SecDef Gates urges Duke Univ. students to Be A Man! Enlist!

Secretary of Defense Robert Gates spoke at Duke University September 29. First, the background:

It is also true, however, that whatever their fond sentiments for men and women in uniform, for most Americans the wars remain an abstraction. A distant and unpleasant series of news items that does not affect them personally. Even after 9/11, in the absence of a draft, for a growing number of Americans, service in the military, no matter how laudable, has become something for other people to do. In fact, with each passing decade fewer and fewer Americans know someone with military experience in their family or social circle. [ . . . ]

Clearly, SecDef Gates was speaking of people like Duke University alumnus Ben Quayle. And now the money quote:

I’d like to close by speaking about another narrow sliver of our population, those attending and graduating from our nation’s most selective and academically demanding universities, such as Duke. In short, students like many of you. [ . . . ] I am encouraged that several other comparable universities – with the urging of some of their most prominent alumni, including the President of the United States – are at least re-considering their position on military recruiting and officer training – a situation that has been neither good for the academy or the country.

But a return of ROTC back to some of these campuses will not do much good without the willingness of our nation’s most gifted students to step forward. Men and women such as you.

[ . . . ]

So I would encourage you and all young Americans, especially those at the most selective universities who may not have considered the military, to do so. To go outside your comfort zone and take a risk in every sense of the word. To expand what you thought you were capable of doing when it comes to leadership, responsibility, agility, selflessness, and above all, courage. [ . . . ]

SecDef Gates also asks everyone else, for whom it has not been possible to serve [Ben Quayle, anyone?], to do what they can:

For those for whom military service is neither possible nor the right thing for whatever reason, please consider how you can give back to the country that has given us all so much. Think about what you can do to earn your freedom – freedom paid for by those whose names are on that Duke wall and in veterans’ cemeteries across this country and across the world.

OYE Comment:

We thank SecDef Gates for saying what our national civilian political leadership, elected by the American people, should be saying. They should be urging Americans to Be A Man! Enlist!

We also think that those not personally eligible to serve can best Support Our Troops by urging their eligible relatives and friends, their circles of influence, to volunteer. It will change your life.

And where are the Duke University College Republicans? Too busy kicking out their Chairman for being gay (and, therefore, not eligible to serve in our military thanks to "Don´t Ask, Don´t Tell."). Why don´t they listen to SecDef Gates and do what he can´t? Pussies.

Hat tip to Spencer Ackerman. Photo tip here.