Military personnel should not use position for political
reasons
As a fellow veteran I understand and respect Jasaun Neff’s
opinions, but I must object to his methods of protest (“UCLA
student, veteran writes off war”, Nov. 10). As a member of
the Inactive Ready Reserve he was still subject to the rules and
regulations of the Uniform Military Code of Justice. Politicizing
his views through Michael Moore’s book was prejudicial to
good order and discipline and, more importantly, a disservice to
all current and past service members. Having participated in the
Iraq invasion and liberation I know from experience that war is not
something to be taken lightly.
Yet our role, whether on active duty, in the active reserves or
inactive reserves, is not to use our position to politicize our
personal views. No one forced Neff to enlist in the Army. It was
ultimately his decision and that of his parents, since he signed up
at age 17, which requires parental consent. Despite his views on
whether the government has betrayed his trust, he should have
fulfilled his oath and kept his views private as long as he was
under contract.
The same goes for the Marine corporal in “Fahrenheit
9/11″ who allowed the Marine Corps uniform to be used for an
explicitly political film. The greater good in this case is service
to one’s country, not to one’s personal ideas. Service
means placing the needs of others before your own. My fellow
Marines and the other armed services protecting our nation deserve
at least that much respect and consideration while they continue to
honorably serve, regardless of their opinions.
Corporal Edwin Kim, USMC Fourth-year, political
science
Professors do more than teach a few hours
To assume that professors work at UCLA just to teach is a gross
underestimation of the role of research at a university like UCLA.
The professors who teach on campus are also involved in furthering
their own education beyond a doctorate degree. Furthermore, all
departments require that professors keep current and create new
work in their respective area of expertise. This demand on
university professors is independent of the hours they dedicate to
teaching.
There are universities that are primarily dedicated to teaching,
but UCLA is more than that. If anyone took the time to ask their
professors what they do outside of the classroom, they would be
shocked to find out that a professor in many ways is also a
student. UCLA is a community of scholars ““ some of us have
degrees, others are still working on them. The whole point of such
a community is dedication to learning.
Some professors conduct hours upon hours of research in order to
make sure they are prepared for one class. But the majority of
students do not allow themselves the opportunity to see how much
preparation time actually goes into a single lecture.
Antonia Jordan Third-year, philosopy