I generally enjoy reading your newspaper, even though I am very conservative, but have recently come across an article of which I am very offended.

I will never patronize anyone who speaks out against a leader of this country or the wrongdoing’s of our government.

However, Chris Tolles has recently crossed the line. In Feb. 28 newspaper, Chris mocked the military and its recruiting strategy by stating that he was glad he was not “suckered” into the military’s propaganda of one weekend a month and two weeks a year for National Guard duty because he would end up in Iraq where he might fall victim to “nerve gas.”

Well according to him, I am an idiot, because I believe in the military, hence I am on an R.O.T.C. scholarship. When I signed documents and took the oath of the military, I agreed to the fact that I could one day lose my life for what our nation feels best, and that is the obvious understanding of military service.

We all need to remember that there are SMU alumni who have paid the ultimate price on the battlefield for their country, and for them to see how many people mock the military at this institution would make them roll in their graves. Our military fights for what the majority of the public believes, and so people lay their lives on the line for our Constitution every day.

I, for one, will be a commissioned officer in the U.S. Army upon receiving my diploma, and will value that as one of my greatest achievements. People take for granted what is given to them. Tolles should realize that these people who died gave him the right to publish articles free from oppression.

Major Brown, a professor of military science, spoke of the mistrust best when he said in class one day, “We go and die to protect our flag so that when we come home people can burn it.”

Everyone needs to remember why we are the greatest power in the world, and it is not just because of our leaders, but because we have the most dominant military in the world and no one should ever take that for granted.

Maybe Tolles should rethink his opinion of military service and start thanking those people who are “tricked” by the military and sign up to join the great forces of our nation to keep us all safe.