Posted on 02/05/2005 8:26:56 PM PST by CampDoha
School Halts Adopt a Sniper Fund-Raiser
CHICAGO (Reuters) - A U.S. university in 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 on 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 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."
This university in Wisconsin is tellings its students, who are having a fund-raiser to support deployed troops, that they are free to support troops, but not those troops. Why? Because the troops in question are military snipers and therefore, according to the school, apparently not worthy of support.
Of course, that is because we all know that snipers are horrible, evil people who kill for fun and therefore are not deserving of any support. Well, according to the school anyway.
I read the Adopt a Sniper website and I can't see any "objectionable rethoric", which is what the school is citing as a reason not to support them. What I see is that they are a group of military and law enforcement snipers who started Adopt a Sniper as a means of supporting their friends and comrades who are deployed overseas. Exactly how is that objectionable?
Me, I'm pissed about this. And yeah, I already sent that school's administrative staff a very long, very unfriendly email. Though it was nicely worded.
If they were called Adopt-A-Soldier no one would care, but the fact that it's Sniper gets people all a-twitter. What in the hell do they think soldiers do with those rifles?
But, sadly, this sort of muddled liberal thinking is what we have come to expect from the Jesuits.
It's not the University of Wisconsin. This is a private Jesuit school.
I never said it was the University of Wisconsin. I said it was a university in Wisconsin. And even "private" schools generally receive government subsidies.
This is a private Jesuit college. The group is affiliated with the school, and thus represents them to a degree. They did have permission to raise money for troops.
I can appreciate the fact that the school did not want to associate its name with 'Adopt A Sniper'. They aren't anti-USA; they are trying to protect their name and image.
If the students are interested in raising money for the troops - great, but don't go out of your way to cause controversy for your hosts. If you like the slogan that much - move off campus!
Since it is a Jesuit school, maybe they would prefer a support an (Spanish) Inquisitor program.
Pull their funding now!
Hey Dudes...where the f... is the ACLU now? Very quiet...
Who said they didn't have the right to push them off campus? I'm not. I'm just saying it's stupid, which it is.
How is being against "Adopt A Sniper" protecting their name and image? What's wrong with supporting a specific type of soldier?
They should be able to support ANY troops they chose. They were allowed to have a fundraiser to support the troops and that's what they are doing. They were never told they could only support troops that were approved by their college first.
I doubt they went "out of their way" to cause controversy. They simply picked a support the troops program that they had heard or read about. Adopt a Sniper has been getting plenty of good press (you can see some on their website). For most people wanting to support troops, they look for such programs online or hear about them in the news.
It's the school that changed its mind after the students had set up a table. If the school allows them to support the troops and they are collecting money to support the troops, it's none of the school's business which troops the money is being sent to.
This was covered in a previous posting. The group in question applied for, and received, permission to put up a table/booth for a generalized "support the troops" effort. Then they put this up, which was different than what they applied for. I'd have bounced them, too. If you apply to the school to do "x", and then you do "y", then the school has a perfect right to bounce them off.
How is "Adopt a Sniper" unreasonable?
That wasn't on a banner or anything. That was on a bracelet some of the STUDENTS were wearing. Last I checked any school's dress code did not outlaw text on bracelets.
who knows...????? arent' those rifles just big fancy cigarette lighters as far as the libs are concerned...since spitballs seemd to tee them off, real bullets are a No NO
I guess the the people running that school are completely unaware of what soldiers do for a living.
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