The world we live in is a sad reality, and unfortunately academic institutions across the nation foster and indoctrinate a liberalized ideal world that ignores the harsh realities of oppressed peoples in the dark and underdeveloped places of our planet. The fact that these truths are ignored is a pathetic delusion.

These people deserve peace and freedom, two unalienable rights as humans of this world. This freedom and peace they do not have, nor can they achieve it while tyrannical dictators plague this earth.

Peace needs to be "constructed" but to ignore the sacrifices of our brothers and sisters who have died trying to give these people a better life is utterly depressing and flat out wrong. We need to help our troops so they may help others. America, as the most powerful nation in the world, has a moral duty and obligation to help those in need, but in the process we need not forget what made us the way we are today.

Remember our founders, remember those who have put themselves in harms way to help us, and never forget those who have died along the way. Hopefully, peace can be reached someday, and our world will brighten, but as long as there are radicals that feel otherwise, the only real "peace constructor" is a special ops unit with a 357 bolt action long barrel in camouflage.

Patrick Monahan is a senior biomedical science major.

This article appeared in The Marquette Tribune on Feb. 8 2005.