Military base protest misdirected, illogical

As Americans, we take pride in the protests that sparked the
beginning of our country’s independence, such as the
colonists’ opposition to the British in the Boston Tea Party
or other such contentions that have allowed America to reflect the
ideals of a democratic society.

However, not all demonstrations are worthy of praise. The
protest Seth Cohen participated in, which ultimately led to his
arrest, is one of these protests.

The protest dealt with the School of the Americas, a U.S.
military school that trained Latin American soldiers. Several
graduates of this institution were responsible for human rights
abuses in Latin America.

I do not hold anything against protests if they are staged for
good reasons. However, there are sides to protests that no one
really gets to hear. Like when the people that protesters are fight
for say they do not want others fighting their battles for
them.

I recall my friend who was angry about a protest staged at
Cornell University. Students were protesting about the plight of
migrant workers that pick tomatoes in the fields. I asked my friend
what his feelings on the issue were and he replied, “If my
mother was there she would tell them to mind their own damn
business.” His mother had been a migrant worker who had
picked tomatoes and even worked alongside civil rights activist
Cesar Chavez.

To some people, being defended by protesters, who may serve no
outward relevance to the situation, is a bit of a disgrace. It may
be even more degrading if the people fighting these fights were not
born in the same decade as the matter at hand. I am not saying the
El Salvadoran families who were affected by the SOA situation do
not appreciate the protests or the protesters. However, as of yet I
have not heard any El Salvadoran families expressing support for
the Fort Benning protest.

My main reasoning for not supporting the protest is the fact the
protesters were misdirecting their anger ““ by about five
hundred miles. They should not have taken their anger out on Fort
Benning. If they truly wanted to have the government recognize the
situation they should have marched on to Washington, D.C., and took
up their cause with Congress, or whoever has the actual power to do
anything about it. The protest staged at the Georgia fort is like
someone yelling at a McDonalds worker for having a crappy intercom
““ it isn’t their fault.

Many associate the student’s crimes with the school itself
when it is not logical to blame the school or the teachers for the
actions of the students. The motives of the perpetrators should not
be ignored. If blaming the school for the reckless actions of the
students is sensible, then why not protest against the U.S. Army
for training people like Timothy McVeigh?

Since U.S. ideals and values are taught in U.S. military
institutions, which may infiltrate into the minds of foreigners and
spur them to kill their fellow countrymen, then why not shut down
every U.S. military base in the United States and abroad as well?
It’s as illogical as blaming sex education courses for
causing teen pregnancies.

The protest also should not have taken place because the
military school did acknowledge the problems and attempt to work
through them. A formal debate between the founder of the SOA Watch
Program and Col. Richard Downie, commander of the Western
Hemisphere Institute, took place the day before the protest, which
addressed pertinent questions on both sides of the argument.

I wonder whether the protesters actually made the trip to hear
the debate, or if they were there merely to carry signs and get
arrested.