Is anyone surprised by this story? A&M cadets accused of interrupting vigil Elite group's activities halted temporarily By JOHN W. GONZALEZ Copyright 2003 Houston Chronicle Activities of the legendary Ross Volunteer Company, an elite group of upperclass cadets at Texas A&M University who serve as the governor's honor guard, have been temporarily suspended amid allegations its members intentionally disrupted a world peace vigil at the College Station campus on Monday. Witnesses said the 10-minute incident unfolded as about 100 cadets conducted routine physical training and marching drills near the prayer gathering, which was preauthorized by the university to take place at the venerated statue of the cadet group's namesake, the late Gov. Lawrence Sullivan Ross. An undetermined number of cadets approached to within a few feet to verbally menace an estimated 30 vigil participants, and some cadets pointed dummy drill rifles at them, witnesses say. But officials said others at the scene contradicted those assertions, saying there was no intimidation or threatening conduct. The allegations, which were lodged on Tuesday by a minister and at least one other participant at the candlelight vigil, were being investigated Thursday by aides to Corps of Cadets Commandant John A. Van Alstyne. "If there is any disciplinary action required, we'll proceed from there," said Corps spokesman Maj. Doc Mills. "We would certainly agree that freedom of speech -- on campus and throughout America -- should be protected, and it's one of the things we strive to teach our cadets. Perhaps that lesson needs to be reinforced," Mills said. But, Mills added, "for those who are concerned out there, the continued existence of the Ross Volunteers is not in question." He emphasized that the organization remains in good standing while its training activities are in hiatus at least a few more days. "It was the childish action of people who had their emotions running high," said vigil participant and A&M graduate Hugh Stearns of College Station. "They really were involved in their nightly routine, but they used their routine to cloak rude behavior. I hope these men have the integrity to say, `We were passionate and we wanted to make a statement,' " Stearns said. He commended the university's response to the allegations. "For a long time we've heard about A&M's desire to be a world-class university. Finally there are people in the administration who are acting like that's what they want," he said. "When I was a student, you would have expected this to be dealt with as `boys will be boys' and brushed aside. Certainly the response from the commandant has been admirable," Stearns said. Rev. Danita Noland of the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship in College Station said she was among those who registered her dismay over the confrontation, not to seek punishment of the cadets but to promote dialogue about respect for free speech. She said vigil participants were standing in a circle when they noticed that several dozen cadets had begun training nearby. "We had to stop talking quite often. It was so loud, with the jogging and the commands being called out and answered to and the drills being carried out. We could not be heard," Noland said. "Some of them had turned to face us and their weapons -- the way they were holding them -- appeared to be pointing toward us. And they were kind of laughing. I think they thought this was a little funny," she said, unamused. "The fact that they had stopped a distance away and continued to approach and carried out their drills -- they were within feet of us -- makes it hard to believe they were not intentionally trying to disrupt," Noland said. She further stated that after the drills, two cadet leaders stood on benches and made remarks about "the people over there" and "our military duties," which Noland interpreted to be possible criticisms of her group's beliefs. Although Noland said she was satisfied that university and Corps officials were taking the allegations seriously, she said the potential remains for more antagonism of the campus' small antiwar faction. "One of my concerns is that students on campus will be fearful of having events if they're going to encounter this kind of behavior from the Corps, and I don't believe that's what anybody really wants," Noland said. She and other pacifists offered to participate in workshops or any other setting to "talk about how we communicate when we have differing opinions -- not to attempt to change their minds about what they do." http://www.chron.com/cs/CDA/ssistory.mpl/metropolitan/1768699
Keep in mind that others at the scene are contradicting the story. It is interesting to me that this group would schedule the vigil for the time and location of evening formations for the Ross Volunteers. It isn't just a coincidence. The Ross Volunteers have been using that space at that time or thereabouts for YEARS. You can't tell me that nobody knew they were going to be there. It sounds like a ploy for publicity to me.
Why would the University preauthorize the gathering at a location they knew the cadets were drilling? As far as the contradictions, I think, from reading the story, it is more of some of the people in the prayer gathering weren't as bothered by the incident as others.
I will grant you that there may well be more to this than we know. Keeping that in mind, don't you think that the higher ups should have possibly mentioned to the cadets that some one may try to bait them into a situation such as this and not responded? Who supervises these gatherings and why didn't anyone step in? The corps has brought many of the criticisms on themselves by the ways they have acted in the past. They want to be held to a higher standard and respected, but it just seems more and more like these people are a large fraternity/sorority as opposed to military personnel. You would think that a group that presents themselves as a military would be able to have a little more discipline.
The problem with the Corps is that its a military establishment on a public university, and that doesn't always mix. If these people had been at an all military school and tried to hold an anti-war vigil in the middle of formations, then they would have been harassed and nothing would have been said. Its the problem of taking a military group and putting them in with the public. People who are taught to learn disipline and fight, butting heads with people who are trying to work the opposite. I'm not standing up for the Corps., they do lots of stupid stuff, and they should have not been stupid in this situation, but perhaps they were just protesting protesters. If they violently threatened the protesters, that's wrong, but if they conducted their military drills within range of the protesters to prove a point such as..."you are anti-military, so we are pro-military, we protest you too" It was pretty bad that it was a peaceful vigil though, and not some horrible anti-war protest with people screaming and frothing at the mouth, that looks bad for the Corps. They were stupid and insensitive, but I don't think this is anything illegal, and shouldn't be that big of a deal. Of course I wasn't there, so I don't know for sure. "Welp, looks like we're going to war anyway, maybe those assholes will get shipped off." This is a pretty crummy statement, but if they did eventually get shipped out to war, I'm sure they would proudly serve America. For all the history of the Corps. doing stupid stuff at College Station, they also have a distinguished history of serving America during wars. More Congressional Medals of Honor per capita graduate than West Point...the MSC is lined with them.
I have heard both stories and I still can't figure out what happened. Let's put it this way, it's not entirely impossible to believe that a FEW of the Corps members may have done something, but it is also just as possible to believe that some of the people participating in the vigil were quick to jump to conclusions and confuse the drills with harrassment. If the Hugh that was interviewed is the guy who was the President of the Aggie Democrats last year, well every time I spoke with him, he always came accross as a good trustworthy person and I don't see why he would "make up" a story. If anything, the Corps' history of bonehead mistakes has really become the main symbol of these guys. The majority of regular students on this campus can't think of anything positive to say about these guys. "Corps turd" has become a standard phrase, I hear it every day.
WHAT A BUNCH OF FREAKING P***IES! If these morons want to point guns at people, I'm sure there's a few recruiting offices in College Station that they could enlist at. Seeing as how these COWARDS would rather PLAY soldiers in the safety of central texas, they won't. I love how Refman & other Aggies always defend this gussied-up ROTC outfit (yes, ROTC, it's not West Point) no matter what they do. Yeah the people "provoked" these fools by being near them & praying while they were drilling. Does a woman who wears a short skirt deserve to get raped. Did Jesus deserve to get beaten at the Temple after he peacefully assembled his followers there? No I am not a Longhorn, and sadly, I'm sure Refman & others will defend this but let me point something out: THIS HAPPENS LIKE 2 OR 3 TIMES A YEAR, AND EVERY TIME AGGIES SAY, "OH IT WAS JUST A FEW BAD APPLES EVEN IF IT'S TRUE." You guys have enough bad apples at A&M and in the Corps to populate a f***ing orchard!
The guns aren't real, they are basically wooden sticks. They do drills in that spot every day. They didn't yell at the people, they yelled near the people to distract the protestors. They were protesting a protest. Protesters get mad when people protest them. The people weren't just praying, they had antiwar speeches, so it was politically motivated. Funny how people protest views, but when their views get protested they get mad.
Is it the Ross Volunteers ROLE to protest protests? Aren't they supposed the be the elite of the Corps? Aren't they supposed to be the most professional, the most honorable of a "corps" of SUPPOSEDLY honorable & professional men? Nothing prevented them from going out there and making a pro-war speech of their own if they wanted to - out of uniform. If they represent a "military" outfit, they should be APOLITICAL while in uniform... So they were pointing toy guns at the people in the prayer vigil - what are they 10 years old again? They don't have the sack to enlist & go to war, yet they'll sit here and yell at people who pray for peace? Pathetic. So if someone speaks out against war, they deserve to be disrupted? Funny how these soldier-WANNABES are violating one of the very rights our REAL military fights ever freaking day to protect. Again, I point out how every damn time this gussied-up ROTC group does some stupid crap that makes A&M look like Deliverance University, almost every Aggie on this board somehow finds a way to try & excuse their behavior.
Damn, RB, I've got to tell you...as a UT grad.... I REALLY LIKE THAT!!! I can hear myself now, this coming day after Thanksgiving, drunk as a skunk.... BEAT THE HELL OUT OF DELIVERANCE U!! SQUEAL LIKE A PIG YOU AGGIES!!!!!!!
What a double standard, you hypocrite. Funny how these guys are actually using their right to speak out against people speaking out. They aren't violating any rights. They have a right to protest against someone's views just as much as someone has a right to protest against their views. They were probably pissed because these people were protesting something Ross wouldn't even have believed in at a statue of him, and these guys represent his namesake. Jerk. "Deliverance U" That's horrible. How is it that these guys standing up for something they believe in compare with a movie about hillbillies? Are you saying A&M is a bunch of hillbillies? Is that why A&M is one of the premiere research Universities in the nation? Is that why they've been selected as one of the Universities that will be a home research facility for the Homeland Security branch? What about UT? They have a group of racists at that school, after all the stuff that happened on MLK day? Does the actions of a few represent the view of whole school? Or should I make the assinine assumption that if a few guys believe it, it must make UT a big ole' Southern racist school. Their minority enrollment would support that assumption. A group might have the right to protest something, but another group has the right to protest them. As far as calling them Wannabes, that's stupid. If someone ROTC's in the Corps and graduate's, and they go into the active service, guess what...they are an officer. As far as the group themselves in question...I personally know several of them, and I'm not sure they were involved in this act themselves, but I assure you that they are some of the finest individuals I know. So even if what they did do is wrong, I'm willing to cut them a break because they are stand up guys even if they may have made a mistake. They are in Ross V's because they are extremely intellegent, (one of them is a Rhodes scholar), extremely hard working, and extremely dedicated, and I guarantee you that every one of them is a very fine person.
1. We don't know if it was even UT students that did it. Hell, a lot of Ags were in for Perry's inaugaration, so who knows. Or, it could have been some other hillbilly in Austin. 2. I'm a minority, and I felt very comfortable at UT.
Oh god please. Texas A&M is renowned for their conservatism. They have no diversity. They have no racial diversity and worse they have no social or political diversity. The school is what, 85% white conservatives and they act that way. For every instance you bring up about UT, you can list twice as many at A&M. Worse yet, at A&M the majority of students either don't care or actually support the people who perpetrate this type of behavior.... Ghetto Party, Racial Cartoon featuring Sambo type Lips.... UT has its racists. It also has West Mall, Gay and Lesbian Groups, Student Repulicans, Student Democrats, Frats, Sororities, Whites,Hispancs, Asians, etc. (both schools have low African American enrollment) UT is labeled as a liberal school by people from Baylor and A&M and old school conservative by many others. As far as the Corps, does anyone even remember them attacking the Rice Mob (Rice's band) SMU and UT students (including many women). That was freaking ridiculous by any standard. Call them hillibilies, racists, whatever. Their actions speak for themselves.
Young men + military training + raging hormones + guns + did I mention raging hormones = dumb macho behavior What a surprise.
Supermac, There is no requirement that you go into the miltary after spending your time in the Corps. In fact, most cadets don't. So the fact that some guy joins the Corps, marches around, etc. does not in ANY FREAKING WAY associate him w/ out miltary. The Corps, like any other ROTC program is meant to prepare you, if you so choose, for a career as a military officer. When you are in an ROTC program, YOU ARE APOLITICAL WHILE IN UNIFORM! This is, again, b/c this is how you will act when you are a UNIFORMED officer in the U.S. military. Free of that uniform, you can vote & go to whatever rally you want. Our military is here to protect ALL Americans - not just those that agree with YOUR politics, okay? If the Ross Volunteers started a "pro-war" rally (which would be pretty sick to do to begin with) ON THEIR OWN TIME, while not taking part in Corps/ROTC activities, that would be perfectly normal. The Corps of cadets is NOT some Young Republican/Hitler Youth program okay? It is a freaking ROTC program which by its very nature should be apolitical. If you do not understand this basic concept then there is no hope for you in this debate. Also, I never called A&M Deliverance U. - I said that this is the image the school gets when the Corps embarasses it & people such as yourself then try to cover for their childish acts. A&M is a great school & anyone who has gone there should be proud. However, the Corps is a freaking joke.
