Nelson Mandela spent 27 year
in prison to speak truth to power

When I sent out my recent notice of our nonviolent protest to stop teaching killing at Marquette University, a Jesuit Catholic institution, I featured a picture of Marquette students protesting military training, ROTC, on campus in 1969. We have been protesting ROTC at Marquette, according to my research, since 1968, 44 years ago. (See 44 years of resistance to ROTC at Marquette.) The student shown in 1969 was wearing a suit and tie. Since the event we are protesting this week is a black tie Alumni Awards dinner a friend suggested we dress up for our protest.

Two of the alumni being awarded are a former basketball player now a coach and the other is a Colonel in the military. These are interesting choices since for the last two years Marquette has suffered scandals with athletes allegedly committed sexual assaults last year and the university not reporting it and the arrest this year of four basketball players for underage drinking and fighting. The Colonial is receiving the professional achievement awarded for his military service in the wars in Iraq, a war called by Pope John Paul II as ‘illegal, immoral and unjust.”

The Alumni and Donors coming to the meal will need to drive or walk by our banners with our message: Marquette, Be Faithfull to the Gospel and No Longer Host Departments of Military Sciences or Teach War No More or Marquette Teaches Killing . The alumni and donors can choose to ignore us as Marquette administrators do, be angry at us for reminding of this message or agree with us and take action to stop the teaching of violence and killing at Marquette.

Whatever they choose we who are Breaking the Silence win. Speaking truth to power always is a winner.

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