Americans Should Limit Apathy, Pay More Attention to Military

I'm talking about our nation's military personnel.

These men and women willingly put themselves in harms way, defending the rights we all enjoy for little reward and less credit.

The United States has the most professional, highly educated and competent military in the world. But the civilians these people protect and defend couldn't care less.

Many Americans first heard of al-Qaida on Sept. 11, 2001. All military personnel have been familiar with their activities since 1996, when Middle Eastern terrorists took their first shots at America.

Whether the bombing of Khobar Towers, the attack on the USS Cole or the bombing of our embassies in Kenya and Tanzania, our troops have been under constant attack from various terrorist organizations, most notably al-Qaida.

They've been pursuing this terror campaign against America for nearly a decade now; our country simply hasn't cared about these attacks on our military personnel. To be frank, Americans have been too busy with their own lives to care about those who were defending them overseas.

To think what happened on Sept. 11, 2001, was the first shot is absurd. These madmen decided to finally hit America where Americans cared -- at home and in the wallet.

America still hasn't learned the lesson. We're quickly returning to our old ways, which is both a good and a bad thing.

The positives are obvious -- the terrorists haven't won. The negatives are just as apparent. This country still lacks any respect for the hard work our troops put forth.

This attitude is extending to campus as well. UNC, during World War II, essentially became a Navy training base for officers who would one day be our leaders of society.

There's a reason we play on Navy Field, eat at Lenoir Hall, sleep in most of the North Campus residence halls, swim in Kessing Pool and receive our admission letters from Jackson Hall -- because of Uncle Sam and his presence on this campus during World War II.

Now, as thanks for that dedication and expansion, the Master Plan has deemed the Naval Armory Building, which houses all three military ROTC branches on campus, expendable in the name of a science complex.

Aside from destroying a landmark on this campus, the University lacks an effective plan for moving these programs in a coordinated, sensible fashion.

Not only are they pillaging history, but they lack the sense to be organized about it. If the University chose to cut down the Davie Poplar to expand the Old Well, students would be up in arms.

Because our nation has had little concern for its troops, the protests against the building's destruction are few and far between. This trend is unacceptable. If the student body and University administrators are unwilling to respect and defend those who wish to defend us, why should those future airmen, soldiers or sailors feel any obligation toward us?

Apathy is contagious in the worst way. No motivation exists that can inspire anyone to defend those who don't want to be defended.

I think we, as a people, need to think long and hard about this decision; otherwise we might find one day our military is nowhere near the professional, educated, highly trained force it once was.

"In the Army Now" is the best war movie ever made. E-mail Joseph Rauch at rauch@email.unc.edu.