Georgetown University’s Newspaper of Record since 1920

The Hoya

Georgetown University’s Newspaper of Record since 1920

The Hoya

Georgetown University’s Newspaper of Record since 1920

The Hoya

Post-Petraeus Extremes Hinder Conversation

In the aftermath of the student protests at the address delivered by Gen. David Petraeus, commander of U.S. Central Command, on Thursday, the campus reaction has been overwhelming. Many people have expressed anger at the actions of the protesters, calling their demonstration inappropriate and disrespectful. For their part, the student demonstrators have maintained a stance that permitting Petraeus to speak at Georgetown runs counter to the Jesuit values of peace and nonviolence. They feel as though their actions were appropriate in that they called attention to the many civilian casualties in the war and prevented a pro-war position from being advanced.

I went to the talk because I wanted to learn more about U.S. involvement in Iraq and Afghanistan and hear the comments and reactions of my fellow students. I am consistently amazed at how much we don’t talk about the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan on this campus, as we have a sizable ROTC battalion, many student veterans, Afghani and Iraqi students, as well as other less recognizable members of our community whose loved ones are directly involved in the two conflicts.

The protest and response to it perpetuated a frightening sense of polarization. The aggressiveness of the protesters was matched by the aggressiveness of those who reacted vocally against them. I heard audience members shout for the dissenters to shut up and sit down. One man had to be physically restrained from lunging at a protester. I felt nauseous when I heard a “U.S.A.!” chant start up as one demonstrator read aloud names of victims of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. Once the last protester had been removed from Gaston Hall, the majority of the audience laughed at the punchline of Petraeus’ joke. Worst of all, on the way out, I didn’t hear anyone talking about the content of the talk. Instead, people were discussing whether or not the protest was appropriate.

It is unfortunate that this debate should continue to dominate campus discussion at the expense of substantive dialogue about the human rights implications of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, the future plans of the U.S. military or the role of the military in our society. Although I respect the courage it took for the protesters to stand up in front of a four-star general and an audience unreceptive to the demonstration, I feel as though the action, in and of itself, was short-sighted. To the best of my knowledge, there is no strictly anti-war group on campus. Several of the protesters I spoke with said they were against militarism on campus. Why do we only have discussions about the war when people from outside our community visit campus for a speaking gig? If there are students who feel so passionately about U.S. involvement in Iraq and Afghanistan, why don’t we hear more from them?

At the same time, I observed the reactions that my peers who are serving – or have served – in the military had to the protesters. Many of them felt disrespected. For students in the ROTC program, the Petraeus talk offered the opportunity to hear firsthand from the man who is largely responsible for their future once they graduate. For student veterans, the talk afforded them the opportunity to hear from the man they have served under. Protesters who shouted, “Shame on you for listening to this man,” failed to consider the loyalty to Petraeus in the room.

Not everyone who has served or is serving in the military agrees with the decision to invade Iraq and Afghanistan. Those who continued to serve once the United States invaded, however, made their own decision to place their faith in their chain of command and carry out their orders to the best of their ability. I have spoken with several veterans who stressed their own commitment to principles of human rights while they were serving. The daily reality of these men and women involves grappling with extremely complex and difficult moral questions. When veterans come home, they return to a society that is largely unaffected by America’s wars and does not make much of an effort to engage with its veterans.

As citizens in a democracy, we are all accountable for what has happened and continues to happen in Iraq and Afghanistan. If we hope to move forward as a country, we need to acknowledge the full complexity of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. This involves tough questions about just war, human rights and the human impact this has had on our communities. In order to ask these questions, we need discussion that does not throw down a polarizing gauntlet of “you’re with us or against us,” but acknowledges and cultivates a common ground.

Sarah Gardiner is a junior in the School of Foreign Service and a staff writer for The Hoya.

*To send a letter to the editor on a recent campus issue or Hoya story or a viewpoint on any topic, contact opinionthehoya.com. Letters should not exceed 300 words, and viewpoints should be between 600 to 800 words.*

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