Respect ROTC students as members of the military
Keith Anderson
senior
The issue of University policy regarding the camouflage and training around campus has been talked about in recent weeks, but I feel that there is one point that still needs to be made. From what I gather, the policy was made because members of the campus community were feeling anxious because of Army Cadets in uniform marching with fake, rubber M-16 rifles as part of a training exercise.
Fair enough, but over break I observed an interesting double standard. I departed out of O'Hare and arrived into Los Angeles. When I went through security in Chicago, there were members of the U.S. Army standing there in full camouflage, with real, loaded 9 mm Beretta pistols hanging by their sides. In Los Angeles there were members of the U.S. Air Force, in full camouflage, with real, loaded M-16 rifles slung on their shoulders. Seeing the soldiers in O'Hare, I realized that not only were most people walking by probably not afraid of the soldiers standing there with loaded weapons, but most probably felt safer seeing them there.
Therefore what I implore people in the Notre Dame community to realize is that those soldiers standing guard make us feel safer, and the ROTC Cadets and Midshipmen on this campus are one in the same. Why do people fear Army Cadets with rubber rifles, but feel safe when they see guards with real rifles, though the Cadets will someday be those guardians?
The answer might come in part from something that a wise person once told me. It is easy to sit in the ivory tower of academia and denounce what is going on in the real world, because the academic environment can be very disconnected from reality. When we sit here in the pristine world of our Notre Dame bubble, it's easy to not see the purpose of the military or to be afraid of it, because the worst "crime" around here is rambunctious tailgaters.
Go to O'Hare though, and you won't be afraid of the military or question the job they're doing. It's easy to sit here in a place terrorists would never care to hit and say "love your enemies," but in the Sears Tower or the Capitol you'll find people there who hope that that terrorists are brought to justice quickly so that they can go to work without fear. It's easy to sit here in a place where everyone is safe, not oppressed, and say that attacks on the Taliban are wrong.
Read some articles, however, like the one I read, which said that there is a high possibility the Taliban is poisoning food that the United States is dropping for humanitarian aid in an attempt to sway the people's opinion against us. Then you will begin to understand the true nature of what they (not we) are doing to innocent Afghan people.
The point is simple. To those out there who are unsure about how they feel about the military in general I ask this.
Separate yourself from this place, think about the world outside the dome, and search yourself. Think about the men and women of the military who stand in O'Hare, in Los Angeles and in every other airport in this country making sure that it is safe for us to fly, protecting us when we cannot do it alone.
I think you'll find simply this: Even if you don't like the military actions going on right now or flat out don't like the military at all, it always still feels good to know that your soldiers, sailors, airmen and Marines are there keeping you safe. It feels good to know that they are standing vigilant in all our airports, as well as thousands of other places in the world.
Keith Anderson
senior
Stanford Hall
Oct. 29, 2001
All Viewpoint Stories for Tuesday, October 30, 2001
