Brown Daily Herald: ROTC an organization of ‘criminals’
ROTC is an organization of criminals, according to a student at Brown University.
Peter Makhlouf, an opinion columnist at Brown, claimed in an editorial published Feb., 5 in the Brown Daily Herald, that “ROTC’s attempt to recruit academically elite students is a calculated attempt to rope the best and brightest into the industry of state-sanctioned violence.”
ROTC, or the Reserve Officers’ Training Corps, is a college training program for the United States Armed Forces. ROTC has scholarship opportunities for college-bound members as well as job and career placement services.
In his column, Makhlouf points to the fact that “police have committed criminal acts against protesters” and that the “overflow of military technology and funding has spilled into our police departments,” drawing a correlation between the ROTC program and the militarization of police in the United States.
According to Makhlouf, who is involved with Brown’s Janus Forum, a student group that facilitates political debate on campus, students at the Ivy are so unsure about their own political leanings, an ROTC presence on campus may be a form of military indoctrination.
“The anti-military ‘bias’ that certain students have is a firmly grounded ethical stance — an insistence that we will not support the aggression of the United States throughout the world,” Makhlouf wrote. “At a time when we most need a brave intelligentsia to speak out against the craven acts of U.S. imperialism, the thought of extending the poisonous branches of the armed services to our campus should be wholly denounced.”
Edwin Portugal, a Brown student set to graduate in 2017, is a former participant in the ROTC program. Portugal told Campus Reform that students who have been involved in such organizations feel “unwelcome” on campus because of “the proliferation of such harsh anti-military opinions, like Makhlouf’s.”
In 1969, Brown enacted a series of resolutions in protest of the Vietnam War, which resulted in the removal of the ROTC program on campus.
Providence College’s ROTC program has remained an option for interested Brown students, located two miles away. Brown students do not receive credit for the ROTC courses at PC.
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8 responses to Brown Daily Herald: ROTC an organization of ‘criminals’
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Christian Neihart February 9th, 2015 at 20:05
I believe the most appropriate response should be this, “Shut up, Mr. Makhoulf. Soldiers are innocent as far as anything is concerned and if you have a problem with military gear being in the hands of the police, take it up with your state legislature and/or the federal Congress. Never call our warriors criminals again unless you’re talking about the CIA or actual war criminals.”
Brown Sucks February 9th, 2015 at 20:57
Stupid is as stupid does- Brown being a prime example
legsquats February 9th, 2015 at 20:57
“A brave intelligentsia.” Makhoulf sounds like an eletist nerd who just needs attention that’s barking up the wrong tree.
Down-Is-Up February 10th, 2015 at 00:51
So. “According to ‘a student’ ” you felt this was newsworthy? Not biased at all, are you?
Ken February 10th, 2015 at 04:37
He’s Palestinian. Makes sense now.
Happygilmore14 February 10th, 2015 at 06:01
I’d love to see this Makhoulf fuck be placed on enemy grounds and attempt to utilize his “peaceful protest anti-military tactics” to reason with Jihads. I’m sure they would definitely listen to what a liberal ignorant boy has to say. These people make me sick. If you are that against the police and military than get the fuck out of this country because you don’t deserve to breathe free air everyday in your elitist anti American academic institution. Fucking Brown you’re a pathetic excuse of an Ivy league institution if this is the bullshit you’re instilling in your “pupils” amidst your pass/fail courses. Makhoulf you are a pussy and you don’t deserve to be defended by the United States of America on a daily basis. Sleep tight in your safe fucking dorm, you’re welcome.
Reality Sets In February 10th, 2015 at 17:37
This is Marxism, they are all over colleges and universities. Like flies to shit.
Wrong123 February 10th, 2015 at 22:46
The University of Puerto Rico has a ROTC program and even though all the problems with anti statehood movements, the cadets do not feel unwelcomed by the students that support those type of movements. The only problem they have is that some professors fail them just because they have a political view. But then again I fail to see why Mr. Makhoulf says it is an organization of “criminals”