Student declares support for “Iraqi Freedom”

To the Editors:

Of issues directly related to the war I do not consider myself fully knowledgeable. I hear bits and pieces and have the general ideas from the newspapers and CNN and to that end what I know is plenty. What I am more concerned with is the reaction of students and, more importantly, faculty on this campus to President Bush’s declaration of war.
Oberlin is certainly one of the most liberal minded campuses in the nation. We take everything to the extreme and because of that we have been labeled ultra-liberal. I feel that this belief is how most of the student body wants to be recognized. But there are students on this campus that do not feel the same. I, myself, am one such person. If you are curious I am a Democrat and did not vote for Bush. But he was elected our President and with that election he gained my support for his four or eight years in office. As for this war before it began I did not know where I stood. I held no strong beliefs for or against it. My friends were split on the issue, with my closer friends being for the war and obviously in the minority with that belief. When President Bush declared war my decision was made for me. America is at war, I am American, therefore, I support it.
I have been raised with the understanding that each person is entitled to their own beliefs, no matter what they are. If I do not agree with them that is fine and if someone does not agree with me that is also fine. I am not going to try and persuade someone to think and reason how I do. But I will make my thoughts known for those who are willing to listen.
This war is real. It is going to affect each person on this campus directly. No matter how much you stand outside in Tappan Square and shout your anti-war, anti-American protests the bombs are still going to drop and troops are still going to be deployed.
Now think of it this way. The troops in the Middle East are no different from you or me. They are people. They are someone’s son or daughter. They are your childhood friend you have lost track of. They are the boy or girl next door that you sometimes played with as a child and never took the time to know. They are that kid in high school that you never talked to and thought yourself better than because you did better in class and had different friends. And they are fighting for you. They are protecting you. They are willing to give up their life for yours, and for what? So you can carry a sign in the middle of nowhere and protest everything that they fight for, everything that this country stands for. Think about the fact that your freedom to carry that sign is being upheld at the cost of young Americans’ lives next time. Maybe you should offer them your support and prayers instead of your protest and hate. I have friends and family overseas and God willing they will live to see the end of this war. How can you protest friends and family?
My next concern has to do with professors at this “fine” institution of higher learning. If I wanted to know your personal beliefs about this war then I would ask you. Otherwise, I would like to learn in class and not spend it listening to you go on and on about how, and I quote, “embarrassed you are to be an American.” And that “the majority of the nation and the world are against this war.” Let me clear some things up. First, as I said, I do not know it all nor do I claim to, but I know this, Bush has gained approval from Congress to declare war. Bush also has a relatively high approval rating from the people of this nation and some 35-plus countries are backing the United States and I am willing to bet that many more will follow soon. As I said earlier I come to class to learn. I do not pay close to $40,000 a year to go to this school so a professor can cancel class for his or her students to participate in a walkout. I did not want to participate in the walkout and because of your actions I now lose class time that I am paying for. Also, think about this. If it is a “walkout” then class has to be going on. Otherwise it is just a cancelled class. What are you walking out of if there is no class? And how can a college support students blatantly skipping class? And how can professors be so accommodating to students who walk out? For example, this is midterm week and professors have allowed students who knew about the exams to make them up at a later date so that they can participate in the protesting. I think each of those students who missed their test should receive a 0 for it. How fair is it for those students who went to class to find out that their classmates who do not want to be in class do not have to take their exam? And how fair is it to know that if you choose not to take it at the specified time that you will undermine your own beliefs because you will indirectly be supporting the walkout? To the professors — you are being paid to teach us in your field of study, whether that is history or philosophy or math or music, not intertwine your own beliefs of outside issues into that class. I could care less whether you think Bush is a moron or whether you think every student should know what to do on day “X.”
One final note, many of you who are against this war know me. Some of you know my plans after I graduate, most do not. Regardless, I am going to tell you. While most of you go to graduate school and continue with your lives, I have chosen a different path. When I graduate from Oberlin I plan to enlist in the Army and serve my country, war or not. Now, instead of a distant memory of a childhood friend put me in the scenario that I mentioned. Think about me fighting so that you can maintain your way of life. Put a real face and memories to that shadowy figure you so love to protest against. See how easy it is to protest when you have a friend fighting for you and doing it regardless of how you respond. Think about that while you carry your sign and slander the country that has given you everything you have.

—James Ian Haynes
College junior