Marquette College Republicans

[BCPVP]

Thought I'd share this with those who may not have heard the story yet. It's big in Milwaukee and has gotten some national press from CNN.
First CNN's version:
http://www.cnn.com/2005/US/02/03/lif...eut/index.html

'Adopt a Sniper' fund-raiser shot down
Marquette University says 'no' to Republican students' plan

Thursday, February 3, 2005 Posted: 5:10 PM EST (2210 GMT)

CHICAGO (Reuters) -- A Catholic university in Milwaukee, Wisconsin has blocked an attempt by Republican students to raise money for a group called "Adopt a Sniper" that raises money for U.S. sharp-shooters in Iraq and Afghanistan.

The students were selling bracelets bearing the motto "1 Shot 1 Kill No Remorse I Decide".

"Clearly the rhetoric of that organization raised some questions and we had some strong objections as a Jesuit university," Marquette University school spokeswoman Brigid O'Brien said Thursday.

The students, representing a group called College Republicans, originally got permission to set up a table at the student union to raise money for U.S. troops in Iraq.

But they chose to promote a group called Adopt a Sniper, which says on its Web site it supports snipers deployed by the United States armed forces in Iraq and Afghanistan.

The group says it "helps real snipers get the real gear they need to help keep us safe."

The brainchild of a Texas police SWAT officer Adopt a Sniper (www.adoptasniper.org) has raised thousands of dollars in cash and gear to supplement the kit of sharp shooters in U.S. combat platoons.

Among products sold on the site is a $15 coin with the imprinted phrase "Assistance From A Distance."

Now Marquette CR's version:
http://www.murepublicans.com/
Once again the Marquette University Administration has taken its ultra-liberal inclinations to the extreme, violating its own commitment to academic freedom and ideological diversity. Yesterday afternoon, a University official abruptly suspended an approved “Support our Troops” table the College Republicans at Marquette University (CRs) set up to benefit Adopt a Sniper, a 501c(3) organization helping our troops in the Middle East. Today, the University Administration issued a memo canceling the table for the rest of the week.

Students were volunteering at an Office of Student Development (OSD)-approved “Support Our Troops” table in the Alumni Memorial Union this afternoon, selling Adopt a Sniper trinkets modeled after the Lance Armstrong “Livestrong” bands. During a transition between volunteers, OSD staff canceled the table, confiscating the signs and supplies.

Today, OSD Dean Mark McCarthy issued a memorandum stating “this fundraising activity does not comport to the University’s mission.” He said the Adopt a Sniper program was “clearly provocative” and ran contrary to Catholic values.

CRs chairman Brandon Henak decried the Administration’s suppression tactics. “Our group saw this table as an opportunity for our fellow students to support our troops by making peace possible through victory,” Henak said. “This program directly benefits the men on the front lines, who use this material to eliminate terrorists and protect the lives of other American troops and innocent Iraqi civilians.”

“It is an absolute shame that this Administration is so blinded by its liberal bent that they refuse to recognize that the success of our servicemen and women in Iraq and Afghanistan is crucial to building a safe, free, and ultimately more peaceful world,” Henak said. He pointed out that the Catholic Church has long upheld the tenets of Just War Theory as a legitimate way for governments to achieve long-term peace through military action.

Henak also noted the proud American foreign policy tradition of “Peace through Strength,” stretching from Teddy Roosevelt to John F. Kennedy and Ronald Reagan.



He concluded by saying, “If Marquette is serious about its Catholic values, perhaps they can start by ending the scandal of granting University honors to pro-abortion, pro-gay marriage politicians and dissident theologians who directly perpetuate heresies to our student body.”

Adopt a Sniper, the group chosen by CRs as the beneficiary of their efforts, has garnered press coverage from Fox News, Reuters, The New York Times, and Stars and Stripes for its innovative program. Donations taken at the CR table are sent to the foundation, which is run by US-based law enforcement and retired military. These officers buy highly-specialized sniper equipment, including unique body armor, flashlights, and tactical gear that military procurement does not always provide. For more information, please visit: http://americansnipers.org/faq.html.


Please donate or purchase the Adopt A Sniper items at :
www.adoptasniper.org.

And the school's statement:
http://www.620wtmj.com/620programs/c...amp;entry=6136
MU STATEMENT... AND RESPONSE

Statement of Marquette University regarding fundraising for “Adopt A Sniper:”

Marquette University’s College Republicans recently requested to sponsor a “Support Our Troops” activity in the student union. The university approved that request.

However, when this student group set up its fundraising table, it became evident that they had not been forthcoming about the specific materials they would be promoting in this fundraising activity. Their table advertised a group called “Adopt A Sniper” and included photographs of materials such as a bracelet with the motto “1 Shot 1 Kill No Remorse I Decide.” Based on the information obtained from the College Republican’s table, the university made the decision that the specific nature of this fundraising activity was not consistent with the university’s mission and was not reflected in the College Republican's application for approval. Therefore, approval of the fundraising activity was revoked.

With nearly 200 recognized student organizations on campus, the Office of Student Development has a well-known process in place to review the nature of proposed fundraisers and activities in order to ensure that they are in line with the University’s Catholic identity. The university had significant reservations about the rhetoric associated with this particular group. In the context of the university’s Jesuit, Catholic mission, we could not allow fundraising in the student union for a group whose rhetoric regarding "snipers" could be widely misinterpreted as having a cavalier attitude toward the taking of a human life. In this case the display of the materials that promote the use of violence without appropriate background information was unacceptable.

Marquette University strongly supports and honors the men and women of our Armed Forces and has sponsored many activities to support our troops. In addition, every branch of the United States military is represented on our campus though the university’s ROTC program. We will work with our student organizations to continue that proud tradition in a manner consistent with our Jesuit, Catholic identity.

And finally, the Adopt-a-Sniper website:
http://americansnipers.org/faq.html.

Thoughts? Comments? I highly recommend visiting the Adopt-a-Sniper website before posting anything too shrill. Just be informed as to what the group does, how it does what it does, and why it does what it does. This is kind of personal for me, since UW-Whitewater is a stones throw from Marquette and we (UWW CR's) will most likely set up our own "Support the Troops" drive.