OPINION: “Harvard and the Marines,” by Joseph Kristol and Daniel West, Wall Street Journal, 8 April 2009; and “Ivies and Military Could Learn a Lot From Each Other,” by Frank Schaeffer, Boston Globe, 9 April 2009
Forty years ago today, ROTC was purged from Harvard’s campus under pressure from violent student activism as a knee-jerk reaction to the Vietnam War.
It’s mind boggling that a university of the, supposed, caliber of Harvard continues to follow a flawed policy of not allowing ROTC programs to actively form on its campus.
The below quotes from the above authors eloquently articulate the silliness of Harvard’s policy.
The issue is no longer Vietnam, but President Bill Clinton's "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy that bars gays from openly serving in the military. Because of that policy, the university classifies ROTC as a discriminatory organization and has severed all remnants of support.
Harvard, where ROTC was founded in 1916 and which once boasted over 1,000 participants, is now home to only 29 cadets and midshipmen, spread over four years and four branches of service. Recruitment opportunities are deliberately limited, and the student handbook cautions students against joining ROTC, remarking that the program is "inconsistent with Harvard's values."
The same Harvard that once produced 10 recipients of the Congressional Medal of Honor, and warrior-scholars such as Teddy Roosevelt and John F. Kennedy, now turns its back on its proud, patriotic history.
The lesson the Ivy League teaches has become: I am the most important person in any room. The lesson the US military teaches: the person standing next to me is more important than I am.
… the Ivy League schools have mostly produced a nonserving generation of bankers, hedge fund managers, etc. who are helping destroy our economy.
Their admission policy seems to admit mostly "winners" who will make useful alumni as the years go by. "Useful" is defined as earning the most money and/or academic prestige, not service - unlike, say, the Marine Corps, which has enough self-confidence in its training methods to believe that it can take just about any American and turn him into a good Marine.
Military service entails sacrifice, but it is also the best opportunity most privileged Americans will ever have for the sort of character development that leads to people wanting to help our country, rather than just striving to profit from it.
As a U.S. Marine, I am obviously biased on this issue. Truth be told, ROTC was the last thing I wanted to be involved with while going to school -- I completed my military training requirements during summer breaks. However, I respected those who opted for ROTC during the school year.
If I step out of uniform to look at this from a “Joe Civilian” point of view, I find it hard to believe that Mr. Civilian -- liberal, conservative, male, female, etc. -- would not question the logic of Harvard’s policy.
While you may not agree with decisions made by political leadership, it’s difficult to not support the development of future military leaders – those tasked with ensuring we maintain our freedoms.
As with all things, I’m sure there are a number of competing interests here, but the simple fact that there are not ROTC programs at Harvard is enough to raise my ire.
ROTC is “inconsistent with Harvard’s values”…!!!? Come on! ROTC is what Harvard values should be built on.
Also, seeSomewhere in the Middle
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