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<p>Yep, sure would be nice if we only had to defend those we each deemed worthy.</p>
<p>I just looked @ my plebe's "class of 2011" t-shirt, and there IS a mid named Leppla -- poor kid.</p>
<p>Hey, the night the Iraqi war started, I had one son on national TV launching in the first Navy carrier flight of the war followed by another national TV coverage of a college peace vigel where my other son was interviewed stating that there was a better way to solve world problems than with F-14s. I love them both, they still love each other, abet with a few critical months, and I still cherish both videos.</p>
<p>Hi all, </p>
<p>I talked to my best friend who is at USNA ('11) about this article and he said something that made me that much more impressed with him. </p>
<p>He said "the article is her opinion, and she is entitled to it. I have sworn an oath that I will preserve, protect, and defend the Constitution, and included in this is an article that states the idea of freedom of the press. Although she may not like the Naval Academy, I have promised that I will fight to allow her to continue expressing her opinion, be it right or wrong. One final point, yes, service academies all offer a first-rate education. However, it is obvious that the first and foremost goal of any of the service academies is to train young men and women to be combat-ready officers, willing to lead sailors and marines into heavy fighting with no second thoughts or reservations about their own life because they can see beyond self-preservation and care more about their country and its principles than themselves." </p>
<p>My hope for the future is renewed by those that are actually at USNA and have such a clear command of why they are there and what the bigger purpose is. It helps to balance the lunacy of this article with the knowledge that the Midshipmen at the USNA know exactly what they are doing and for for what reason.</p>
<p>Just my two cents.</p>
<p>I totally agree she has the freedom to write this article just as I have the freedom to think she is an idiot. She comes across as self absorbed and stupid. My problem with her is in these two passages:
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She begged me to call a naval lieutenant Monday morning to start the out-processing forms for my brother. After leaving countless messages for the lieutenant, he finally called me back,...
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Why would she (and the mother) interfere in the young man's life like this? They need to butt out and let him make his own decisions.</p>
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When I looked at the course catalogue, which boasted seminars about leadership and selflessness, they were in fact seminars about weaponry and leading troops into combat. The reality of sending my brother to the Naval Academy began to set in: this was not a school; this was the military. While they boast a first class education, the main goal of this institution was to get my brother combat ready.
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She must not have been listening or she would have heard her brother speak about the service commitment after he graduated. What did she think he was going to do to repay the government for his first class education? I guess she was too busy bragging about attending Columbia to hear that information.</p>
<p>My son is willing to give his life, if necessary, to defend all Americans even the ignorant ones.</p>
<p>The other issue with that type of article is when you publish something you have a responsibility to accurately state the facts and not twist them or selectively choose the bits and pieces that suit your own bias. I think she failed miserably at that. </p>
<p>Not familiar enough with that particular publication and the website has been down recently to know if that was considered an 'editorial' or in fact was being represented as a news article. She did mention this as being 1 of 4 so that sounds more like an article rather than an editorial. That seems to me why so many take exception to her story.</p>
<p>Reread the article carefully. She explicitely stated that she was expressing "her" fears. Except for calling the Company Officer, or whoever, which I thought extremely humorous, I thought the article a rather glowing endorsement for USNA. The kind of publicity that money cannot buy.</p>
<p>I think if many parents sit back and analyze the situation carefully, many times the siblings are left out of the decision process and the are, indeed, very fearful of their brother's or sister's career choice. </p>
<p>This could be a lesson for all to ensure that siblings are a part of the acceptance process. If they feel left out and afraid, they could be the next ones writing such letters in their college newspapers.</p>
<p>FYI - Here's an interesting article about a Columbia "reunion" in Baghdad and the contributions that other Columbia people are making to our effort in Iraq (yeah, I know, she goes to Barnard). <a href="http://www.columbia.edu/cu/news/07/08/baghdad.html%5B/url%5D">http://www.columbia.edu/cu/news/07/08/baghdad.html</a></p>
<p>As for Ms. Leppla, she used a pseudonym for her brother's first name instead of writing her story under a pseudonym, as if that was going to shield him - almost laughable. </p>
<p>Let's hope that this whole experience ends up being a positive for her brother. As Nietzsche said, "what doesn't kill you makes you stronger". I'm sure he'll be known for awhile as a the middie with the crazy sister. Who knows, maybe she'll change her tune after visiting USNA or attending the Army-Navy game (she'll get to see first-hand the Navy's humility after losing to Army this year).</p>
<p>USNA69 is correct. The decision to attend a SA does involve and effect the whole family. These kids will have a much easier time knowing that they have the support from everyone in the family.</p>
<p>The writer is part of Student government - VP of communications and writes editorials for the Columbia Spectator.</p>
<p>I too read the article and had to chuckle to myself. Brought back memories of reading the Daily Cardinal at the University of Wisconsin. How idealistic we all thought we were at 20 years old. Even at GT, considered a conservative campus The Technique is billed as “The South’s Liveliest College Newspaper,” It too has outrageous editorials but you just sit back and remember that it is a student newspaper, typically written to get some kind of outrage from it's audience.</p>
<p>Yes our kids are part of the process defending her right to speak as she chooses. Some day she will understand that, just like ever other student newspaper editor. She never claims anything other than her opinion, she begins her article with: "The author wishes to express that this article in no way reflects the feelings and thoughts of her brother. It is written from a family member’s perspective and is mean to be understood in that way. " She also ends the article with "it is first and foremost a branch of the U.S. military and the prestige comes at a big price—it taxes parents, siblings, and participants if they do not understand what they were signing up for. How many times have we given that same advice to prospective applicants? Know what you and your family are signing up for...don't do it because it is prestigious...</p>
<p>As far the Elite College, she obviously has not sat in on a class, worked in one of the state of the art laboratories, been to some of the incredible lectures, or even read US New's college rankings! When she watches what her brother will become she too will then realize that he got a "Elite education."</p>
<p>Poor kid you just can't pick your relatives but at least he has made the effort to break away. And it looks like he made the effort to stay away.</p>
<p>Gee sorta sounds like this weeks episode of Greeks. (ok- I'll admit, I like the show). Kid wants to break into journalism and writes in "in-depth" story about the Greek system. Story gets picked up by national press.</p>
<p>Maybe this Barnard student too wanted national exposure and wrote a "sensational" article.</p>
<p>The family really didn't know Anapolis was part of the military ???
How stupid can they be??</p>
<p>^^^^^ Isn't that the truth. Not like he just woke up one morning and randomly decided to attend the Academy.</p>
<p>I do find it fascinating that while we are all reading the same article there are apparently so many different interpretations of what she wrote.</p>
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<p>Do you, are have you had, childeren attending a civilian college?</p>
<p>Someone commented a little back on he'll be known as the mid with the crazy sister...when in reality the question all the guys are gonna be asking him..so is she hot?</p>
<p>When I read her stuff, all I can think of is Carlos Mencia; "Dee - Dee Dee", Mike....</p>
<p>If someone is interested in knowing my college affiliation and/or the (future, current, former) college affiliation of my children, they are welcome to send me a pvt message.....no idea how any of that is relevant to this thread. :)</p>
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<p>Not understanding the question, probably answers it. Sometimes, and maybe even most often, when we send our kids off to college, especially the more prestigious ones, we find, that in order to continue to love them dearly, we must become more tolerant of many of our existing views. Profmom stated it very well:</p>
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<p>The original article still not accesible on the site. Didn't it say it was the first in a series of 4? Wonder if there will be 3 more like it...</p>
<p>sunnyflorida - yes, said 3 more articles but it wasn't clear if they were going to be by different authors on the same topic or by the same author. Maybe when the site comes back up we should send emails to the editor encouraging the Spectator to have the brother write an article about actually being at the Naval Academy.</p>
<p>There's definitely a lot of different "Styles" of colleges available to our children. I don't really think there are any "Too this" or "Too That" when it comes to the schools. Some same a certain school is the biggest partying school while another is really into political causes. Being each of our children are unique, I think they will each react to a particular university or college differently. My daughter is not the "Partying" type, so even though she is at a school that is noted for their "Partying Attitude" it doesn't really affect her. Matter of fact, she is now a resident advisor in the dorm and actually monitors such things as well as helping dorm residents with their problems, issues, classes, moral, etc... While young and independent, she is quite conservative in many of her ideas and ideals.</p>
<p>My son on the other hand is a perfectionist, ultra hard worker, responsible individual who has a very "Liberal" attitude of believing that people should be able to do whatever they want as long as it doesn't affect others. He would act totally differently at such a school. Not better or worse, just differently. He is exactly as I was coming out of high school. Yet, over the years I have come to be very conservative and nationalistic. As well as joining the Air Force out of school.</p>
<p>Yet with these 2 opposite personalities, both children have chosen futures and paths that you would have thought the other would have chosen. My daughter chose a traditional university while my son has chosen the Air Force Academy. This is something they both have wanted for years. So, unless you have a child that has a "Problem" with something that could be exposed to at a college, each student will react on their own.</p>
<p>After reading these letters from this "Sister", I'm not 100% sure that some of it isn't just pure B.S. Even with room for some misunderstanding, there is no way that anyone on this forum or any place else will convince me that a person could believe that going to a military academy ISN'T somehow related directly to the military. People can't be ignorant or stupid enough to believe that the military wants to pay for your son's or daughter's education and not want anything in return. I also find it strange for a "Mother" to ask her "Daughter" to call the military and START OUTPROCESSING her brother. I don't think we are getting the real truth here. Later... Mike...</p>