Military memorial
not PC enough

Critics of a planned memorial on the University of Georgia campus to commemorate alumni who "gave their lives" in military service to the United States say the honorarium is not "diversified" enough.

Specifically, critics -- who are blocking the erection of the memorial on campus -- say it should also include persons who served in the Peace Corps, and that names on the memorial wouldn't honor women.

Also, they have complained that homosexuals and lesbians -– who are generally shunned from military service -– would be offended, and that blacks wouldn't even be mentioned in particular.

Critics also say that foreign students from countries "invaded" by the U.S. or who "suffered at our policies of 'military aggression or intervention'" would also be "offended" by the memorial.

And foreign students attending Georgia University, which is based in Athens, who may have strong feelings about those conflicts, or who possibly lost a friend, family or loved one, could "possibly be offended" by the sight of a statue and memorial to an American soldier, critics contend.

University of Georgia officials were not available for comment on Saturday.

Supporters of the memorial were quick to note that Georgia University’s ROTC (Reserve Officer Training Corps) is the oldest in the nation, and that 23 of its alumni became generals in various branches of the U.S. military.

Also, they said the memorial was not meant as a slight to race or gender, but rather as a way to honor alumni who had either died in service of the country or had served the country –- and, consequently, the University of Georgia –- with honor and distinction.

On Thursday, the Executive Committee of the University Council voted unanimously to consider building the memorial. Its biggest supporter is Loch Johnson, facilities committee chair and author of the proposal.

He said he was surprised the measure passed with such overwhelming support because of its failure to receive majority support of the committee at its March 15 meeting.

"I thought it would get at least one or two votes against, but I'm very gratified at the outcome," he told Red and Black, a university newspaper.

The vote followed two weeks of heated debate on campus.

According to the initial proposal, the memorial would honor all University students and alumni who gave their lives in military conflicts to preserve liberty, the paper said.

But council member Laura Chason, among others, challenged the wording of this proposal, saying it excluded women, minorities and international students.

Chason voted in favor of the amended proposal, however.