I first blogged about the “Adopt a Sniper” program last August. (See also here.) It’s a terrific charity that supports snipers serving overseas in the War on Terror.

Now comes word from many of my readers and fellow bloggers that Marquette University is preventing College Republicans from raising money for Adopt A Sniper. From the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel:

The dispute began Monday, when the Marquette student group set up a table in the Alumni Memorial Union along with signs mentioning “Adopt a Sniper,” a program of the Pulaski-based non-profit Snipersonline. “Adopt a Sniper” raises money to buy special equipment for American snipers in Iraq and Afghanistan.

The College Republicans were taking orders for bracelets and other trinkets provided by “Adopt a Sniper” that bore various slogans, some of them well-known in military circles. About an hour after the Republicans set up Monday morning, university officials shut them down. An appeal was denied, and the group has not been allowed to reopen the table.

This is outrageous. Marquette’s statement on the matter is here.

Much more coverage at:

The American Mind
My View of the World
Badger Blog Alliance
Brainpost
Charlie Sykes (also here)

More to come…

Update: The Marquette University College Republicans are firing back. Here is their statement in response to the college’s crackdown on their fundraising efforts. An excerpt:

CRs chairman Brandon Henak decried the Administration’s suppression tactics. “Our group saw this table as an opportunity for our fellow students to support our troops by making peace possible through victory,” Henak said. “This program directly benefits the men on the front lines, who use this material to eliminate terrorists and protect the lives of other American troops and innocent Iraqi civilians.”

“It is an absolute shame that this Administration is so blinded by its liberal bent that they refuse to recognize that the success of our servicemen and women in Iraq and Afghanistan is crucial to building a safe, free, and ultimately more peaceful world,” Henak said. He pointed out that the Catholic Church has long upheld the tenets of Just War Theory as a legitimate way for governments to achieve long-term peace through military action.

Henak also noted the proud American foreign policy tradition of “Peace through Strength,” stretching from Teddy Roosevelt to John F. Kennedy and Ronald Reagan…If Marquette is serious about its Catholic values, perhaps they can start by ending the scandal of granting University honors to pro-abortion, pro-gay marriage politicians and dissident theologians who directly perpetuate heresies to our student body.”

On Monday, Henak posted the following note and request:

The MUCRs have consistently butted heads with the university in regards to expressing anything they deem “not Catholic” or “in line with their mission” as a Catholic University such as our Animal Right BBQ to protest animal rights extremists such as PETA or, most recently, our Support the Troops, Adopt a Sniper campaign. This week is the school’s mission week themed, “Constructing Peace.” Our group merely wanted to present the opportunity for fellow students to construct peace through supporting the troops through AdoptASniper.org. AdoptASniper.org provides snipers with the specialized supplies they need to stop terrorists before they do damage to innocent Iraqi or US Citizens.

However, as of today, the university has confiscated our signs and supplies deeming them contrary to the values of mission week and stated that the Adopt A Sniper program is not an acceptable way of supporting the troops and cannot be promoted on campus.

We are working to overturn the universit[y's] decision on this however, I would ask that you convey your discontent with the university by calling Pam Peters at 414-288-0588 and stating that the university needs to allow students to construct peace in many diverse ways including directly supporting troops. Time is limited so please act as soon as possible.

Start dialing!

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