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
