The USF community is participating in the national debate on war, with some students protesting and others planning a show of support for the troops. A faculty panel on Iraq also attracted a large audience.
Last month, a coalition of students for peace and justice staged a lunch-time “die-in” and a 24-hour outdoor vigil. Another group plans to wage a letter-writing campaign to U.S. troops April 21 to express support.
Three professors and one journalist debated the war on Iraq Tuesday before an audience of nearly 100 during an event sponsored by the USF Peace and Justice Coalition. Speaking in support of the war were professors Shalendra Sharma (politics) and Elliot Neaman (history).
“War should be an instrument of last resort,” Sharma said. “In this case, I think it is. As horrible as war is, (Saddam Hussein’s) regime is worse…. Will this war make the United States a safer place? I think so…. We are the power that can provide order and security in this world. That is what we are doing—preventing potential conflicts down the road.”
“It is very emotionally gratifying to be against war, but the dream of interminable peace is just that—a dream,” Neaman said. “Getting rid of a dictator like Saddam Hussein will increase social justice.”
Reese Erlich, a journalist and author of Target Iraq, and Politics Professor Steven Zunes spoke equally passionately against the war, saying it will only make the world more insecure.
“I believe this is the worst thing we can do in terms of maintaining our security in an increasingly dangerous world,” Zunes said. “The more the U.S. has militarized the Middle East, the less secure we have become.”
Zunes also said the war itself is violating U.N. principles. “If the U.S. can flaunt international law, why shouldn’t lesser powers? This is a very dangerous precedent.”
What the panelists did agree on was the value of healthy debate. “We should not demonize those we disagree with,” Neaman said. Instead, we should appreciate different opinions and recognize the importance of dialogue. Information on future events can be found at www.usfca.edu/iraqconflict.
