Battle over soldiers scholarship

[M.Dancer]

I am not so sure sending their youngsters into harms way by way of these Professors who bastardize history is such a good idea.

How true....

[Moonbox]

I always thought that was a stupid expression. After all, they still speak German in Germany, Ukranian in Ukrane, etc. etc.

Professors are smart, but sometimes shill. If we want to complain about them, let's not supplant didacticism with hoariness, eh ?

Your choice of language is comical enough, but the fact that you're nitpicking the use of an expression just pushes it over the edge. If not for our military, democracy as we know it may not exist.

Edited March 26, 2010 by Moonbox

[Michael Hardner]

"Didacticism"? "Hoariness"? Wow, dude... someone's been subscribing to the dictionary.com word-of-the-day email spam. Stop showing off.

After coffee I can word real good.

[Michael Hardner]

Ah man! Now I have to dig out a dictionary! How about useing $200.00 words instead of $5.00.I can`t even make change for a fiver.

Yes these other countries do speak their mother tongues. But not by force as could have happened if the western world militarily had not stood up to the dictators.

Ok, so Stalin is a Westerner then ? I suppose he is.

[Michael Hardner]

Even "supplant" is bordering on elite.... I would've used "replace" or "switch".... let me check thesaurus.com.... Who does this Michael Hardner guy think he is?

We're talking about professors here, so why not fancy it up ?

[Michael Hardner]

If not for our military, democracy as we know it may not exist.

Yes, I got that part of it. If it weren't for the South Koreans they'd be speaking North Korean in South Korea too. Don't forget that.

[Muddy]

lets get a couple of things straight. All professors are not smart. Not all kids should go on to University nor are some deserving. I was a lousey scholar and did not finish grade school. I was not deserving. I still managed to be a relative success in life. Some would give all the credit to the Gal I married.

I have been asked to speak in high schools and not only do I find students ignorant of Canadian history the teachers are darn right obtuse.

[Michael Hardner]

lets get a couple of things straight. All professors are not smart. Not all kids should go on to University nor are some deserving. I was a lousey scholar and did not finish grade school. I was not deserving. I still managed to be a relative success in life. Some would give all the credit to the Gal I married.

I have been asked to speak in high schools and not only do I find students ignorant of Canadian history the teachers are darn right obtuse.

All professors are not smart, and not all smart people are professors.

None of that speaks to this issue. This isn't about IQ, quickness, or knowledge. They're speaking out of conscience.

[Muddy]

All professors are not smart, and not all smart people are professors.

None of that speaks to this issue. This isn't about IQ, quickness, or knowledge. They're speaking out of conscience.

They speak out of ignorance of history. They have no idea why they have the right to speak.A trip to Hong Kong,South Korea, France ,Belgium and Holland amongst other places to see the Canadian Military cemetaries just might be an education.

[Guest TrueMetis]

It's only sixteen professors, and professors of what exactly? How many of them are history professors? Personally I'm betting they're philosophy professors.

Edited March 26, 2010 by TrueMetis

[eyeball]

Ah man! Now I have to dig out a dictionary! How about useing $200.00 words instead of $5.00.I can`t even make change for a fiver.

Yes these other countries do speak their mother tongues. But not by force as could have happened if the western world militarily had not stood up to the dictators.

I wonder how much force was used to make English the most ubiquitous language on the planet?

Edited March 26, 2010 by eyeball

[eyeball]

...As a Canadian soldier who has completed 3 tours in Afghanistan, i can personally tell you there is no Canadian imperialism goning on in Afghanistan...but what would i know , so to make sure i'm on line perhaps someone with the same attitude or opinions as our professors could explain to me, what exactly is meant by Canadian imperialism as my defination certainly does not fit what is currently going on in Afghanistan....or maybe it's not me rather them as they are clueless on what is transpiring over there in their name...

I think that's because the imperialism is happening here at home. I'd describe this imperialism as an attitude that's been long reflected in our agreements with other like-minded western countries to basically steer the world's vital resources and skew economic opportunity in a certain direction i.e the west's.

These are the people who are responsiable for teaching our future leaders, captains of industry.... this behavior makes me wonder just what is the product they are producing and how is it effecting our nation right now..

Where did the past leaders and captains of industry that have caused so many people around the world to hate the west come from?

I think scholarships for the descendents of conscripts would be in order but not volunteers for war's where the justness of that war has always been in question. That clearly has politics written all over it.

Edited March 26, 2010 by eyeball

[waldo]

I think what their attempt has been is to warn against complacency in terms of regulating what the military does. In the end, though they deserve respect for what they do, the armed forces is a political body like any other.

Furthermore, I don't think anyone should be glorifying war. It's an awful practice and one that should be rightly condemned. Is it sometimes necessary? Yes, though no one should be making it out to be what it isn't.

and just what does the name "Project Hero" evoke for someone strongly opposed to the military/war? What's wrong they say... don't you support the troops! In this particular case we have a non-political institution, a university, somewhat arbitrarily making a decision that, obviously, wasn't put to it's faculty base prior to announcement.

again, is there a special status simply by virtue of being in the military? Or is it the loss of life sacrifice aspect... and if so... wouldn't monies to military families be better allocated by, say... Veteran Affairs? What about other job categories where loss of life is possible... should universities offer scholarships to the families of police officers or firemen killed while on the job? For these professors, it would appear, they draw a strong linkage between awards assigned by association to the military and, by extension, special class distinction for those they hold strong reservations toward.

[Wilber]

I think scholarships for the descendents of conscripts would be in order but not volunteers for war's where the justness of that war has always been in question. That clearly has politics written all over it.

Yes, by all means penalize those who willingly serve their country and reward those who have to be coerced into it when their country is in danger.

[Argus]

All professors are not smart, and not all smart people are professors.

None of that speaks to this issue. This isn't about IQ, quickness, or knowledge. They're speaking out of conscience.

They're speaking out of the reflexive arrogance of knee-jerk anti-militarism that they live and breath and spew out onto every unsuspecting youth which crosses their paths.

One of the problems of universities, and the reason they've become the home to a collection of pseudo intellectual snots is that they've taken the concept of "academic freedom" to mean that a professor or teacher has the right to be an asshole and to express his assholery (how's that for wordage MH) on any subject or topic under the sun.

So in the name of "academic freedom" a professor hired to teach English feels perfectly free to indoctrinate youth with far far leftist kant. A professor supposedly teaching science instead dwells lovingly on the failures of capitalism. And a professor teaching history can instead repeatedly condemn conservatives and capitalism. I'm actually having a hard time figuring out just what point "academic freedom" actually serves for today's universities. It certainly isn't to allow them the unfettered ability to explore new variations of their craft since most of their political ideological views have nothing whatever to do with their actual teaching or research topics.

And before anyone snivels about "freedom of speech" - most likely the same people who are gleeful at it being supressed for Anne Coulter - there is a vast difference between an individual being allowed to speak their opinion, and a group of employees raising a public stink about a policy their employer has put in place.

[Argus]

It's only sixteen professors, and professors of what exactly? How many of them are history professors? Personally I'm betting they're philosophy professors.

Most likely English. English is the chosen field of study of people who have never known want or need and have no concept of the idea of having insufficient funds to support themselves, it's a subject generally taken by children who grow up in the mushiest of upper middle class liberal homes. People who have had challenges in life, people who want challenges in life, certainly don't choose English as their major.

[Wilber]

and just what does the name "Project Hero" evoke for someone strongly opposed to the military/war? What's wrong they say... don't you support the troops! In this particular case we have a non-political institution, a university, somewhat arbitrarily making a decision that, obviously, wasn't put to it's faculty base prior to announcement.

again, is there a special status simply by virtue of being in the military? Or is it the loss of life sacrifice aspect... and if so... wouldn't monies to military families be better allocated by, say... Veteran Affairs? What about other job categories where loss of life is possible... should universities offer scholarships to the families of police officers or firemen killed while on the job? For these professors, it would appear, they draw a strong linkage between awards assigned by association to the military and, by extension, special class distinction for those they hold strong reservations toward.

Who cares what it evokes for them, they won't get off their asses and put them selves in harms way for their fellow citizens, they just complain about those who do. Yes, the loss of life and sacrifice aspect does give them a special status in society, along with police and firefighters it makes them unique members of a rather small portion of society.

[Muddy]

Yes, by all means penalize those who willingly serve their country and reward those who have to be coerced into it when their country is in danger.

well we don`t have to worry about Trudeaus kids getting one of these scholerships. Trudeau shirked when the country called and his peers marched off without him to fight a just and honourable war.

[robert_viera]

Seeing how half of the Canadian soldiers that have died in Afghanistan were aged 26 or younger, why don't we bring our young men and women back home and give them free tuition and send the old men and politicians who tell us war is 'heroic' to Afghanistan in their place?

[Peter F]

well we don`t have to worry about Trudeaus kids getting one of these scholerships. Trudeau shirked when the country called and his peers marched off without him to fight a just and honourable war.

and you don't have to worry about me getting one of those scholarships either. So blow it out ur arse.

For Gabriel; Here is an example of glorification of the military.

[Wilber]

Seeing how half of the Canadian soldiers that have died in Afghanistan were aged 26 or younger, why don't we bring our young men and women back home and give them free tuition and send the old men and politicians who tell us war is 'heroic' to Afghanistan in their place?

After WW2, Vets were given the option of land (Veterans Land Act) or education. There is a part of Westbank (sorry, West Kelowna) that was referred to by locals for decades as the VLA because most of it was farm land granted to to WW2 vets. My father was a WW2 vet who opted for education and got his degree courtesy of the government. I have no problem with resurrecting this system for those who have served in combat. As for going to war, old guys pick the fights and young guys do the fighting, that has always been the way and always will.

[Michael Hardner]

They're speaking out of the reflexive arrogance of knee-jerk anti-militarism that they live and breath and spew out onto every unsuspecting youth which crosses their paths.

One of the problems of universities, and the reason they've become the home to a collection of pseudo intellectual snots is that they've taken the concept of "academic freedom" to mean that a professor or teacher has the right to be an asshole and to express his assholery (how's that for wordage MH) on any subject or topic under the sun.

So in the name of "academic freedom" a professor hired to teach English feels perfectly free to indoctrinate youth with far far leftist kant. A professor supposedly teaching science instead dwells lovingly on the failures of capitalism. And a professor teaching history can instead repeatedly condemn conservatives and capitalism. I'm actually having a hard time figuring out just what point "academic freedom" actually serves for today's universities. It certainly isn't to allow them the unfettered ability to explore new variations of their craft since most of their political ideological views have nothing whatever to do with their actual teaching or research topics.

And before anyone snivels about "freedom of speech" - most likely the same people who are gleeful at it being supressed for Anne Coulter - there is a vast difference between an individual being allowed to speak their opinion, and a group of employees raising a public stink about a policy their employer has put in place.

Yes, I had a professor like that. He went out of his way to disparage union workers at the university and to indoctrinate us about how lazy they were. No one complained back then.

You don't agree with them, and that seems to colour your views on what they're doing, but that's normal.

Coulter is a different matter - and I've already contributed too much to that overheated thread.

[eyeball]

Yes, by all means penalize those who willingly serve their country and reward those who have to be coerced into it when their country is in danger.

We shouldn't reward or celebrate the willing participation in a venture that is imperialist in nearly every conventional way but name. If someone was coerced into this they should be awarded compensation as opposed to being rewarded.

[Guest American Woman]

It's only sixteen professors, and professors of what exactly? How many of them are history professors? Personally I'm betting they're philosophy professors.

Here's a list of the 16 professors and their related field:

Joyce Green, Department of Political Science

J.F. Conway, Department of Sociology and Social Studies

George Buri, Department of History

Emily Eaton, Department of Geography

Jeffery R. Webber, Department of Political Science

David Webster, International Studies

Annette Desmarais, International Studies

Darlene Juschka, Women’s and Gender Studies and Religious Studies

Meredith Rogers Cherland, Faculty of Education

Garson Hunter, Social Work

John W. Warnock, Department of Sociology and Social Studies

William Arnal, Department of Religious Studies

Leesa Streifler, Department of Visual Arts

Carol Schick, Faculty of Education

Ken Montgomery, Faculty of Education

André Magnan, Department of Sociology and Social Studies

The link also has a copy of the letter.

Edited March 27, 2010 by American Woman

[eyeball]

As for going to war, old guys pick the fights and young guys do the fighting, that has always been the way and always will.

Screw the old guys, they should have either finished what they started or never started it in the first place.