Adopt a Sniper' fund-raiser (article & rebuttal)


'Adopt a Sniper' fund-raiser shot down
Marquette University says 'no' to Republican students' plan
Thursday, February 3, 2005 Posted: 5:10 PM EST (2210 GMT)

http://www.cnn.com/2005/US/02/03/life.sniper.reut/index.html

CHICAGO (Reuters) -- A Catholic university in Milwaukee, Wisconsin has blocked an attempt by Republican students to raise money for a group called "Adopt a Sniper" that raises money for U.S. sharp-shooters in Iraq and Afghanistan.

The students were selling bracelets bearing the motto "1 Shot 1 Kill No Remorse I Decide".

"Clearly the rhetoric of that organization raised some questions and we had some strong objections as a Jesuit university," Marquette University school spokeswoman Brigid O'Brien said Thursday.

The students, representing a group called College Republicans, originally got permission to set up a table at the student union to raise money for U.S. troops in Iraq.

But they chose to promote a group called Adopt a Sniper, which says on its Web site it supports snipers deployed by the United States armed forces in Iraq and Afghanistan.

The group says it "helps real snipers get the real gear they need to help keep us safe."

The brainchild of a Texas police SWAT officer Adopt a Sniper (www.adoptasniper.org) has raised thousands of dollars in cash and gear to supplement the kit of sharp shooters in U.S. combat platoons.

Among products sold on the site is a $15 coin with the imprinted phrase "Assistance From A Distance."

Copyright 2005 Reuters.

-------------- Rebuttal Article:

MU Administration Suppresses CR ''Support Our Troops'' Table
http://www.murepublicans.com/modules.php?
name=News&file=article&sid=167

For Immediate Release
Contact: Brandon Henak, Chair, 414-243-9558

Once again the Marquette University Administration has taken its ultra-liberal inclinations to the extreme, violating its own commitment to academic freedom and ideological diversity. Yesterday afternoon, a University official abruptly suspended an approved "Support our Troops" table the College Republicans at Marquette University (CRs) set up to benefit Adopt a Sniper, a 501c(3) organization helping our troops in the Middle East. Today, the University Administration issued a memo canceling the table for the rest of the week.

Students were volunteering at an Office of Student Development (OSD)-approved "Support Our Troops" table in the Alumni Memorial Union this afternoon, selling Adopt a Sniper trinkets modeled after the Lance Armstrong "Livestrong" bands. During a transition between volunteers, OSD staff canceled the table, confiscating the signs and supplies.

Today, OSD Dean Mark McCarthy issued a memorandum stating "this fundraising activity does not comport to the University's mission." He said the Adopt a Sniper program was "clearly provocative" and ran contrary to Catholic values.

CRs chairman Brandon Henak decried the Administration's suppression tactics. "Our group saw this table as an opportunity for our fellow students to support our troops by making peace possible through victory," Henak said. "This program directly benefits the men on the front lines, who use this material to eliminate terrorists and protect the lives of other American troops and innocent Iraqi civilians."

"It is an absolute shame that this Administration is so blinded by its liberal bent that they refuse to recognize that the success of our servicemen and women in Iraq and Afghanistan is crucial to building a safe, free, and ultimately more peaceful world," Henak said. He pointed out that the Catholic Church has long upheld the tenets of Just War Theory as a legitimate way for governments to achieve long-term peace through military action.

Henak also noted the proud American foreign policy tradition of "Peace through Strength," stretching from Teddy Roosevelt to John F. Kennedy and Ronald Reagan.

He concluded by saying, "If Marquette is serious about its Catholic values, perhaps they can start by ending the scandal of granting University honors to pro-abortion, pro-gay marriage politicians and dissident theologians who directly perpetuate heresies to our student body."

Adopt a Sniper, the group chosen by CRs as the beneficiary of their efforts, has garnered press coverage from Fox News, Reuters, The New York Times, and Stars and Stripes for its innovative program. Donations taken at the CR table are sent to the foundation, which is run by US-based law enforcement and retired military. These officers buy highly-specialized sniper equipment, including unique body armor, flashlights, and tactical gear that military procurement does not always provide. For more information, please visit:
http://americansnipers.org/faq.html.