OPINION & EDITORIAL
Dean of students owes veterans an apology
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by Letters to the Editor
Tuesday, October 23, 2007
Friday afternoon I received an e-mail from the Campus Antiwar Network. Opening the e-mail I read across the headline: “TheCampus Antiwar Network and theOffices of the Dean of Studentsbrings you….” Later I read that military deserter, Camilo Mejia, was the “guest of honor” for the event the e-mail was publicizing. This did not sit right in my stomach.
I am a three-tour Iraq war veteran and am currently in my sophomore year here at UW. I absolutely love the campus, its people and the diversity that we are known for. However, reading in the paper and across sidewalks every week about the stance against the war and the few who have turned in their medals or speak out against the war leaves me feeling worthless.
As a veteran who has seen the awful aspects of war, I feel like veterans are being cheated by the few who get attention here on campus. I read the campus papers just about every day and have yet to see a front page headline about a serviceman winning a prestigious medal or sacrificing his or her life for a brother in arms.
It saddens me that a man who illegally deserted his men for the comforts of home, which he was supposed to protect, is brought to campus and sponsored by the Offices of the Dean of Students. In the Marine Corps, we not only fought for our brothers at our sides but also for America. By turning away from his brothers in a time of need, Mr. Mejia not only abandoned them but also betrayed America. Turning your back on America should not be something the dean of students sponsors.
War is hell. I hate war just as much as the next person, but that is not to say good things can’t come from it. I have met some of the most courageous men and women while serving my country. I have witnessed my fellow Marines completely disregard their own lives to help others, including Iraqi civilians. I am not standing up for war but for the image of those who willingly fill the gaps in our military when the majority of Americans choose not to.
I know there are men and women who stand with me when I say that our image is smeared by certain individuals on this campus. I know I have stood on the sidelines and disregarded several inappropriate actions taken by our organizations and leaders, but the line is crossed when the dean of students jumps on board and scars the image of my fellow servicemen.
I just hope others like me take a stand and begin calling out inappropriate conduct from our representatives at this campus. Let me start by demanding an apology from the dean herself. I believe that would be rather appropriate, to say the least.
Ryan Wagner
Sergeant Marine Corps
UW Sophomore, Civil Engineering
rnwagner@wisc.edu
Anonymous (October 23, 2007 @ 7:06am):
The Dean of Students has no business whatsoever getting involved at all in political issues. Shame on her.
Anonymous (October 23, 2007 @ 7:13am):
Really, is an apology going to make the world right for you?
Maybe we should apologize for fucking Iraq up so bad... then leave.
Anonymous (October 23, 2007 @ 9:19am):
You like the diversity here. Good. However, I don't believe you. You are upset because a man who served his time (yes, he was jailed) and can not receive any benefit from his EIGHT years of military service came to speak to the students about his personal view on the war. Also, I suggest you read up on him a bit...his "desertion" is not as clear cut as you believe.
Please too if you know any good to come out this war...let us know. If you, as well, feel the sacrifice of your fellow soldiers and their heroics are not getting the press they deserve, blame your commander-in-chief and his cronies--they are the ones who are banning the news coverage of the dead returning home and their funerals.
I do not pretend to know how you feel. However, it was the brave veterans of the Vietnam War who spoke up then and gave impetus to the country's cry of enough young dead and maimed. Hearing all sides is what diversity of opinions is all about. Present a proposal, offer up a panel for discussion and present it to the Dean. If you are then told there is nowhere for your voice to be heard on campus, complain. Otherwise, your argument reeks of personal hurt and personal anger.
I do hope however you were able to attend the Horowitz speech, it should have given you consolation.
Yes, diversity of thought on campus, a wonderful truly American notion.
Anonymous (October 23, 2007 @ 10:40am):
If you think war is hell, try Indiana.
Anonymous (October 23, 2007 @ 11:50am):
You may be right that the Dean of Students shouldn't sponsor this event, but some may argue that Mejia didn't betray America. What about all those draft dodgers in the Vietnam War? What about Muhammad Ali, who refused to serve?
Is it not also patriotic to stand up for what you believe in? He may have broken the law by deserting the military (and he served his sentence), but saying he betrayed America when he exercised his freedom and stood up for his beliefs is disingenuous.
Anonymous (October 23, 2007 @ 12:00pm):
Honoring one person does not dishonor another. I thank Ryan for his service. It was his choice, presumably, and I don't begrudge him the benefits he has accrued. I just strongly wish our political leaders had found a way other than war. When I had my chance to go overseas to shoot at folks I'd never met, I didn't take it. I didn't trust my 'leaders' judgement. But if ever I feel my country is directly threatened, believe me, I will fight. Mr. Mejia also has the right to decide for himself what his actions will be. I don't know him, or details of the situation, and I don't judge him. Lastly: anti-war does not equal anti-veteran. My father and my brother served, if I support anti-war activities, am I dissing them? No.
Anonymous (October 23, 2007 @ 12:17pm):
What about all those draft dodgers in the Vietnam War? What about Muhammad Ali, who refused to serve?
Or Bush, Cheney, Limbaugh...
Anonymous (October 23, 2007 @ 12:32pm):
"I do hope however you were able to attend the Horowitz speech, it should have given you consolation."
Being a veteran is not necessarily equivalent to being a conservative.
Anonymous (October 23, 2007 @ 12:39pm):
Thank you for writing this Ryan. The argument you spoke for today has not been represented in this paper before.
!S
-David Lapidus
Anonymous (October 23, 2007 @ 2:23pm):
The Dean of Students, and the university as a whole, "sponsors" all kinds of events. Think this campus doesn't celebrate (right-wing, reactionary) diversity? Guess you missed the ALL-CAMPUS EMAIL announcing the David Horowitz visit.
Anonymous (October 23, 2007 @ 2:28pm):
Camilo Mejia is incredibly courageous. I thank him for his service in refusing to kill in my name.
Anonymous (October 23, 2007 @ 3:04pm):
i seriously want an explanation as to why the Offices of the Dean of Students brought a conscientious objector to campus and labeled him a "hero".
Also if you were at the event, as I was, you would know that Camilo's desertion was more like "I woke up and didn't feel like going back to war. I told myself I would go back the next day. And the next day. And the next day."
Anonymous (October 23, 2007 @ 3:58pm):
Clearly there are many people on here who are missing the point. I myself am a veteran who served in Iraq, and I feel exactly the same way as Ryan. I'm proud of him in fact- I've known him since we were kids and haven't seen him for years, but the maturity he has exhibited is amazing.
Although I for whatever reason did not recieve the same email, I would have had the same reaction. I too am against the war and am proud to have fought for the right for the people of this country to express their dissent. However, you can have all the opinions in the world, but if you haven't experienced it- you have no idea.
What Ryan's real point is- and he's pretty clear about it, is that this man abandoned his brothers and sisters in a time of need. Instead of having one more team member pulling security while they were on a convoy, or guard duty, they were hearing about his poorly timed political statement. He compromised their safety, and turned his back on them. Although his thoughts were honorable, his actions were not.
By virtue of the Dean of Students Office promoting this event, they have given acceptance to this man leaving his brothers and sisters behind in a time of dire need.
Had this been an event that did not include a deserter, this would not even be an issue.
Anonymous (October 23, 2007 @ 4:52pm):
Great piece
Zach Heise (October 23, 2007 @ 6:08pm):
I wish you would have come to the event then. There were a few ROTC members there that had a talk with some other IVAW members (I was told this afterwards) and it seems like they had a lot of questions for Liam Madden and Camilo.
Please, don't be so harsh to judge a man you've never met. You think "deserter," but as the first man to refuse redeployment in this corporate war (this is NOT a war for freedom; don't even try to BS it) he deserves at least to be listened to be before making snap judgements.
I was at Horowitz last night to listen to what he had to say. Although I found most of what he said racist and repulsive, I can honestly say that besides chuckling quietly a few times, I kept it to myself. But I was there, to listen.
Hope you do, next time. And trust me - there will be a next time.
Anonymous (October 23, 2007 @ 9:22pm):
First off, Thank you all for commenting on the topic. It is great to hear all the opinions and mixed emotions come out in a fairly well mannered way. However, the majority of you left the topic and switched towards Camilo and not the dean of students. Maybe I shouldn't have expressed my personal opinions about him in the piece and will note that for any future articles. The real issue is with the school sponsoring an event with a man that clearly did something wrong and the Uniform Code of Military Justice punished him for it. Not the constitution, most of you get civilian rights and military rights mixed up. All I ask is that the Dean give an apology for jumping on a political bandwagon while under her title. That is all. Great discussion...
Anonymous (October 23, 2007 @ 10:57pm):
it most likely said office of the dean of students because the CAN applied and got a grant from the deans office. our org does this all the time...and we HAVE to say the office of the dean of students in the title
Anonymous (October 24, 2007 @ 1:22am):
Thank you for your service to our country, Ryan, we need more courageous patriots like you. And...the war is a total mess - ill-conceived, poorly planned and a huge disservice to our men and women in uniform. I blame Bush, Cheney and Rumsfeld for that. They should be court-martialed.
Bring back the draft! If influential rich, white people's kids were being called up to serve we would have been out after Bush declared victory four years ago.
How do you know a war is bad? When you lose exponentially more soldiers during the occupation than during the fight to take the country.
Germaine X. Stemme
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