A Warrior on “Warriors”
My name is Carl Benander. I am an officer in United States Army’s 82nd Airborne Division. I have fought insurgents in Fallujah, Iraq and Asadabad, Afghanistan.
I am an MU alum. I am a warrior. I am Marquette.
I was deeply disappointed when I heard the news about MUs impending nickname change. I understand the complexity of the issue and by no means envy the position the Board of Trustees is in. However, I can not help but feel disenfranchised by the board’s unilateral action and indifference to the thousands of Alumni and students that proudly represent the University throughout the country and the world. Marquette prides itself on service and one of the seven army values is selfless service. The concept of selfless service reminds us that we are bound to each other as human beings and that we must always remember to put the good of the whole ahead of our own personal interests. It is this concept that allows me, in good conscience, to risk my life and those of the soldiers whom I lead in a war that I do not personally support. I believe in this country and the people charged with leading it. I trust that the people of this country and the officials whom they elect will always endeavor to do what is right. That trust is derived from the fact that our leaders are and should be accountable to the people. The same concept should be applied to the leadership of Marquette University. This isn’t about a nickname.
It is about the identity of a University and what that institution represents. I understand the decision to not reinstate the name Warriors. If the Board of Trustees felt that the Warriors nickname would truly offend or alienate people then it should not be reinstated. However, the 38 people on that board have not been given the mandate to make decisions that will alter the identity of the University without consulting the people they represent. At the end of the day it is their decision to make but at least some attempt could have been made to reach out to the people who have helped build MU’s rich tradition. I am certain, even though much evidence to the contrary may have surfaced in the last 48 hours, that the Marquette community is intelligent and reasonable enough to compromise. How hard would it have been to reach out and say, “You know what, Warriors is not going to happen. Help us find a new name that will capture the identity of Marquette without compromising our core values.” The boards unilateral action on this matter causes me to question the loyalty of the university administration and begs the question, who do they serve?
In the category of too little to late, I would also like to make one last pitch for Warriors. As I stated previously, I am a warrior. I have devoted my life to the study of warfare and train every day to help this country fight and win wars. This is the epitome of a love hate relationship. I embrace the just war theory put forth by St. Thomas Aquinas and believe that war should be held only as the last possible course of action. I have experienced war and it is a terrible thing, but warriors are not terrible people. True warriors are individuals who must constantly keep themselves, “physically fit, mentally strong, and morally straight.” I teach my soldiers to respect all human beings even those we consider our enemies. I train them to understand different cultures and encourage them to seek out knowledge. A warrior must also have a sharp intellect. As a British officer once stated, “A nation that makes too large a distinction between its warriors and scholars risks having its wars fought by fools and it’s thinking done by cowards.” A warrior stands up for what he believes in. A true warrior fights for a higher cause; only a thug or a fool fights for the sake of fighting. I feel proud and privileged to be called a warrior. The insinuation by some that a warrior somehow runs counter to the ideals of Marquette University saddens me. As a warrior, I live by the seven army values, loyalty, duty, respect, selfless service, honor, integrity, and personal courage. These values are quite similar to the values I was taught to embrace at Marquette. I am a warrior, St. Ignatius was a warrior, St. Joan of Arc was a warrior, and I would be damn proud to have a warrior represent Marquette University.
Very Respectfully,
1LT Carl E. Benander (MU ’02)
I am an MU alum. I am a warrior. I am Marquette.
I was deeply disappointed when I heard the news about MUs impending nickname change. I understand the complexity of the issue and by no means envy the position the Board of Trustees is in. However, I can not help but feel disenfranchised by the board’s unilateral action and indifference to the thousands of Alumni and students that proudly represent the University throughout the country and the world. Marquette prides itself on service and one of the seven army values is selfless service. The concept of selfless service reminds us that we are bound to each other as human beings and that we must always remember to put the good of the whole ahead of our own personal interests. It is this concept that allows me, in good conscience, to risk my life and those of the soldiers whom I lead in a war that I do not personally support. I believe in this country and the people charged with leading it. I trust that the people of this country and the officials whom they elect will always endeavor to do what is right. That trust is derived from the fact that our leaders are and should be accountable to the people. The same concept should be applied to the leadership of Marquette University. This isn’t about a nickname.
It is about the identity of a University and what that institution represents. I understand the decision to not reinstate the name Warriors. If the Board of Trustees felt that the Warriors nickname would truly offend or alienate people then it should not be reinstated. However, the 38 people on that board have not been given the mandate to make decisions that will alter the identity of the University without consulting the people they represent. At the end of the day it is their decision to make but at least some attempt could have been made to reach out to the people who have helped build MU’s rich tradition. I am certain, even though much evidence to the contrary may have surfaced in the last 48 hours, that the Marquette community is intelligent and reasonable enough to compromise. How hard would it have been to reach out and say, “You know what, Warriors is not going to happen. Help us find a new name that will capture the identity of Marquette without compromising our core values.” The boards unilateral action on this matter causes me to question the loyalty of the university administration and begs the question, who do they serve?
In the category of too little to late, I would also like to make one last pitch for Warriors. As I stated previously, I am a warrior. I have devoted my life to the study of warfare and train every day to help this country fight and win wars. This is the epitome of a love hate relationship. I embrace the just war theory put forth by St. Thomas Aquinas and believe that war should be held only as the last possible course of action. I have experienced war and it is a terrible thing, but warriors are not terrible people. True warriors are individuals who must constantly keep themselves, “physically fit, mentally strong, and morally straight.” I teach my soldiers to respect all human beings even those we consider our enemies. I train them to understand different cultures and encourage them to seek out knowledge. A warrior must also have a sharp intellect. As a British officer once stated, “A nation that makes too large a distinction between its warriors and scholars risks having its wars fought by fools and it’s thinking done by cowards.” A warrior stands up for what he believes in. A true warrior fights for a higher cause; only a thug or a fool fights for the sake of fighting. I feel proud and privileged to be called a warrior. The insinuation by some that a warrior somehow runs counter to the ideals of Marquette University saddens me. As a warrior, I live by the seven army values, loyalty, duty, respect, selfless service, honor, integrity, and personal courage. These values are quite similar to the values I was taught to embrace at Marquette. I am a warrior, St. Ignatius was a warrior, St. Joan of Arc was a warrior, and I would be damn proud to have a warrior represent Marquette University.
Very Respectfully,
1LT Carl E. Benander (MU ’02)
posted by John McAdams at 10:00 PM
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home