Prof. Compares Snipers/Republicans to Nazis

When the College Republicans set up a table in the Alumni Memorial Union urging support for the Adopt a Sniper program, University officials shut it down. The University took particular offense at some items for sale, including dogtags and bracelets the proceeds from which benefitted the organization. This created a firestorm of controversy in the media, and attracted the attention of at least one Engineering professor. According to an e-mail sent out by the College Republicans:

During today’s Mechanical Engineering 060 class, Professor Dr. William Brower began by sharing a joke about the current sniper situation. He then lifted up his arm and revealed a yellow, Lance Armstrong-style bracelet. He read what he had written onto the bracelet - Adopt A Nazi - to the class. Two different students in the class confirm this story

The Marquette Warrior Blog has contacted both of the students mentioned in the e-mail, and both confirm the story. The only proviso is that they can’t confirm that “Adopt A Nazi” was in fact written on the bracelet. But both confirm that Brower did indeed say that.

The student with a more detailed recollection remembers that Brower had a large yellow bracelet with something written on it in pen. Brower was chatting with two students about the bracelet, and then addressed the entire class and proceeded to “read” the words “Adopt a Nazi.” This student clearly remembers that the context was the College Republicans “Adopt a Sniper” campaign.

It’s hard to avoid the conclusion that this was a swipe at the College Republicans, comparing Snipers to Nazis and implying that the Republicans support Nazis.

This might be dismissed as a “casual” or “offhand” comment. But what would be the result of a professor making a “casual offhand” comment implying that blacks are less intelligent than whites, or that all homosexuals are child molesters?

Brower has, so far, failed to respond to an e-mail asking for an explanation of what he did. Should he respond, we will post his response.