2008 Woodie Awards
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Letter to the editor: Botero exhibit 'anti-military'
11/8/07
The opening of Fernando Botero's art exhibit covering the abuses at Abu Ghraib is but one of many examples of AU taking every opportunity it can to bash the military. The actions taken by a small number of soldiers in Iraq has been used as a rallying cry for anti-war and anti-military groups, while the vast majority of soldiers have followed regulations, something the insurgency cannot attest to.
The bias against the military is a slap in the face to the history of the university and the hundreds of thousands who have died to guarantee the freedoms these groups take for granted. For many years, the university worked with the armed forces, providing land for barracks, weapons training and disposal programs during World War I and World War II. In the past decade, hundreds of AU graduates have earned their commissions in college or enlisted in the armed forces, serving across the world in all branches of service.
In terms of coverage of the war, AU never displayed the work by freelance and military photographers in Iraq, showing the progress being made. The work that the military has done in these countries, be it providing security, returning jobs, building schools and offering much needed aid is blatantly ignored both by the media and by anti-war groups.
Before the university invites another anti-military group or sponsors another anti-war event, it would behoove the university to consider the position it takes and the image it gives in doing so. Being anti-war does not mean that one must be anti-military. AU is doing its image and its students a disservice by showing such an ugly face to the military in its time of greatest need.
Justin M. Keyes
Senior, School of International Service
The bias against the military is a slap in the face to the history of the university and the hundreds of thousands who have died to guarantee the freedoms these groups take for granted. For many years, the university worked with the armed forces, providing land for barracks, weapons training and disposal programs during World War I and World War II. In the past decade, hundreds of AU graduates have earned their commissions in college or enlisted in the armed forces, serving across the world in all branches of service.
In terms of coverage of the war, AU never displayed the work by freelance and military photographers in Iraq, showing the progress being made. The work that the military has done in these countries, be it providing security, returning jobs, building schools and offering much needed aid is blatantly ignored both by the media and by anti-war groups.
Before the university invites another anti-military group or sponsors another anti-war event, it would behoove the university to consider the position it takes and the image it gives in doing so. Being anti-war does not mean that one must be anti-military. AU is doing its image and its students a disservice by showing such an ugly face to the military in its time of greatest need.
Justin M. Keyes
Senior, School of International Service
Viewing Comments 1 - 8 of 11
Robert Ruszczyk
Robert
posted 11/08/07 @ 6:39 PM EST
The problem with you argument is that it does not consider that what progress is made is negated by the number of casualties. There are 3,782 service men and women killed in Iraq, and the latest reported wounded numbers are 27,004. (Continued…)
Maggie
posted 11/11/07 @ 2:22 PM EST
Far too often do people confuse being anti-war with being anti-military. I come from a state where a lot of soldiers are drawn from and one of the major training bases for military (mostly National Guard) is about thirty minutes from my house. (Continued…)
Amy Cochran
posted 11/12/07 @ 9:15 PM EST
The exhibit doesn't attack soldiers or the military in any way. It is a comment on torture, in all forms, and if you're not anti-torture, I don't think you should be speaking on behalf of the U. (Continued…)
NeoTheo
brandon krapf
posted 11/12/07 @ 10:58 PM EST
Thank you Mr. Justin M. Keyes.
-Brandon Krapf
US Army
2000-2006
Patrick
posted 11/15/07 @ 11:04 AM EST
Justin, the exhibit doesn't have anything to do with the military or even war. It's about bad foreign policy and the ugliness of the human spirit. The fact that people representing our country, who are there to bring "freedom" to this region, used Saddam's torture prison to torture more prisoners is absurd. (Continued…)
Sheila Brayden
posted 11/19/07 @ 4:06 AM EST
Justin, the truth is always hard to take, especially when it is our own. If only conservatives like yourself could get off their point long enough to take a look at another's, then maybe our country would make progress in a forward motion. (Continued…)
Grant Lloyd
posted 11/27/07 @ 8:28 PM EST
Justin, I agree with you. The Abu Ghraib prison incident is a horrible thing and a black mark on America. No one disagrees with that. But, why does American U have to evangelize that message and bring it up again. (Continued…)
Werner G. Schmidt, Jr. US Army 1963-1993
posted 12/01/07 @ 8:43 AM EST
Right on Justin! AU does itself a disservice by not prtraying a balanced view of the actions of our men and women in the Armed Forces in Iraq. A very small minority were responsible for the tragedy at Abu Ghraib. (Continued…)
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