The Daily Egyptian is published by the students of SIU at Carbondale. Except during vacations and exam weeks, The Daily Egyptian is published Monday through Friday during the fall and spring semesters and TWThF during the summer semester."

No one joins the military unwittingly

The anti-military agenda was fuming off the page Thursday when I found a stack of DE's at the Student Center. And it smelled bad. Mr. Stephens' article concerning the No Child Left Behind Act ["Education act come with minor provision," pg. 1] tried to paint a conspiracy of the Bush White House trying to "draft" high school students, but this provision has always been there, in black and white, for any interested American to read. Mr. Stephens' article seems to forget that no one joins the military without agreeing to it first.

Why isn't there a perspective from the opposite side? The recruiting station may not wish to talk, but aren't there many military men and women on campus? Why not ask an individual: Why did you join the armed forces? Certainly there are many of these honorable people to ask on this campus: there's five in the picture next to his article.

I find it hard to believe that people can be confused when signing up for the military, thinking they are just going to go to a college and not be required to do anything else. The military isn't just another Pell Grant. It's one of the many ways in which we can defend our country and its citizens, though some might not appreciate it.

I have to doubt the caliber of any high school that will allow a student to graduate that does not know the difference between financial aid and service in the military. They are not the same. Also, Mr. Rohling's reference to servicemen as "bullet catchers" isn't only rude to the people we should be thanking, but it is also disrespectful to the many who have fallen in our defense. I ask him to apologize.

Andrea Wilton
senior, physiology

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