[Vision2020] Critics Blast UW Students for Insulting Hero

[Tom Hansen]

Melynda -

The reason for my animosity toward the student senate of the University of
Washington is not that they failed to honor a veteran.  My animosity was
brought on by their reasoning for not honoring Colonel Boyington.

The UW student senate's expressed reasons were two-fold (which I thought
were evident in my posting):

1)  They (the student senate) considered Colonel Boyington to be a "killer"
(their word, not mine), since he killed people while in the service to his
country.

2)  They (the student senate, again) felt that UW had already paid tribute
to enough "rich, white males" (again, their words, not mine).  Colonel
Boyington was neither rich (he died poor) nor white (I understand that he
possessed a considerable amount of Sioux lineage), but he was a male (I'll
give them that).

So, you see, Melynda . . . I am not upset because UW failed to memorialize a
veteran, as much as I am for their reasoning.

Tom Hansen
Moscow, Idaho

"Life should NOT be a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving
safely in an attractive and well preserved body, but rather to skid in
sideways, chocolate in one hand, a drink in the other, body thoroughly used
up, totally worn out and screaming 'WOO HOO. What a ride!'"

-----Original Message-----
From: vision2020-bounces at moscow.com [mailto:vision2020-bounces at moscow.com]
On Behalf Of Melynda Huskey
Sent: Monday, February 20, 2006 10:27 PM
To: vision2020 at moscow.com
Subject: Re: [Vision2020] Critics Blast UW Students for Insulting Hero

AreaMan wrote:
> Tom,
>
> Not an attempt at humor.  Just pointing out what I see as a double
> standard.
>
> I agree with you 100% regarding the Pappy Boyington issue.  I also don't
> doubt your support for our veterans.
>
> I'd just think that one veteran and his ideas are just as important as
> honoring another and his accomplishments.
>
>   
I disagree with both of you regarding Boyington:  surely the students 
have every right to express their opinion of him, and whether or not he 
represents qualities and attributes they want to honor. It's not yet 
against the law to value pacific achievements as well as, or instead of, 
martial.  As a pacifist, I think it behooves us to look beyond the 
military for our heros.

As for veterans and the pledge, heck, my dad's a veteran, too, and he 
doesn't want the pledge recited.  So we're at an impasse, unless we 
concede that while military service can be honorable, it doesn't entitle 
anybody to be eternally deferred to on every matter that comes up.  
Unless you're my dad, in which case, you are.


Filially,

Melynda Huskey

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