Campus Liberals and Catholics should Oppose Hawkish Administration	April 07, 2010
Matthew Gabriel Cockerill Matt

Few Americans know that our CIA is currently involved in a covert war in Pakistan. On President Obama's orders, they've killed people using unmanned machines.
These aptly named "predator drones" fire AGM-114 Hellfire missiles at suspected terrorists. If you're wondering whether "Hellfire" missiles can be pinpointed to legitimate terrorists, no, they can't.
In fact, Fox News Senior Legal analyst Andrew Napolitano reported that 1,000 civilians were murdered by predators in 2009. Our government calls these men, women and children "collateral damage."
Pakistan isn't an anomaly. President Obama has been downright hawkish on foreign policy. In addition to condemning thousands of Americans to be maimed, traumatized and killed by sending 30,000 more troops to Afghanistan, Obama passed a bigger military budget, adjusted for inflation, than George W. Bush.
He's expanding a military budget that is as big as the rest of the world's put together. He's expanding an American military that has troops in over 100 foreign countries. He is knowing killing thousands of innocent people.
Indeed, Obama is expanding the American Empire. If occupying 100 countries, often against the will of their people, isn't empire, I don't know the definition of the term.
It's unsurprising that neoconservatives have no problem with this. But the reaction, or lack thereof, of former Bush-bashers to Obama's foreign policy is hypocritical and sad.
You see this at Creighton. Most liberal campus groups, such as the College Democrats, give de facto support for the wars by supporting Obama. Liberals seem more concerned with repealing "Don't Ask Don't Tell," so the military will have more people to fight them.
This is sad because the left of the 60's, which largely formed in opposition to a Democrat's war, was rooted in the ideals of peace and compassion. Their predecessors seem more concerned about party loyalty than principle.
Jesuits and devout Catholics on campus should also be vocally opposed to Obama's agenda of war. War is a violator of the natural law theory Catholics claim to uphold if there ever was one.
Catholic teachings say God has given the human body and mind specific functions. Thus, Catholics believe there are some absolute moral law. Masturbation and homosexuality are condemned since sexual organs are solely intended for reproduction.
Consistently following Catholic natural law doesn't leave any room for war. If masturbation, gay sex, and adultery are wrong regardless of good consequences, shouldn't blowing off a child's leg always be prohibited?
If a just creator exists, He obviously didn't intend for us to kill innocent people. Catholics and Jesuits on campus should oppose this by opposing the obama regime.
Americans look back on slavery and segregation and ask themselves, "how could we have let that happen." I sincerely believe that in the future, people will look at our support for war today with that same combination of shock and disgust.
But in order to achieve this peaceful future, we have to oppose the current regime as it fights unnecessary wars. Specifically, liberals and Catholics who claim the banner of peace and human dignity, need to follow their values to their logical conclusions and oppose the pro-war administration.




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"One must question if this blog was focused on the issue of war/peace or an attack on two specific groups of people. Since I happen to be in one of these groups, I thought it might be best to clarify/correct your superposed positions of the Catholic Church and Natural Law. First, war is justifiable. (CCC 2307-2317). "All citizens and all governments are obliged to work for the avoidance of war. Despite this admonition of the Church, it sometimes becomes necessary to use force to obtain the end of justice. This is the right, and the duty, of those who have responsibilities for others, such as civil leaders and police forces. While individuals may renounce all violence those who must preserve justice may not do so" Additionally, although not entirely relevant, the end of the sexual act is two fold: 1. Total Mutual Self-Giving and 2. Human Procreation in Total Love (CCC 2352) As a journalist, I would encourage you to be more argumentative on issues in place of attacking groups of people AND if you must state the views of a body such as the Catholic Church, do so diligently and with a bit more research. "

Damian Baalmann - Apr 13, 2010

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