IOWA STATE DAILY
OPINION
4 SOLIDARITY
Thursday, Sept. 4, 2014
EDITORIAL
Jonathan Laczniak/Iowa State Daily
Iowa State has one of the most beautiful campuses in the country. To students, faculty and administrators, the ISD Editorial Board suggests you take the time to enjoy your surroundings.
Sara Madison/Iowa State Daily
Intervention is humanitarian By Michael.Glawe @iowastatedaily.com Last week, I happened upon a conversation between two individuals of millennial stock regarding the ongoing crisis in Iraq. Both agreed that it was high time we call our involvement in that country a failure, and any further attempts to keep our “nation building” efforts alive were futile. They displayed much of the idle protest of the past decade when our armed forces were guaranteeing the welfare of the Iraqi people after the fall of Saddam Hussein. I shifted uncomfortably in my seat as this conversation progressed from bad to worse. With Amnesty International accusing the Islamic State group of ethnic cleansing and with hundreds of Shiites and Yazidis killed every day, how could someone possibly take up the position that the United States should not intervene? It is here that I am reminded of one of my favorite essays regarding the topic of humanitarian intervention — written, unsurprisingly, by my favorite writer, Christopher Hitchens. The essay is titled “The Case for Humanitarian Intervention,” and I’d urge those of the isolationist breed to peruse it. Hitchens reminds us of a time when the United States was the “recipient, not the donor, of humanitarian solidarity.” Indeed, there are many instances when — in her fledgling state — the Land of the Free required the aid of foreigners. Even in weakness, the United States still pondered intervention in places such as Greece to guarantee the same freedoms upon which it was founded. Though it is common among isolationists to quote John Quincy Adams — “She goes not abroad, in search of monsters to destroy” — Adams said this in a time when the United States could not afford to aid other countries in its
fight for liberty. Nowadays, we do have the resources to guarantee such rights. It is a shame that many people, especially those of my own party, think that the United States should never utilize these resources. Yes, empire building is wrong and the United States has been guilty of this crime before. However, there is a difference between those surreptitious intentions and genuine efforts to help people, which oftentimes require military action. It saddens me to see people of my party failing to recognize this distinction. Those who think the United States couldn’t possibly be a moral arbiter — as it is colloquially phrased, “policing the world” — are, to be blunt, dead wrong. After all, if the U.S. did not have the authority and the moral obligation to intervene in the Rwandan genocide, then when and where would such an action be permitted? The fact that the Clinton administration simply shrugged off the murder of hundreds of thousands of Tutsis is not only reprehensible but also shameful. It yields the impression of the United States as callous, capricious and careless. The same goes to all of you who, in the midst of mass murder, think, “Not our problem,” while basking in the pride of our heroism in rescuing Europe from that genocidal megalomaniac Adolf Hitler. For the moment, let’s focus on the Kurds, who are now fighting for their lives against the forces of the Islamic State group. People of my generation who view our efforts to assist the Kurds as futile have failed to recall the horrible atrocities committed against those people. In 1989, for instance, Saddam Hussein’s Ba’athist government conducted a genocidal campaign against the Kurdish people. We are quickly reminded of the attack at Halabja, which bears recognition as the
largest chemical weapons attack against a civilian population in history. Wasn’t the overthrow of Saddam Hussein’s regime, then, a deliverance? Disregarding the “weapons of mass destruction” argument, Saddam Hussein committed crimes against humanity and it was right of the United States to take him down. The United States, therefore, has the duty to act in concert with other nations to purge the world of monsters such as Slobodan Milosevic, the Hutu extremists, and Bashar al-Assad. Or are we to let some practitioners of genocide a free pass and others not? The Islamic State brigades are no different. They actively engage in the mass killings of Iraqi civilians — as it has now been reported, “ethnic cleansing.” I have heard some of my friends on the left call for military action against the Islamic State group while condemning the Iraq War. But its all the same to me — guaranteeing the safety and freedom of the Kurdish and Iraqi people. Unfortunately, this requires military action. For the accusers of warmongering, though, I yield to Hitchens, who recognized in his essay that “war and conflict are absolutely needful engines for progress and that arguments about human rights, humanitarian intervention and the evolution of international laws and standards are all, in the last resort, part of a clash over what constitutes civilization, if not invariably a clash between civilizations.” Still, faced with the evidence, you isolationists will remain covering your ears and closing your eyes, hoping the killing will be over soon and you won’t have to listen to the cries for help. Fine. Those of us who favor humanitarian intervention will pick up the standard you laid down and we won’t think twice whether or not we should purge the world of genocidal maniacs.
LETTER TO THE EDITOR
Cancellation of Veishea removes students’ chance to prove worth By Jeanene Skarshaug, ISU class of 1983 and Ames resident As an ISU alumna and Ames community member, I am very, very sad about the decision to cancel Veishea. I’m sad that our youngest son, an ISU freshman, will not experience the positive opportunities the true Veishea events provided over the decades. I’m sad that potential students will no longer be inspired by the beauty of the campus in the spring and the accomplishments of the students and the university faculty and staff. I’m sad that thousands of volunteer hours and fundraising for needed scholarships will
no longer be shared or given. Nearly a century of tradition has just been thrown away. Something that connected all ISU graduates since the 1920s is now broken. It amazes me that a university and community so accomplished in so many different areas really believed they did not have the capacity to hold students to a higher standard of behavior — a very sad commentary on so many different levels. Veishea, at least in its original and intended form, made Iowa State unique and different in the spring. I guess it is OK to be just like every other school and only have spring break and finals to look forward to during the second semester. My guess is the spring offcampus parties will still hap-
pen, but the positive activities like the parade, cherry pies, milking cows, teaching city kids what farmers do, racing cockroaches, homemade ice cream, chemistry and physics shows, the Groove concerts, Stars over Veishea and department open houses — among many others — will be gone forever. Maybe today’s students just aren’t ready for the responsibility of hosting such a large event. I think they will miss the opportunity to prove themselves ready. I have been informed by President Steven Leath that my feelings about Veishea put me in a “small minority.” If that is true, then letting go of treasured ISU traditions is only just beginning.
Slow down, take time to enjoy beauty of campus Close your eyes, take a deep breath and count to five. Alright. Let’s move on. This is exactly what the occupants of Iowa State need to do. As we’ve the second week of school, campus is in a flurry. Pedestrians are running, bicyclists are biking and the administration are scheduling meeting after meeting. To take a line from the 1994 film “Shawshank Redemption,” “The world went and got itself in a big, damn hurry.” Now that school is in full swing, it’s important to take a moment for ourselves. We need to breathe or we’re going to burn ourselves out by the end of September. This isn’t a call to halt the rising enrollment and this isn’t a call to be safe on campus. It’s a call to relax and take in what’s around you. Students When heading to class or across campus, no matter what your mode of transportation is, give yourself some extra time. Get off your phones and be aware. You don’t have to hone in on your destination and be as alert as a Navy SEAL, but it will make your and others’ commutes a lot easier. Take time to smell the flowers on campus. You’re at one of the most beautiful universities in the country, so appreciate it. It’s not always possible to saunter between classes when traveling from Carver Hall to Lagomarcino Hall. That’s understandable. But if you take time to breathe in the smells of Iowa State, you’ll find yourself in a calmer place. Professors, lecturers and educators When you walk into that lecture hall everyday, packed with 300 or more students, remember why you’re here. Contrary to what some students may think, you’re here to make a difference and impact the learners in your classroom. Whether that’s 18 students or 180, you’re making a difference. Be patient with those hustling from the other side of campus to your classroom. While it isn’t always the case, most students are doing their very best to get to class on time. You’ve seen the sidewalks and made some of the same commutes as us, so you know what it’s like. Administration While you may not be taking the same tests as us or grading the same papers as the educators you hire, you are doing some intense work to improve the ISU student experience. While some may not see it in your eyes, continue to work toward the goals you have set. In five, 10 or 20 years, it won’t be about the money you made but the example you set. Help the students follow in the right footsteps by making decisions based upon your knowledge of the community. This isn’t a call for reform or an expression of outrage. It’s a call to stop being so consumed in the everyday goals and items and take a small moment for yourself. We all have a long year ahead of us and if we get too wound up now, the energy will be all gone before Thanksgiving. This is a call to you, Iowa State. Take a breath, count to five and let’s get to work.
Editorial Board
Stephen Koenigsfeld, editor-in-chief Katie Titus, opinion editor
Opinions expressed in columns and letters are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the Daily or organizations with which the author(s) are associated.
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