Monday, April 25, 2011

Et tu, Brown University?

What a disaster of a rally. On one side you have the anti-ROTC jokers who still cannot move beyond the Vietnam War, and then on the pro-ROTC side you have a College Republican so impressed with his school, and likely himself, that he feels it "makes our military smarter" if ROTC was allowed at Brown University. I mean, if you're trying to help at least don't come across as a condescending prick.


Assholes. All of them.


"The idea that the University would even consider allowing a discriminatory group on campus is insulting," Gabriel Schwartz '13 said in an address to protesters. "But since it's trans students they're discriminating against, people think it's more okay. But I say — funk ROTC and support trans rights!"

"Funk ROTC" was the name of an ROTC protest parade featuring the What Cheer Brigade, a marching band from Providence, that took place later that night around campus.

"Discrimination is not a reason to keep ROTC off campus," said Terrence George '13, president of the Brown Republicans and chairman of the College Republican Federation of Rhode Island. "On the whole, the group does more good than bad," he said.

George, who organized the pro-ROTC rally, pointed out that ROTC provides scholarships for students from underprivileged backgrounds and "makes our military smarter." He accused the coalition of using "anti-military rhetoric" despite their "support our troops" chant.

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2 Comments:

At 26 April, 2011 13:41, Anonymous Anonymous said...

I think we should give ROTC supporters at Brown some latitude. His basic point is laudable: Brownians (Braunians?) have the same social duty to contribute to the military that they have to contribute elsewhere in society. Keep in mind that ROTC advocacy is more difficult at Brown than Columbia because Columbia has a large (300+), active population of student-veterans who have an informed, personal perspective of military service. Brown doesn't have that kind of veterans population on campus.

Check out advocatesforrotc.org.

 
At 26 April, 2011 22:06, Blogger Wek said...

Anon- fair enough regarding the Brown supporter. And thanks for the insight into the different schools.

I'll check out the link.

 

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