University of Tennesee students rally in support of U.S. troops

The Knox News Sentinel ^ | 3/29/03 | Lola Alapo

[GailA]

AMY SMOTHERMAN NEWS SENTINEL

A passerby shouts out the window to those in support of the troops at war in Iraq. University of Tennessee students stood on Cumberland Avenue, showing their support for U.S. troops with signs and flags.

Claire Blann sits on the eastbound side of Cumberland Avenue, holding a drawing of a peace symbol, in opposition to the war in Iraq while Chris Hobgood stands on the opposite side of the street with an American flag in support of U.S. troops in Iraq.

UT students rally in support of U.S. troops Many at gathering say they have family, friends fighting in war in Iraq

By LOLA ALAPO, alapol@knews.com March 29, 2003

More than 20 students with flags and banners gathered at the University of Tennessee Friday to show support for troops deployed for the war in Iraq.

"This campus has just been bombarded with antiwar protests, but I haven't seen anyone come from the other side," said Erica McMannes, a senior who organized the rally.

McMannes' husband, Matthew, is an army helicopter pilot who is stationed at Fort Rucker, Ala., and awaiting deployment. He graduated from UT's Reserve Officer Training Corp program in spring 2002.

"It's important for them to know that there are students on campus who support them," she said.

There are nine graduates of the ROTC program and two former staff members who are fighting in the war, said Lt. Col. Ron Borden, the enrollment and admission officer for the program.

The soldiers should be respected for their willingness to lay down their lives, said Patricia Griffin, a participant in the rally.

"They know sacrifice," she said. "They are not coming home to their dorm rooms and comfortable apartments."

As drivers honked to express their approval for the troop supporters, protesters stood on the other side of Cumberland Avenue to denounce the war.

Claire Blann said that she did agree with supporting the troops but in a different way.

"We want to bring them home," she said.

Others found it hard to endorse the soldiers.

"Philosophically, I can't separate people from what they do," Ralph Hutchison said. "I believe that war is wrong. It's wrong when other governments do it and it's wrong when our government does it."

Jesse Henderson, who was holding a sign containing the names of five buddies currently in Iraq, looked on distastefully at the antiwar protesters.

"I think the demonstrations against the war lower the morale of the troops," he said.

While she did appreciate the troops for following orders, antiwar protester Lisa McLeod said that every one of them would ultimately be morally responsible for their own actions.

"The Nazi officers were killing Jews and they were following orders," she said. "In the end, you wouldn't want to be responsible for the death of someone else's child."

Lola Alapo may be reached at 865-342-6376.

[OpusatFR]

"The Nazi officers were killing Jews and they were following orders," she said. "In the end, you wouldn't want to be responsible for the death of someone else's child."

Apparently, the ability to read, write, think and reason is not present in the Pro-Saddam group. Do they bother to do anything other than regurgitate nonsense?

Do they have any idea what Saddam has and is doing to the Iraqi people and what he intends to do to not only the Arab world, but America? I don't disagree with those whose lives are based on true peace-seeking. I do take umbrage with those who hawk gobs of propaganda in purely fashionable anti-America sentiment.

[TN4Liberty]

"Philosophically, I can't separate people from what they do," Ralph Hutchison said. "I believe that war is wrong. It's wrong when other governments do it and it's wrong when our government does it."

Good ol Ralph is full time "peace activist" in nearby Oak Ridge. In fairness, he has been that way, regardless of who was in office, but he gets a lot more support now than when Clinton was in office. His group, the Oak Ridge Environmental Peace Alliance, is supposed to have a demonstration near the Y-12 National Security Complex in Oak Ridge this weekend. Rumor is it might turn ugly if the right mix of anti-war folks show up. Watch for news, it could be interesting.

Hopefully the cold rain will continue for them.

[Maigrey]

I wonder if these children can understand the atrocities and evil that is being committed by these people? Confronted by evil, they probably would capitulate. If they saw firsthand these massacres, would they be so willing to support and rationalize it?

[Maigrey]

"The Nazi officers were killing Jews and they were following orders," she said. "In the end, you wouldn't want to be responsible for the death of someone else's child."

Most of the people involved in the concentration camps didn't view the jewish population as people and children. They were animals, and they thought that they were being humane to put them down. So the rhetoric of "just following orders" doesn't float in this argument.

[tomahawk]

Only a sick and deluded idiot would compare American troops to Hitler's SS. The idiot will likely be a failure in life.

[Maigrey]

I hope that someone sends in a LTE refuting this neo-weenie. (and also teaches him a proper history lesson.)

[meyer]

Good ol Ralph is full time "peace activist" in nearby Oak Ridge. In fairness, he has been that way, regardless of who was in office, but he gets a lot more support now than when Clinton was in office. His group, the Oak Ridge Environmental Peace Alliance, is supposed to have a demonstration near the Y-12 National Security Complex in Oak Ridge this weekend. Rumor is it might turn ugly if the right mix of anti-war folks show up. Watch for news, it could be interesting.

Sounds like Old Ralph has been drinking the groundwater downstream from the labs up there. :^)

Well, I hope that there's a friendly confrontation between Ralph's weenies and our Patriots. Where is this Y-12 complex located?

[meyer]

"The Nazi officers were killing Jews and they were following orders," she said. "In the end, you wouldn't want to be responsible for the death of someone else's child."

Yes, leeetle girl, the Nazi's did kill Jews and they were following orders. But you ought to note that the Iraqi officers have been killing civilians for decades while the world turns the other way. And, some other countries such as France capitalize on this by profiting from the semi-slave labor of the captive Iraqi citizens.

[GailA]

They are probably part of the crowd that to this day deny the Holocaust happened.