Evergreen State ping
FReepmail sionnsar if you want on or off this ping list.
Ping sionnsar if you see a Washington state related thread.
Posted on 02/13/2006 11:03:15 PM PST by Exton1
Students reject honor to WWII hero Member of Marines not 'sort of person UW wanted to produce' Posted: February 14, 2006 1:00 a.m. Eastern
© 2006 WorldNetDaily.com
Lt. Col. Gregory "Pappy" Boyington during World War II (Photo: National Archives) The University of Washington's student senate rejected a memorial for alumnus Gregory "Pappy" Boyington of "Black Sheep Squadron" fame amid concerns a military hero who shot down enemy planes was not the right kind of person to represent the school.
Student senator Jill Edwards, according to minutes of the student government's meeting last week, said she "didn't believe a member of the Marine Corps was an example of the sort of person UW wanted to produce."
Ashley Miller, another senator, argued "many monuments at UW already commemorate rich white men."
Senate member Karl Smith amended the resolution to eliminate a clause that said Boyington "was credited with destroying 26 enemy aircraft, tying the record for most aircraft destroyed by a pilot in American Uniform," for which he was awarded the Navy Cross.
Smith, according to the minutes, said "the resolution should commend Colonel Boyington's service, not his killing of others."
The senate's decision was reported first by Seattle radio talk-host Kirby Wilbur of KVI, whose listeners were "absolutely incensed," according to producer Matt Haver.
Brent Ludeman, president of the university's College Republicans, told WND in an e-mail the decision "reflects poorly on the university."
"Pappy Boyington went beyond the call of duty to serve and protect this country – he simply deserves better," Ludeman said. "Just last year, the university erected a memorial to diversity. Why can't we do the same for Pappy Boyington and others who have defended our country?"
The resolution points out Boyington, a student at the UW from 1930-34, served as a combat pilot in the 1st Squadron, American Volunteer Group – the "Flying Tigers of China" – and later as a Marine Corps combat pilot in charge of Marine Fighting Squadron 214, "The Black Sheep Squadron."
Along with the Navy Cross, Boyington was awarded the Medal of Honor by President Franklin D. Roosevelt for his heroism. He was shot down and spent 20 months in a Japanese prisoner-of-war camp.
The resolution says, "Be it resolved … [t]hat we consider Col. Gregory Boyington, United States Marine Corps, to be a prime example of the excellence that this university represents and strives to impart upon its students, and, That we desire for a memorial for Col. Boyington be commenced by the University of Washington by 11 January 2008, the twentieth anniversary of his death, which will be publicly displayed, so that all who come here in future years will know that the University of Washington produced one of this country's bravest men, and that we as a community hold this fact in the highest esteem."
Commenting on the decision, a blogger who says he met Boyington on numerous occasions at a museum and air show over the years noted the famous flyer "was no rich boy," having grown up in a struggling family in which he was forced to work hard to make it through school. The blogger, who hosts the website Paradosis, also pointed out Boyington was part Sioux.
Boyington was open about his marital problems and alcohol abuse, saying notably, "Just name a hero and I'll prove he's a bum."
The blogger wondered, "have our Washington youth revised history so much as this? To compare Boyington – or for that matter any of our WW2 vets – to murderers? What are these kids being taught today? They don't deserve those 20 months Pappy spent being tortured and beaten in a Japanese prison camp ... they don't deserve any of what our grandfathers and grandmothers sacrificed to free Europe and the Pacific."
Boyington wrote a book in 1958 that reached the best-seller list, "Baa Baa, Black Sheep." In 1976, he sold rights to Universal, which aired a TV series for two seasons of the same name.
Boyington, who died Jan. 11, 1988, is buried in Arlington National Cemetery.
This will be the high point of her intellectual career. Ten years from now she'll be arguing the finer points of socialism with her fellow residents at the homeless shelter.
Until now, I was a Conservative, Roman Catholic who believed that people who served our nation in time of war should be honored.
But, I can see that Ashley is right. She knows everything.
[END SACASM HERE]
Ashley, you have changed my mind. I now believe that abortion is not only a right, it is a responsibility. Your mother should have sucked you out while there was time. You are clearly too stupid to live.
Having dealt with this moron, could someone please tell UW administration that THEY are running the school and not these stupid children who are misguided, misinformed, and examples of why women should not use drugs when expecting?
Since YOU, the administration, are running the school you can put up any memorial YOU want. These stoner students will not even notice it is there, I promise.
Pappy may have been a rogue,
but he was our rogue.
Thank goodness!
Magnificent shooting.
FIRE FOR EFFECT!
If you haven't sent this, you've misspelled devoid. Otherwise, nice letter.
I honestly feel sorry for these girls in some ways. Universities encourage this kind of smugness. They devalue American society, devalue the military, and teach these kids that the land where they were raised is not that great while extolling other lands.
It's just the way things work. I even had some of those thoughts implanted in my mind before I matured enough to wake up and mature through a conversion away from the misguided superiority complex in academia.
College kids aren't assigned to read the work of men like Boyington. They're assigned to read the words of weak men, men who would kill themselves in their own grief, and men who would love other mens' wives, other men, or some addictive substance. The more I think about it, the more it's true.
My daughter plans to go to graduate school there next fall. Wonder what other choices she has?""
I am sure there are other choices for your daughter.
What major does she have in mind?
Post it here and see how the freepers reply with suggestions.
Good luck to you and your daughter. If it were my daughter, I would be hard pressed to pay for tuition with this level of results.
I honestly think this is a little over the top. Had this been an adult who should know better, perhaps such words are called for.
Perhaps there is still a little shame in my opinions, but I was infected with some of the same idealism and snobbery that is so readily conveyed and practiced on college campuses. It wasn't until my junior year that I even started to come around and rebel. And yes, it was a rebellion in a sense in that it was NOT something that my college professors rewarded me for. I had to work twice as hard to make my logic leak-proof to get around some of these professors.
Most of these kids have never held a full-time, year-round job before. They've never been fully in charge of their own lives. I think it's thus best to put coaxing criticism at work.
Just my $.02.
Evergreen State ping
FReepmail sionnsar if you want on or off this ping list.
Ping sionnsar if you see a Washington state related thread.
Ashley Miller (Lilly White Girl)
Greg Boyinton (Native American)
It seems that Ashley Miller is nothing more than a racist white supremacist trying to deny an honor to a Native American.
Facetiousness aside, even assuming that Greg Boyington had been as lilly white as Ashley Miller, it is clear that Ashley Miller has never been taught that people should "not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character."
Ashley Miller is a racist in every sense of the word.
my god my blood is boiling, what a comment from someone who is educated...and by the looks of it a racist ignorant one...
i wonder how far anyone would get witha comment about too many statues to poor black people...yes doesnt sound as nice and i would be up for racism...racism is racism, and it is supossed to be colour blind.
someone needs to call her out on this and let us hear what she knows about this hero. it always make me laugh but what exactly do you think the japanese empire would have done to her if they won...i think she needs to educate herself a little on true racism...perhaps she needs to read a little about the systematic rape of the entire city of nanking by the japanese army...then come back and tell us how the USMC are populated by rich white guys...what all lefties never appreciate is HE DID THAT FOR YOU...you are entitled to yuor opinion but i expect you to engage your brain before your mouth..a little respect might be in order here...
and if i may say somethign else...she has no manners.
It represents the worst kind of UW "ultra-liberalism" and political correctness that is rampant on the UW campus.
President Emmert asked me to respond on his behalf to your message about
the Associated Students of the University of Washington (ASUW) Senate
debate regarding a memorial to honor Col. Boyington.
The ASUW Senate, an arm of student government on campus, is a forum in
which students discuss a wide range of issues, including the proposal for
the memorial. After considerable debate, the resolution failed by a
tiebreaker vote. As ASUW Senate Chair Alex Kim described in the message
below, students thought long and hard about their decision and cast their
votes for a variety of reasons. Some of the reasons that have been
publicized are addressed in Mr. Kim's report.
According to Mr. Kim and ASUW President Lee Dunbar, who co-sponsored the
resolution, many students felt that we should honor all veterans
appropriately, and not single out one, even though Col. Boyington was a
Medal of Honor winner. It should also be noted that thanks to the work of
Dean Emeritus Brewster Denny and the contributions of many UW alumni,
several years ago the University erected a fitting memorial to UW
students, faculty and staff who lost their lives in World War II.
Different versions of what transpired during the debate have circulated
through the electronic media. I hope you will take a moment to read Mr.
Kim's account. I also hope that regardless of one's point of view on this
issue, the exercise of democracy that occurred at the Senate meeting can
be seen as a meaningful learning opportunity for the students engaged in
the debate.
Sincerely,
Eric S. Godfrey
Acting Vice President for Student Affairs
________________________________________________________________________
It has recently come to our attention that the actions of the ASUW Student
Senate last night have been greatly misrepresented to the student body and
the general public. As such I wanted to clarify what actually occurred.
The Student Senate exists to create official student opinion by bringing
together student representatives from all across campus. The resolution
concerning Colonel Boyington (available online at
http://senate.asuw.org/legislation/12/R/R-12-18.html) cited the Colonel's
exemplary service record, including the fact that he was awarded the Medal
of Honor for service in World War II. The resolution called for the
creation of a memorial in his honor. Passage of the resolution would not
have necessarily resulted in the creation such a memorial, but would have
recommended it to the University of Washington.
The debate within the Senate was fair, balanced, and respectful. Senators
representing a diverse array of viewpoints spoke on the resolution,
raising numerous points as to the merits and demerits of the resolution.
1.) The ASUW Student Senate declined to support the construction of a
memorial for an individual. This in no way indicates a lack of respect
for the individual or the cause, merely that the Senate did not support
the construction of a memorial. The Senate weighed factors such as
financial viability, the logistics of implementation, which historical
points are relevant, and the difficulty in assessing which veterans should
be memorialized over others. Questions regarding these factors were not
addressed in the legislation itself and thus became points of debate
during the meeting.
2.) Senators speak on behalf of the opinions of their constituents.
This legislation has been posted publicly for nearly a month and senators
have used that time to discuss the issues with their constituents. There
is no way to distill a central argument of the Senate for or against any
piece of legislation the Senate discusses. While the vote itself is a yes
or no decision, the reasons senators choose to vote in a particular manner
vary widely. Therefore, it is inappropriate to represent a decision by
the Therefore, it is inappropriate to represent a decision by the Senate
as resulting from any single statement or point-of-view.
3.) No senator speaking in opposition to the resolution suggested that
deaths in war are the equivalent of murder. One senator, in making a
motion to remove references to the number of Japanese planes shot down,
suggested the focus of the resolution should be on the man's service to
his country. The sponsor of the amendment suggested that death in war was
sometimes a "necessary evil" and that the focus of the honor should not be
on the necessary evil, but rather on the service. That motion passed
overwhelmingly. A further amendment to remove the text of the inscription
of the Medal of Honor from the legislation subsequently failed
overwhelmingly.
4.) No senator stated that we should not pass the resolution on the
grounds that Colonel Boyington was a "white male." One senator stated
that we have many monuments and memorials to white males, but did not
suggest this was a reason to not support the resolution.
Throughout the debate in the Student Senate, the tone was very respectful.
If you have any additional questions, please contact:
ASUW President Lee Dunbar (asuwpres@u.washington.edu),
Student Senate Chair Alex Kim (asuwssch@u.washington.edu),
Student Senate Vice-Chair Erin Shields (asuwssvc@u.washington.edu)
or Director of Operations Karl Smith (asuwbdop@u.washington.edu)
Alex Kim
Student Senate Chair
Associated Students of the University of Washington 206.543.1780 (office)
206.669.9562 (mobile)
http://senate.asuw.org/
Office of the President
University of Washington
Room 301, Gerberding Hall
Box 351230
Seattle, WA 98195
Phone: (206) 543-5010
Fax: (206) 616-1784
Any more news about this? Is it just going to be allowed to die? Should Life Members of the Alumni Association such as myself descend upon their next meeting?
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.