Brining Cindy Sheehan to our campus to discuss America is unnecessary and irresponsible. If academics is meant to support the free exchange of ideas, it makes little sense to bring in a speaker that has done little but alienate her family and become an icon of the left's causeless Bush hatred. Its difficult to understand how a person who doesn't pay her taxes is considered a source of great knowledge about America.
But, as Sheehan says "you can disagree with our philosophy, but not with our hearts." However, the majority of Americans have taken opposition to both.
Sheehan's warped view that the President is somehow responsible for the death of our solders makes her dangerous to have around molding minds. These trained killers have been craving to sacrifice Westerners for Allah for years. It is pretty clear why they are in Iraq; if they lose Iraq, they lose another safe zone to the infidels.
Clearly, Iraq is a great strategic striking point for terrorism. Its location is right in the heart of the Middle East, and its presence re-enforces the possibility of its neighboring countries (Iran and Syria) to embrace freedom. They are motivated by a hatred for Americans, the American way of life, and freedom. That's why terrorists existed well before our entrance to Iraq. Saddam Hussein gave refuge to Abu Nidal and Zarquawi and was in communication with Kim Jon Il to purchase illicit weapons.
Her irresponsibility to recognize these facts, and to further insist that the troops be brought home is outright dangerous from an academic perspective. Most people, even democrats agree that out of sheer responsibility it is wrong for us to abandon Iraq in the way she wants. There is no way the people of Iraq or our country will be safer if we bring the troops home and the progress Iraq has made disappears. This defeatist sentiment was echoed in World War II by many liberal "intellectuals" that thought we didn't have an exit strategy in Europe and there is no way democracy in German could work. The defeatists were wrong then, and they are wrong now.
It is comical how many on the left have wanted to give Iraq the "quagmire" status of Vietnam, and somehow, use that as a justification to do exactly what happened there: leave in disgrace. A person may not agree with the President or how the war has been managed, but not wanting to finish the job is irresponsible and inconsiderate.
This applies especially to those who have sacrificed their lives in Iraq, and to the people of Iraq who have risked their own lives for rights the average American takes for granted. It is odd that Ms. Sheehan, the mother of someone who willingly accepted his job, realizing being in the military is more than getting an education and looking good in the uniform, would be encouraging her sons sacrifice to be in vain. Many mothers would prefer the death of their sons to be for the cause of freedom, not left in a shadow of disgrace.
Her selfish attitude to seek what she is "entitled" to from her sons death is what motivates her. The liberal system prides itself on using government as a means of gratification for societies "ills."
How can she claim to be looking out for the best interests of the troops if she doesn't pay the taxes that help them do their job?
How can she claim to be looking out for America when her position, as we saw through September 11th makes America a greater target?
Her selfishness violates the selflessness AU wishes to inspire in its students, and her lack of recognition for the stakes of the War on Terror make her a dangerous person to our way of life, something she daily rejects.
Will Haun is a freshman in the School of Public Affairs, and one of the Eagle's conservative columnists.
