education. And they're hiding behind the Iraq war as a means to try to get rid of it. That's the only explanation that makes any sense to me. I know that extreme liberal thinking usually falls in the realm of pie in the sky ideas like "wouldn't it be wonderful if... (cost didn't matter in health care, government provided everyone's needs and wants for free, etc.)" but actually believing that both A) their protest will cause anyone to even consider getting rid of ROTC B) if MU ROTC was ended it would make any difference in the war in Iraq is utterly incomprehensible to me. I can't believe that people actually think that, and thus I believe that the Iraq war is simply a guise to justify taking a shot at ROTC.
I shouldn't be so angry about this. They have zero chance of affecting any change. Still. While I support their right to this protest, the fact that they use this right (bought and paid for with the blood of our soldiers) in such a manner is disgusting to me. I've already signed the online petition supporting the ROTC program at Marquette and I am considering taking a long lunch to participate in the counter protest.
As always, your thoughts and arguments are welcome.
Edit: Someone in the petition suggested that any University that abandons the ROTC program be denied federal funding. Makes sense to me.