Protests continue against the Iraqi occupation by U.S. forces across the country and on our campus. Fueling these protests is the report stating that the intelligence on weapons of mass destruction was “dead wrong” and the continuing reports of Iraqi detainee abuse.

The outpouring of emotion against the war in Iraq is not only understandable but our right guaranteed by the Constitution. The public has the right to dissent against what they consider to be wrong.

What I find troubling is the fact that one of the demands of these protestors is the banning of military recruiters from campus because of military recruiters coercing unsuspecting students into singing up, the “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy and the current Abu Ghraib prison scandal.

The military does not have a perfect record in Iraq; in fact, the investigation of Abu Ghraib is rather damning. There were grave problems in the prison, such as lack of command and control by immediate supervisors.

What happened in Abu Ghraib was wrong. Not every soldier in Iraq, however, is a monster. Most military police units who control detainee camps do not abuse prisoners (as stated in the investigation). Some at Abu Ghraib refused to participate in the abuse and then reported it.

The vast majority of men and women who serve in the military are not criminals who take photographs in front of a naked detainee. Most who serve in the military are human beings, disgusted by the few who embarrassed the military by their heinous acts.

Just as most soldiers in Iraq are not evil monsters, most recruiters do not prey on the innocent. Recruiting offices — including the Army Recruiting Office in University Square — are staffed by sergeants who are average people doing a job.

Yes, by signing a contract into the military, you do sign away some rights. This is no secret. While it may be difficult (and inconceivable for many) to “sign their lives away,” signing the contract is 100 percent voluntary. Despite the bonuses, the benefits and the promises of recruiters, the enlistment contract is a contract just like any other. Before signing the enlistment contract, a potential recruit should consider the benefits versus drawbacks, research doubts, talk to veterans (our campus has many), take the contract to a lawyer or simply not sign it.

All of us, regardless of major, learn to research and question that which does not seem right. For anyone who considers the military, they should apply these same skills in order to find what is guaranteed by signing the contract. When I enlisted in the Army, I asked the recruiter some hard-hitting questions about the Army and military life. The recruiter, despite his exasperation with me, answered all my questions to the best of his ability. After weighing the options, I — a reasonable college student — signed the contract. While the Army was not paradise, I was proud to serve and thankful for the skill set that I acquired from my military service.

Not every military recruiter in the world is a con artist. I found that out only after asking recruiters and veterans for the information I needed to make my decision. Not every soldier commits war crimes, and not every recruiter lies to people.

The military may have policies with which many may disagree. Those in the military also do not agree with every policy. Banning recruiters from a public institution, however, is not the answer. While I may not agree with some of the demonstrations or protests on campus, I support public expression of any group’s opinion.

The same should apply to military recruiters. Just as I analyze the message of a protest, I also would look at each recruiter with skepticism. Information — whether acquired in class, a protest message or given out by a recruiter — should always be questioned. It is only in collecting and analyzing information from which you learn the complete story.

Instead of banning recruiters from campus, maybe we should instead talk to them and listen to what they have to say. Maybe then we will learn that recruiters are not the dishonest con artists that our biases make us believe.

Jeff Carnes ([email protected]) is a junior majoring in linguistics.