We, the undersigned, for the purpose of bettering our school and community, object to the presence of a National Guard recruitment office for the following reasons:
- UB is a state school, and so required to field the occasional presence of recruiters, but is the only SUNY school to allow recruiters to utilize student resources, such as an office. Considering the difficulties our local high schools have in dealing with aggressive military recruitment programs in high-risk areas of Buffalo, this seems an insensitive move on UB's behalf.
- Our own student delegates in the Student Association could use such space on South Campus to create a bridge between the two campuses, as well as to overcome the racial gap between North and South Campus. It's common knowledge that the SA has been seeking an office on South Campus for nearly 5 years now.
- By providing recruiters with an office, UB makes a profound statement -- that it supports the immoral and illegal war in Iraq.
- Furthermore, UB also emphasizes the disconnect between race and gender on our campus. The National Guard, like all other branches of the U.S. Military, practices discriminatory recruitment policies against our gay community, actively attempts to enforce a poverty draft, and aggressively pursues our minority students and community members.
This office does not educationally or morally benefit our students or community in any way, and we are hard-pressed to think of a reason why the National Guard should have a constant and unfair presence at our university. We hope that the administration will reconsider this military presence here, in the interest of protecting the bonds UB should have with the Buffalo community, as well as the status of UB as a fixture in the academic world.
UB Anti-War Action
UB Progressive Alliance
Black Student Union
Society for Hispanic Professional Engineers
PODER: Latinos Unidos
Native American Peoples Alliance
UB Students Against Sweatshops
African SA
Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual & Transgender Association
Lambda Sigma Upsilon Fraternity, Inc.
Mu Sigma Upsilon Sorority, Inc.
WNY Peace Center
Photo: Courtesy of Laron Fomby
