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Students protest army presence
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Also by Sundeep Malladi:
- In-Depth: What's affected by budget cuts? (September 1, 2005)
- In-Depth: Rising past the numbers (November 10, 2005)
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- Demonstrators 'Walk Out' against occupation of Iraq (April 15, 2005)
- Peace coalition rallies in DC (April 18, 2002)
- LTEs demand more from Union (September 19, 2002)
- Student groups protest Ed's Express (March 14, 2005)
by Sundeep Malladi
Thursday, February 17, 2005
Students collected at the Memorial Union’s Great Hall during the Multicultural Career Fair Wednesday afternoon to protest Army recruiting on college campuses.
Their efforts, however, were interrupted after one hour, when police arrived to disperse roughly 25 people, mostly composed of students from University of Wisconsin’s Stop the War, along with members from the Student Labor Action Coalition, Associated Students of Madison and International Socialist Organization.
The coalition of students began chanting in front of the “Navy Health Care Team” table, but was asked to stop. According to University of Wisconsin Police Department Lieutenant Bill Larson, students were asked repeatedly to stop, and officers arrested one female UW student. Larson added the students’ protest was impeding on recruitment activities. Organizations had paid $125 to set up booths at the fair. The Navy recruiters chose not to comment.
Students protested the military recruiters because of their discrimination policy against homosexuals and a focus on recruiting underprivileged, low-income individuals, according to UW alum Bill Linville.
“We don’t think the option should be to go kill in Iraq — a poverty draft,” Linville said. “We don’t want [recruiters] preying on folks who can’t afford education.”
The UW protest comes after several national incidents.
Students at Seattle Central Community College (SCCC) literally forced recruiters off campus Jan. 20, when bottles and newspapers were thrown at Army recruiters. The recruiters have since been allowed to return.
“We were really inspired by the Seattle thing,” Linville said.
However, universities are, for the most part, unable to ban college recruiters from campus due to the Solomon Amendment, which can deny federal funding from those universities not allowing recruiters or ROTC.
Since then, recruiters returned to SCCC without incident.
“The college will remain committed to protecting free speech by ensuring that people of all beliefs and ideals are able to express their opinions in an environment of dignity and respect,” according to a statement from SCCC.
The controversy of allowing military recruiters on campus began as early as the summer of 2003 when professors at Boston College, New York University, Georgetown and several other law schools came together as the Forum for Academic and Institutional Rights (FAIR). FAIR then took the matter of the Solomon Amendment to court and won in the 3rd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Philadelphia.
Lawyers argued the Solomon Amendment breached First Amendment rights of universities around the country.
However, according to Shara Frase, an associate with Heller Ehrman White and McAuliffe, the government has stayed the decision and the Supreme Court is currently hearing the case. Additionally, Congress passed a nonbinding resolution Feb. 2 calling for the support of the Solomon Amendment.
“This decision threatens to severely damage the ability of the military to recruit the highly qualified candidates necessary during a time of war,” Congressman John Kline, R-Minn., said in a release.
Still, Frase said not every university wants to bar recruiters from their campuses — as Congress would have society believe — but simply wants the right to bar recruiters without penalties.
Anonymous (February 17, 2005 @ 6:00am):
WFT? "a focus on recruiting underprivileged, low-income individuals, according to UW alum Bill Linville." It was the Navy Health Care Team, they are recruiting individuals who are going into HEALTHCARE at a college campus. It doesn't matter about race, who ever it is is previledged to go to a Big 10 University. You are going to reply with some "facts" about how minorities make up a larger percent of the armed forces but you should be happy that the NAVY is recruiting doctor and nurses. The Michael Moore types have always argued that the Army and Marines take all of the minorities and send them into battle and the "cushy" jobs are given to "those priviledged college boys." Get your facts right, if you are going to become a doctor, the Navy is a great way to get your education paid for, see the world, and stay out of a combat zone!! Also, who from ASM was there?
Orange Riot
Anonymous (February 17, 2005 @ 9:24am):
the last poster is correct. On top of this, I find it funny that the campuses are doing this in the name of free speech. free speech for the gay groups, but what about the military's free speech to be on campus? Does that not count as free speech? Oh wait, I know, when liberals agree with you, then your ideas are free speech. when they disagree with you, your ideas become hate speech.
Anonymous (February 17, 2005 @ 9:30am):
My father grew up and had 2 choices after highschool: work for 4 bucks an hour at the lumber mill or join the military. He chose the later, was able to gain some skills, see that there was a whole world out there and pull himself out of poverty. Because of this, I was able to become the first person in my family to go to college and in 3 months I will be graduting from law school. I'm not sure that any of this would be possible without the opportunities the military provided my father. Now, if you think privilege is a god-given right--as most of these children do--our experience will obviously fly right over your head. Having said that, its a shame that the military is behind the curve on gay rights. (Particularly because they are so far ahead of the rest of the planet on race relations. I challenge anyone to find a more diverse, more integrated institution in the world than the United States military.)
Anonymous (February 17, 2005 @ 11:40am):
So, why do things like this always involve somebody bitching about gay rights groups? You fucking moron, do you think there are no gay conservatives? Or gay Republicans? Or gay christians? Hmmm??? Just because the country is divided in half over who they voted for for president doesn't mean that everybody is either a liberal or a conservative, and the liberals are all the fags and women and the conservative are all the manly men who know how to spend money. If you're going to make a point then fucking make it. If you need to bash a minority to make a statement then you probably don't have a sound argument - and you ARE engaging in hate speech.
Dummy.
Anonymous (February 17, 2005 @ 1:01pm):
A few more of these stupid demonstrations, and it almost gets a person nostalgic for the days of Kent State.
Anonymous (February 17, 2005 @ 1:52pm):
anyone else find it disturbing that these people are inspired by an event which included throwing bottles at other people?
Anonymous (February 17, 2005 @ 2:46pm):
To the poster who suggested the Army does not have "free speech".
No one is disputing the miltary's right to "free speech", but their "free speech" is an attack on others. You have to imagine law schools that tell their gay students that the world is theirs to conquer, that they can do anything, and then have U.S. military recruiters who say "we can't take gays." When asked "why?", there is no logical answer. Why a "don't ask, don't tell" policy?
I think another poster made it pretty clear the military is a viable option for paying for school. But what if you don't support the war?
The following statement is untrue (or at least i'd like to think so):
"Oh wait, I know, when liberals agree with you, then your ideas are free speech. when they disagree with you, your ideas become hate speech."
-I'm assuming this is a reference to Ward Churchill (a member of the "left"), I think we can agree Churchill is a lunatic, but he deserves a voice. I think the same applies to those coming from the "right".
Mind you, I don't consider myself "left" or "right", just cautious.
Anonymous (February 17, 2005 @ 3:22pm):
I know why they want recruiters off campus, and it has NOTHING to do with gays. It is because many people HATE THE MILITARY in general. It is because of all of that flag waving, gun shooting stuff that gets them. Combine that with hatred of Bush and America, and you get the picture of why the left wants the military off of college campuses.
Next time, when there is a recruiter, expect PW to be there as well.
Anonymous (February 17, 2005 @ 3:57pm):
Has it occurred to anyone that enlisting in the military is a free choice? How are minorities coereced into joining?
It's fine to protest their policies regarding homosexuals, but to disrupt their recruiting - which they are free to do - is an ironic twist when one considers that these protesters are also protesting some imaginary "limitation" on their free speech.
But for those with a clear mind, don't fret. The rest of the country that does not live within two miles of Library Mall celebrates the military for who they are - heroes. Nothing better than seeing returning soldiers getting a standing ovation at airports when they land.
Anonymous (February 17, 2005 @ 4:38pm):
You can hate George Bush, you can hate his policies and you can oppose the war in Iraq or any other war for that matter - but to hate the military who protect you is foolish. I know many members of the military who oppose the war in Iraq but they are doing their job - a job they are paid a miserable amount to do. As for the "don't ask, don't tell policy" that the military has - I don't agree with it - I'm as liberal as most students and alumni from the University but it's a sad reality that many (not all) members of the military are homophobic and are simply unwilling to work alongside homosexuals. If you want to know just how crazy military guys can be watch the movie "The Soldier's Girl". It's based on a true story and is horrific, but it provides a little insight.
Anonymous (February 17, 2005 @ 6:41pm):
"We don't think the option should be to go kill in Iraq -- a poverty draft," Linville said. "We don't want [recruiters] preying on folks who can't afford education." This particularly sparked concern with me as to how little this person knew of the military.
My family never had very much money and I am insulted by the term "poverty draft". Please don't insult those of us who willfully joined the military out of love for our country by implying we were forced to join. I would have enlisted whether I was driving a Porsche or a bucket.
Here are a few facts about what the military has done for me. After starting with nothing and serving for nearly five years in the Marine Corps, I have or will receive the following:
Montgomerey GI Bill- 36 months x $1154/month = $41544
Wisconsin VA benefits --8 semesters of tuition and fee reimbursement. At current rates for UW Madison, that is approximately $2933.12 x 8 = $23464.96. Also, unlimited Part Time Tuition reimbursement for education less than 12 credits at a time.
Healthcare at the VA hospital
That's not to mention all of the experience both professional and personal I have gained. That doesn't include the money one can save while serving either. This is just the tip of the iceberg. No one is being forced to do anything whether attending college or joining the military. It's not for everyone, but certainly a huge lift out of poverty.
The military should have the right to put out an offer. No one has to accept the offer. But the protestors are reducing students' ability to see what opportunities are out there. It is people like them that are hindering many people's leap from poverty.
Semper Fi,
Shannon Bohlman
Anonymous (February 17, 2005 @ 6:49pm):
It's sad to see how a school that used to honor the military. It has places such as Memorial Union, the gym which used to serve as an armory, and Camp Randall. When you think of UW now the images that come to mind are liberal teachers plugging radical agendas into impressionable minds. Now, what was once a haven for our wonderful military, has become a disgrace to it.
Anonymous (February 17, 2005 @ 9:20pm):
"No one is disputing the miltary's right to "free speech", but their "free speech" is an attack on others."
And Ward Churchill's free speech isn't? How about all those obnoxious attack ads that both Republicans and Democrats run against their opponents during election campaigns?
Anonymous (February 25, 2005 @ 9:08am):
Sorry, I couldn't get past the title of "students protest army presence"... It was the NAVY that they protested, correct? Christ, they wear different colored uniforms! So much for accuarcy in journalism, and the credibility of the article!
