Let the Military on Campus

[DjTj]

Originally posted by gbrittain

I speak from a little bit of experience here. I was a Captain in the Army, but I have been a civilian for about six months now.

The recruiters at the universities are not targeting the same people they would target at the local highschool.

The Army when on Campus is looking for JAG officers, nurses, doctors, and future leaders.

Some are trying to compare apples to oranges.

It is not a good idea to recruit at major universities it is a necessity. West Point alone can not staff all the doctors, lawyers, leaders, nurses, engineers and etc that it takes to run a highly efficient Army.

Very good point - I am actually going to school with a lot of JAG's right now.

In any case, I still think we're arguing over very little here. I feel somewhat responsible for this long drawn-out argument because I was the first person to respond to this post.

I never said that elite university students do not want to join the military. What I said was that elite university students that want to join the military don't need a recruiter to tell them about it. People like Tarhog will usually walk into a recruiting office and enlist themselves instead of waiting for a career fair to come around.

I guarantee that there are JAG's coming out of Harvard Law every year, and I would be very surprised if the number decreases significantly because the recruiters are banned. Turning down a lucrative private sector job to be an Air Force JAG, a Navy Engineer, or an Army Doctor is not the kind of choice people get talked into. For people with those qualifications, it takes a certain dedication and fortitude to make that choice.

[Larry]

Now, DjTj, that I'll (kind-of) agree with. (Meaning, your assertion that "that kind" of people make up their own minds, and serve voluntarily.)

(In fact, I'd claim, one reason people from upper-class schools go into the military is because they think of it as a kind-of missionary work. They know when they go in that they'll be paid a lot less than they could be making elsewhere. It's one of those professions that people go into for reasons other than money. Although, I've tried to point out: Getting that particular ticket punched doesn't exactly hurt your carrer down the road, either. The Old Soldiers Network is a very real thing, in a lot of professions.)

However, we've come somewhat full circle. The universities do have an obligation not to go out of their way to paint the military as an evil or lower-class option. And allowing them onto campus, even if they're going to face a liberal student body who'll mostly turn up their noses, is a minimum standard of decency.

Heck, if the KKK wanted to have a rally on campus, I'd bet some folks would be crying "censorship" if the school said no. (I know the ACLU would. But they're just a bunch of liberals.)

[JoeSkins]

Originally posted by du7st

How about you write me a recommendation for the air national guard when the draft is brought back

Now that's an intelligent statement. Do you know what the voting totals were when the "Mandatory Military Service Act as revised by July 3rd 2003" was brought to congress? Just take a guess, because you're going to be wrong.

[Tarhog]

Originally posted by Larry

Now, DjTj, that I'll (kind-of) agree with. (Meaning, your assertion that "that kind" of people make up their own minds, and serve voluntarily.)

(In fact, I'd claim, one reason people from upper-class schools go into the military is because they think of it as a kind-of missionary work. They know when they go in that they'll be paid a lot less than they could be making elsewhere. It's one of those professions that people go into for reasons other than money. Although, I've tried to point out: Getting that particular ticket punched doesn't exactly hurt your carrer down the road, either. The Old Soldiers Network is a very real thing, in a lot of professions.)

However, we've come somewhat full circle. The universities do have an obligation not to go out of their way to paint the military as an evil or lower-class option. And allowing them onto campus, even if they're going to face a liberal student body who'll mostly turn up their noses, is a minimum standard of decency.

Heck, if the KKK wanted to have a rally on campus, I'd bet some folks would be crying "censorship" if the school said no. (I know the ACLU would. But they're just a bunch of liberals.)

That is exactly right. Well said. Sometimes principles matter.

[JoeSkins]

Originally posted by Larry

(I know the ACLU would. But they're just a bunch of liberals.)

Mind that, Larry. I'm a card-carrying member of both the ACLU and the NRA. Some members believe in the Bill of Rights, not all of the crazy causes they fight.

[Larry]

Originally posted by JoeSkins

Mind that, Larry. I'm a card-carrying member of both the ACLU and the NRA. Some members believe in the Bill of Rights, not all of the crazy causes they fight.

I just recently joined the ACLU, myself. I've been thinking about the NRA, but I'm not real crazy about their demand for anonymous gun ownership.

[JoeSkins]

Originally posted by Larry

I just recently joined the ACLU, myself. I've been thinking about the NRA, but I'm not real crazy about their demand for anonymous gun ownership.

It's definitely true that some of their stances are a little "out there."