« The Problem with Republicans... | Main | Job Opportunity - Should I apply? »
November 28, 2005
Why Does the ACLU Hate the Troops?
Many have heard the ongoing debate on military recruiters in schools and the counter-recruitment efforts of the Left. Some schools are going so far as to sue the federal government on the grounds that their free speech is adversely affected by being compelled to allow military recruiters on campus in exchange for federal money. Get that? Schools (government actors) say their free speech is prevented because of conditions in accepting federal money don’t allow them to deny free speech to military recruiters (government actors). War is peace and all that. You know the drill.
Enter the ACLU. An organization that is solely devoted to the protection of the bill of rights is in the role of advocating the removal of military recruiters from schools and campuses. Much like their war on abstinence education, this isn't an issue having to do with rights. You are free to listen to a recruiter, to ignore a recruiter, and to have protests about recruiters in schools. But the presence of a recruiter in no way, shape, or form impedes anyone's rights.
The ACLU and others are not fighting military recruiting because it is a Bill of Rights issue. Nothing in the Bill of Rights implies that one has an absolute right to never be presented with ideas you disagree with, or, in this case, someone else being presented ideas you disagree with. They are fighting military recruiters because they insist only THEIR policies and ideas be presented. They fight Christmas because Christianity is unacceptable in the public sphere. They fight abstinence education because that ideas is unacceptable. Likewise they fight military recruiters because people signing up to serve is unacceptable. This is not the advocacy and welcoming of free speech, this is the enforcement through judicial fiat of social conformity.
You can't be all you can be if you're dead, reads one sign. This is the side that the ACLU is on, the side that is against the troops. The side that says America is not worth dying for. The side that says people are stupid to serve. The side that says an 18 year old is too young and ignorant to join the military but a 14 year old is old enough to make intelligent choices about getting an abortion. The side that is trying to disarm us in the hopes that our weakness there is strength. The side that insists on due process rights for unlawful combatants not entitled to them by law, but routinely undermines due process rights of soldiers awaiting trial for their abuse of prisoners.
Our pre-9/11 response was weakness. Did that help? Osama was quite clear and is quite clear; he thinks he can win because we are weak. Our Asia allies worry that we can't win a war against China. The ACLU is on the fronts making sure we can't.
Posted by John Bambenek at November 28, 2005 5:34 PM
Trackback Pings
TrackBack URL for this entry:
http://jcb.pentex-net.com/mt/mt-tb.cgi/843
Comments
You can't be all you can be if you're dead and since the terrorists would like to kill us all, I thank God for our military. If these people are able to block recruiters and our military decreases in size we can all look forward to the return of the draft. I prefer the volunteer approach and do not feel that recruiters whould be blocked.
Posted by: Pat in NC at November 28, 2005 5:49 PM
Did you even read the article you linked to? The ACLU is not advocating the removal of military recruiters from schools and campuses. The only thing the ACLU is advocating is that students and parents have a choice as to whether or not the student’s personal information is provided to military recruiters.
Nobody is fighting "abstinence education". What is being fought by many groups is "abstinence only" education which is unacceptable. "Abstinence only" education keeps facts from students that may prevent unwanted pregnancies, STD's and even death.
RESPONSE:
As I explained elsewhere, the ACLU is taking company with the anti-military crowd here. The crowd that seeks to kick recruiters out of schools. The tools they use to do it is irrelevant of the intent.
As far as abstinence ed, there are arguments on both sides of that issue, but the debate has NOTHING, ABSOLUTELY NOTHING to do with the US Constitution.
Posted by: Brian at November 29, 2005 9:43 PM
Post a comment
Thanks for signing in, . Now you can comment. (sign out)
(If you haven't left a comment here before, you may need to be approved by the site owner before your comment will appear. Until then, it won't appear on the entry. Thanks for waiting.)
