Opinion: What do we say about ROTC students…and what does it say about us?

So what is the issue here? I think most of us can say that we have chuckled at many of these jives and thought nothing of them. One could argue that maybe these jokes are just harmless comments produced by a generation that cherishes off-color humor. My point is not that these comments come from a place of malice, but that these comments are a microcosm of inconsistent and hypocritical American treatment of service men and women. 

The American pattern of inconsistent and unfair treatment of our soldiers can be traced back to the Vietnam War. Soldiers, most of whom were involuntarily drafted, were sent off into what some consider one of America’s first “forever wars”. While returning veterans from World War I and the Korean War were celebrated as war heroes, Vietnam soldiers did not enjoy the same treatment. According to a study by Delta College, the tide of public opinion had shifted following the Vietnam War and these soldiers were not considered heroes, but “baby killers, psychos, drug addicts and war mongers”. They were not greeted with parades upon their homecoming but were instead harassed in airports and spit on in the streets. A myth of our soldier’s incompetency was blamed for our loss in Vietnam and sweeping generalizations were made about how they conducted themselves when they were overseas. Not only this, but GI benefits were also non-existent for returning soldiers and as a result veterans had little to no support for their healthcare or education costs. 

So, how do these inconsistencies present currently? On a larger scale, we celebrate soldiers as war heroes in parades and sporting events, yet after their service, those same people who were “our heroes” are left impoverished and homeless. According to the National Coalition of Homeless Veterans, “only 7% of the general population can claim veteran status, but nearly 13% of the homeless adult population are veterans.” In addition to issues of homelessness, veterans also experience higher rates of mental illness with limited mental health resources. A study done by the National Library of Medicine revealed that insufficient mental health resources for veterans are giving rise to high suicide rates in returning soldiers. Thus, it becomes clear that when it comes to patriotic celebrations, we are all too happy to participate; but in a more tangible and real sense, it’s clear the American attitude towards our troops is apathetic disregard. 

Similar inconsistencies seem to be present at our campus as well. CU Navy ROTC student, Jack Eddington, commented on CU and Boulder attitudes toward the military. 

“People, especially in Boulder, seem to have given into this idea that all military members are bad people and forget about their dedication to service. People buy into the fact that we are just tools of modern-day colonialism, but we are humans who are answering a calling larger than ourselves,” says Eddington. 

Eddington calls on the community to reconsider their treatment of those who choose to serve. 

“I think the CU population as a whole could just work on giving more respect to military members (not just ROTC) and acknowledging the fact that you may not agree with the motives or reason for why we do our mission, but [there should be] a level of respect for the men and women who serve,” he remarked. 

At CU, our commencement ceremonies and sporting events are completed with renditions of the Star Spangled Banner played behind pictures of American soldiers, to which students jeer. With our country’s voluntary military service, we can comfortably remain in the US and enjoy our liberties, while some of our peers volunteer to defend the freedoms we enjoy. Yet when it comes to our treatment of fellow students who have agreed to serve our country, we choose disdain and mockery. It’s a peculiar reaction that illustrates the larger contradiction of American attitudes towards our military–one that did not start at CU, but certainly did not end here either.