Keep CIA off college campuses

I would like to respond on behalf of the Campus Antiwar Network, the International Socialist Organization, Iraq Veterans Against the War, and other groups that protested the CIA on campus, to the article on 4/17 by Remy Soni.

I would like to respond on behalf of the Campus Antiwar Network, the International Socialist Organization, Iraq Veterans Against the War, and other groups that protested the CIA on campus, to the article on 4/17 by Remy Soni.

First of all, the loaded language, such as calling our actions “stunts” was completely uncalled for.

Our purpose was not to just stand outside the meeting in the grim reaper costume, but we passed out informational fact sheets about what the CIA actually does, such as torture people in Abu Ghraib, Bagram, and Guantanamo Bay (to name a few).

The reason why we oppose the CIA from recruiting on college campuses is because they fool their applicants, and do not offer the information we did about their abhorent practices.We were not disrespectful, because we were trying to get the truth out about the CIA.

The only reason we used the tactic of the grim reaper outfit was to grab people’s attention, to show them the not-so-bright side of the CIA. For a student to take a position with the CIA, they should know as much as possible about what the organization does.

And as for alternative means of expressing our views, we have written about it (we have newsletters and informational sheets- like the one passed out at the protest), and we have given presentations about the CIA’s practices (I actually gave a presentation at a C.A.N. meeting about torture).

However, having an actual presence at CIA events is also an integral part of our organizations. One of our missions is to counter-recruit, and I believe we did it quite successfully. CIA off college campuses!

Patricia Richardson
sophomore in LAS
member of the Campus Antiwar Network