<p>Okay, okay. Like, I was deferred from H this fall and blah blah.</p>
<p>Anyway, I got a paid internship (extremely competitive) at the CIA this summer as a TA for a teacher teaching non-native speakers Spanish and teaching English to Spanish speakers. It sounds good, yes, but I know that Harvard is a pretty liberal institution, and I'm wondering if I should update them with the internship-offer. Will they think it's neat, or will they think I'm some brainwashed bureaucrat trying to spy on their students (well, ok, they won't think that, but you get the jist).</p>
<p>Runningcircles1: It could be after your spend a summer at the CIA - walking past a fairly large number of stars in the granite that represent CIA officers who gave their lives for our country (many don't have names next to them because the operations are still classified) - that you'll decide you don't want to go to a university that doesn't even permit ROTC on campus and is populated with people who look down on those who actually fight to protect their freedom.</p>
<p>Or maybe--and sorry for speaking for you, Circles--he will remember the fact that he's gay and, because of that, not allowed to serve our Nation in the military.</p>
<p>Edited to add: Since when do Harvard students, as a whole, look down on people in the military?</p>
<p>Or - maybe being gay - he'll remember that the Taliban and al-Qaeda and Hamas and the Muslim Brotherhood ad infinitum would slit his throat JUST for being gay and that the US Armed Forces are actually the only defense standing between gays and death my Islamofascists. </p>
<p>OK. Look, I'm not allowed to veer too far off topic because the moderators aren't too fond of that, and I'm not trying to speak at all for Circles (who is JROTC, I believe), but a couple of quick things:</p>
<p>To Your First Point
1. I never said one word about the War in Iraq or anything similar, and I'm not really understanding it's relevence.
2. I don't get really why the Taliban executing gay people makes it OK for the US to not let them serve in the military...</p>
<p>To Your Second Point
To justify a blanket statement like yours, I'm going to need to little more substance than given in one 1500-word article. I mean, even that didn't include any real information besides three students saying that it was "frustrating" or a "hassle" to be ROTC at H and one anecdote about a student saying "gag me" when looking at a flier for a Patriotism rally. I didn't see anything that says that Harvard students look down on our country's soldiers.</p>
<p>I was going to write an argument against BigGreen's claims. I even debated the merit of the ideas with boston usmc. I ended up swinging around to usmc's viewpoint, so I want to thank her for helping me come to my conclusion.</p>
<p>I believe Harvard has legitimate gripes with US policy on the use of military in international conflicts and the US military's policy on homosexuality. I also believe Harvard is an appropriate forum for discussion of such issues and that Harvard has the right to take an official moral position on the use of military force in international conflict.</p>
<p>On the other hand, I believe Harvard's policy on ROTC is unfair and an inappropriate way to protest military actions taken and laws passed by the federal government. Instead of issuing the government, Harvard is punishing the military and its personnel, which is not a legitimate use of its power. The personnel belonging to ROTC are being punished... and for what?</p>
<p>I also agree that Harvard both collects and breeds an anti-military sentiment. There is a prevailing misconception among academics of liberal arts that the military is "below" academics, and there is another belief that the military is full of social misfits and those unable to cut it in academia. usmc is a clear counterexample. I do believe that a large portion of Harvard students probably have condescending attitudes toward military personnel and military deployment, though I cannot say for sure. This is the contention of BigGreen and I won't deny it.</p>
<p>On the other hand, I disagree with the idea that by enrolling in Harvard, you implicitly approve of all of the policies and beliefs of Harvard's faculty and students. It is clearly possible to honor the military as a Harvard student and it is wrong to say that enrolling in Harvard would somehow signify support for anti-military sentiment. Harvard and other academic institutions are designated for free thought and explicitly allow for students to contradict them on important issues. Among other things, universities are forums for discussion and free thought.</p>
<p>So I take umbrage with BigGreen's comments on how enrolling in Harvard would amount to hatred for the military. I also believe this was a totally inappropriate topic to bring up Harvard's attitude toward the military.</p>
<p>I think you all need to realize there's a difference between Harvard <em>the institution</em> and Harvard <em>students</em>. </p>
<p>I have 5 friends in Army or Navy ROTC, and my feelings on the Iraq War have nothing to do with their service.</p>
<p>Last year, about 4 people in my dorm were in ROTC and frequently seen wearing their fatigues back to their dorm after their training. I never saw anyone harass them, nor did they ever complain about being "looked down upon".</p>
<p>BigGreen- why don't you try asking people in ROTC at Harvard how they feel before saying all the students look down on it and going to Harvard is un-American. I can give you ROTC students' emails to ask if you would like.</p>
<p>running, if you contact Harvard, there's nothing to save you from sliding down the slippery slope to fascism and Nazism. Stepping on Harvard soil is akin to stepping on the liberty of your fellow Americans! Don't do it! ;)</p>
<p>In all seriousness, yes, inform them.</p>
<p>EAS, I agree with your point about separating the institution from the students, and I'm willing to take your word when you say that most Harvard students would not make outwardly hurtful and disparaging remarks toward military personnel.</p>