THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Friday, September 29, 1995 TAG: 9509290013
SECTION: FRONT PAGE: A14 EDITION: FINAL
TYPE: Letter
LENGTH: Short : 35 lines
A great assumption was made in Dolores Rosario's recent letter (``Faulkner better man than Clinton'') that one is ``a better man'' than the president for having served in the military. Although I have been in the Navy for more than four years, I know that the military is not for everyone.
Military institutions are not the only ones turning out ``whole men, qualified leaders and gentlemen.'' Some of the greatest men throughout history have never served in the military (for example Mohandas Gandhi, Martin Luther King Jr., Nelson Mandela and Thomas Jefferson) while events like Tailhook and Iran-Contra have shown a lack of honorable leadership within the military.
Too much pride and patriotism only lead to nationalism. There is no difference between an American compromising his principles for a nationalistic agenda and a Serb who does the same. Until humanity, regardless of nationality, learns that all governments have some degree of nationalistic, self-serving aims and rises to challenge the actions that our government takes (especially through the military), only then can we achieve true peace.
At least President Clinton chose principle rather than be inducted into the military to fight an unjust war that he and many others did not believe in. That is the mark of ``a better man.''
NICHOLAS CARROLL
USS George Washington
Norfolk, Sept. 15, 1995 by CNB