Dear UTC Community,

This is a well balanced recommendation that we would all be wise to 
investigate (in our own individual ways) on this issue or any other.

Thank you.

Stephen Leather

--
Stephen P. Leather
Library Associate II
Course Reserves Coordinator,
Access Services Dept.
Lupton Library
423-425-4501
[log in to unmask]

And since so many others here have a quote: "TANSTAAFL"



>-----Original Message-----
>From: Dr. Vincent L. Bolduc
>Sent: Tuesday, February 04, 2003 12:28 PM
>To: Class of 2003 Mailing List; Class of 2004 Mailing List; Class of 2005 
>Mailing List; Class of 2006 Mailing List
>Subject: FW: The approaching war . . .
>
>Students,
>
>These next few months could be the most important months of your lives 
>thus far. As you are undoubtedly aware, the U.S. is on the verge of 
>declaring war on Iraq in order to remove Saddam Hussein from power and 
>destroy the weapons of mass destruction that he is believed to be 
>stockpiling. Almost 200,000 American troops possessing awesome firepower 
>are on their way to or are already poised on Iraq's borders awaiting final 
>instructions from the White House. As one commentator said: "The world is 
>holding its breath."
>
>Do you know and understand all that is behind these drastic steps? Many 
>college students are not yet well informed on the subject, much less have 
>sufficient understanding to make an educated judgment about whether or not 
>our country would be making a "wise" or a "foolish" decision-a moral or an 
>immoral decision.
>
>As students, what can, and what should YOU do?
>
>As one educational organization has put it: "there are few better examples 
>of democracy in action than an informed citizenry openly exploring and 
>supporting or challenging the most important governmental policies and 
>decisions that affect the nation"  (Board of the Association of Colleges 
>and Universities). A number of the faculty have been discussing OUR role 
>as academics, and have come up with a few recommendations.
>
>First and foremost, do your best to be as well informed as possible about 
>this volatile situation. As college professors, our entire lives are 
>dedicated to pursuing knowledge, truth, and understanding, and we believe 
>that's what students should be doing as well. Only when you are 
>knowledgeable will you be in a position to fully exercise your 
>responsibilities as an educated citizen of a democracy. Once adequately 
>informed, your choices of action, if any, will be limited only by your 
>imaginations.
>
>Towards this end, several of our colleagues will be hosting a time for 
>meeting and learning more about the situation. This will take the form of 
>discussions to be held in McCarthy. Watch for further details.
>
>Secondly, we are asking our fellow professors to consider taking time out 
>of their usual classes sometime in the week of February 10th for class 
>discussion of this vitally important subject. Not everyone can do this, 
>but perhaps enough professors will provide the time so as to raise the 
>level of discourse on campus.
>
>Few of us are "experts" on this complex subject, even though we all do our 
>best to keep current. We read quality newspapers and news magazines, we 
>listen to and watch the kinds of TV or radio stations that are dedicated 
>to the intelligent understanding of complex matters. Students can do the 
>same, as some do already.
>
>Many students tell us that they get most of their news from the Web, and 
>that too can be an excellent source of news, but sometimes its hard to 
>separate the quality from the trash. We have some suggestions and urge you 
>to scroll through our list (below) and pick a few of these Web sites to 
>peruse.  Perhaps one of your professors will ask you to study a few of the 
>sites, and report back to the class during that second week in February. 
>This is our third suggestion: study the facts.
>
>We wish we could have simply listed sites that were "fair and balanced" or 
>"objective" in their presentation of the various sides of the war, but 
>that is not possible. The very word "objectivity" seems out of place in 
>the current climate. How can we know what is right for our country? For 
>world security and peace? It's very complicated. The nation is 
>increasingly divided over the issue, and Europe, the Middle-East, and Asia 
>are showing increased strains.
>
>Some of the sites below have a clear point of view, such as the White 
>House and the Department of State. On the other side are activist groups 
>that are organized in their attempts to end the war before it starts. Some 
>sites seem to have the air of judicious reserve, and appear logical and 
>analytical while others are deeply impassioned or polemical. Read from 
>several different points of view; try to see all sides, and don't be 
>naïve. Talk with other interested students. And listen too. Don't accept 
>any one perspective; think critically about all, and come to your own 
>conclusions.
>
>As individual professors, we each have our personal leanings on this 
>conflict, but if you are to become fully educated, you must form your own 
>opinions, and back them up with facts, logical reasoning and a firm moral 
>foundation. We present these sites in that spirit, unable to endorse the 
>superiority, accuracy or fairness of any single source.
>
>After informing yourself about the situation, you may choose to try to 
>convince others of the rightness of your position. Call or write to 
>friends, family, members of Congress, the White House, members of the UN 
>Security Council. Go to a rally. Everyone wants peace and security.  How 
>can we best attain it?
>
>Finally, the fourth thing that you can do is pray.  Pray for the wisdom to 
>know what to do, but also pray that our leaders will follow a just path in 
>attaining world peace and security for all. Fr. Mike Cronogue is leading a 
>peace vigil outside Alliot Hall every Tuesday evening. Join him and talk 
>with others.
>
>Thank you for reading this.
>
>Here are the sites, some with brief annotations.
>
>Official Government sites:
>
><http://www.whitehouse.gov>www.whitehouse.gov <http://www.whitehouse.gov> 
>especially the National Security news at 
><<http://www.whitehouse.gov/response/index.html>http://www.whitehouse.gov/response/index.html> 
>and other links to
>
>* Department of Defense 
><<http://www.whitehouse.gov/cgi-bin/good-bye.cgi?url=http://www.defenselink.mil>http://www.whitehouse.gov/cgi-bin/good-bye.cgi?url=http://www.defenselink.mil> 
><http://www.defenselink.mil/>
>
><<http://usinfo.state.gov/regional/nea/iraq/>http://usinfo.state.gov/regional/nea/iraq/> 
>
>
><http://www.uruklink.net/eindex.htm> The official Iraqi government website.
>
><<http://www.uruklink.net/iraq/epage1.htm>http://www.uruklink.net/iraq/epage1.htm> 
>The official President of Iraq website.
>
>The United Nations:
>
><<http://www.un.org/Depts/unmovic/index.htm>http://www.un.org/Depts/unmovic/index.htm>
>
>This is the site of the United Nations Security Council, specifically the 
>UN Monitoring, Verification and Inspection Commission. This page contains 
>the 60 day summary report of Hans Blix, Chairman of the Commission, as 
>issued on January 27th.
>
>The press on the web, each with frequent articles on the subject:
>
><<http://www.nytimes.com/>http://www.nytimes.com/> The New York Times on 
>the web
>
><<http://www.msnbc.com/news/NW-front_Front.asp>http://www.msnbc.com/news/NW-front_Front.asp> 
>Newsweek
>
><<http://www.washingtonpost.com>http://www.washingtonpost.com> Washington Post
>
><<http://www.washtimes.com/>http://www.washtimes.com/> Washington Times 
>newspaper
>
><<http://www.usnews.com/usnews/home.htm>http://www.usnews.com/usnews/home.htm> 
>US News
>
><<http://www.ChristianSciencemonitor.com>http://www.ChristianSciencemonitor.com> 
>The Christian Science Monitor
>
><<http://online.wsj.com/public/us>http://online.wsj.com/public/us> Wall 
>Street Journal online.
>
><<http://www.cbc.ca/news/indpth/iraq>http://www.cbc.ca/news/indpth/iraq> 
>Canadian Online Information Source
>
><<http://news.bbc.co.uk/>http://news.bbc.co.uk/> British Broadcasting 
>Company, world edition
>
><<http://www.oneworld.net/>http://www.oneworld.net/> London based, general 
>world news with a focus on third world countries.
>
><<http://www.islamonline.net/English/News/2003-02/03/index.shtml>http://www.islamonline.net/English/News/2003-02/03/index.shtml> 
>This is a news service called "Islam on line." There is a whole section on 
>the Iraq situation.
>
>Some well-known organizations of nonviolence, peace and social justice:
>
><<http://www.paxchristiusa.org/>http://www.paxchristiusa.org/>  Pax 
>Christi USA, the national Catholic peace movement
>
><<http://www.networklobby.org/>http://www.networklobby.org/> The National 
>Catholic Social Justice Lobby
>
><<http://www.usip.org/>http://www.usip.org/>  The U.S. Institute of Peace. 
>Mission: "to strengthen the nation's capabilities to promote the peaceful 
>resolution of international conflicts."
>
><<http://www.nonviolence.org/>http://www.nonviolence.org/> "Source for 
>news and commentary on peace and nonviolence."
>
><<http://www.afsc.org/news/2002/PB-052402.htm>http://www.afsc.org/news/2002/PB-052402.htm> 
>Quaker sponsored American Friends Service Committee-pacifist.
>
>Moral and religious approaches, especially "just war theory":
>
>NOTE: Christians and non-Christians alike have employed "Just war theory" 
>to determine whether or not the decision to go to war is moral. "It 
>reflects the collective legacy of Western thought - both religious and 
>secular - in grappling with enduring moral concerns where the stakes are 
>literally matters of life and death. Despite its religious origins - in 
>the duty to defend innocent life (and the common good) from unjust 
>aggression as a matter of charity or love of neighbor - the tradition also 
>finds expression in thoroughly secular forms that do not rely on religious 
>grounds. And it forms the basis for much of modern international law, 
>especially regarding the proper use of force."-John Cullinan. See these 
>sites for articles that apply this theory to the present situation:
>
><<http://www.firstthings.com/ftissues/ft0301/articles/weigel.html>http://www.firstthings.com/ftissues/ft0301/articles/weigel.html> 
>"First Things is published by the Institute on Religion and Public Life, 
>an interreligious, non-partisan research and educational institute whose 
>purpose is to advance a religiously informed public philosophy for the 
>ordering of society."
>
><<http://www.americancatholic.org/News/JustWar/Iraq/default.asp>http://www.americancatholic.org/News/JustWar/Iraq/default.asp> 
>An American Catholic organization.
>
><<http://www.americancatholic.org/News/JustWar/Iraq/papalstatement.asp>http://www.americancatholic.org/News/JustWar/Iraq/papalstatement.asp> 
>This page from the above site contains the Pope's statement on the pending war.
>
><<http://law.gonzaga.edu/borders/documents/deforres.htm>http://law.gonzaga.edu/borders/documents/deforres.htm> 
>A thoughtful article from a professor at Gonzaga University
>
><<http://www.ird-renew.org/News/News.cfm?ID=548%26c=4>http://www.ird-renew.org/News/News.cfm?ID=548&c=4> 
>The Institute on Religion and Democracy
>
><<http://www.nationalreview.com/comment/comment-cullinan121902.asp>http://www.nationalreview.com/comment/comment-cullinan121902.asp> 
>The National Review
>
><<http://www.sojo.net/>http://www.sojo.net/> Publisher of Sojourner 
>magazine-a Christian organization dedicated to the integration of 
>spiritual renewal and social justice.
>
>Misc:
>
><<http://www.internationalanswer.org/>http://www.internationalanswer.org/> 
>International A.N.S.W.E.R. (Act Now to Stop War and End Racism). This 
>organization is coordinating a week of anti-war resistance and 
>protests-February 13-21.
>
><<http://www.nisbco.org/>http://www.nisbco.org/> The Center on Conscience 
>and War, a pacifist organization for Conscientious Objectors
>
><<http://www.heritage.org/Research/Features/agenda_iraq.cfm>http://www.heritage.org/Research/Features/agenda_iraq.cfm> 
>The Heritage Foundation has an article on "Iraq: Disarm and Dismantle 
>Saddam's Dictatorship."
>
><<http://www.csmonitor.com/2003/0127/p01s03-usmi.html>http://www.csmonitor.com/2003/0127/p01s03-usmi.html> 
>This is an excellent article on the concept of "Regime Change" from the 
>Christian Science Monitor.
>
><<http://www.hope.edu/lib/special/war/>http://www.hope.edu/lib/special/war/> 
>This Hope College site has many links to web pages with a large diversity 
>of perspectives. It also contains a short list of recommended reading.
>
><<http://www.einnews.com/iraq/>http://www.einnews.com/iraq/> A general 
>news page highlighting Iraq.