| SOA/WHINSEC Discussion
Yesterday about 700 sheets of paper were put up around my school with the names of people killed by SOA graduates, thus I feel this is an apt time to start a discussion about it.
For those who dont know the SOA (WHINSEC) is the School of the AMericas in Fort Benning Georgia. The school trains Latin American Army officers in a militaristic topics. It is claimed that the Graduateds of SOA have killed over 700 Latin Americans, including 6 Jesuit priests.
(Please correct any errors in that. By errors I mean errors in fact, not opiion).
Here is my stance on the issue and issues with the stance broadcasted through my school:
My stance on the issue
If it actually was/is SOA graduates (which i have seen no proof for other than what i have heard on the announcements) is it tha fault of the SOA that they killed people? I say not. If i graduate from MUHS and then go o to kill seven people, would anyone blame MUHS (my high school)? no. a "retort" to that is "well the SOA teaches them to kill". Ok, you want to protest the SOA? then you must, by your pwn principal, protest West Point, the Naval Academy, and theThe Air Force academy. Thyey train Americans how to kill, and the nuts and bolt of warfare and battle management. also Academy graduates have killed many more people than SOA graduates. Also, I have heard nothing about the superiors to these military figures who killed innocents. were they given orders to kill them, and carried them out? Did they act entirely on their own? were the orders given by the government? were the "innocents" really innocent? Were they possibly involved in resistance against, the government, or military? I see many mroe facet than just OMG SOA IS EVILLLLLL!!!!!!
My issues with the stance broasdcasted at school
I assume youu have all seen the 700+ posters on the walls, all depicting the name of someone who was killed, supposedly, by and through the personal fault of an SOA graduate. My problem with this Advirtising (and yes, I see it as advertising) is that it is the kind that people look at and say, wow, that is horrible, I CAN'T say that is good. and then, based soley on some posters with a name on them and announcements using vague terminoligy and few facts in relation to how they know SOA graduates commited these crimes on their own freewill, and not because they were ordered/threatened to, is because it just shows a one dimentional argument. SOA is evil (because we say so), their graduates kill people (because we tell you they are SOA graduates, and only that they are SOA graduates), and you have to hate them too, or else you are killing "CHILD, 8" and "JULIO RAIMEREZ, 37".i wouldnt be so vehemently against the piosteres if the offered anything substantial, but i can put names on crosses and hang them up all over the school, and say, "these people were killed by Marquette High Grads". That doesnt explain anythihng about the circumstance. (I am NOT saying the people they put on the posteres are a fabrication, only that it is JUST a name, im sure they are all dead, yes even CHILD, 11)
There is my rant for the day. Have fun. | 
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