USD Magazine, Winter 2002

HOW HAVE WE BEEN CHANGED?

The Dove, continuedftom page 22

don't have the time to try to understand all the complex issues behind the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks and the U.S. response. Although public opinion strongly favors the war in Afghanistan - a Nov. 27 Gallup poll found a 92 percent approval rating for the military action - Case says his opinions are rarely met with hostility. "Ir's a complex issue, and most students seem to be going along with what the media say without feeling very strongly one way or the other," says Case, who has respectfully debated those at USD with a pro-war tilt. "My roommates get frustrated because they don't understand why this is such a big deal to me, bur I think it's important for every– one to share their thoughts ." Even the debates with his dad, who Case says quietly brings up points he may not have considered, aren't confrontational. And while Case refuses to take for granted that war is an answer, he says this view makes him no more or less patriotic than those who support the war. "I have to speak up and point out the flaws that I see, because that is the way ro progress as a people," he says. "Our nation was started by dissenters, so we should always make room for all views." + The Hawk, continuedftom page 23 "While many may argue that violence is nor the solution .. . we must demonstrate our ability to wreak unprecedented mayhem on these madmen," he told the forum.

"Being passive will only encourage further attacks." Lovell says broader federal power in wartime is nor contrary to conservative principles, and he supporrs the interrogation of Middle Eastern men here on non-immigrant visas. "The terrorists have infringed on our right to be free to a far greater extent than the fed– eral government," he

to raise awareness of political and human rights issues, Case feels a responsibility to talk about alter– natives other than war that might help

bring an end to global terrorism.

says. "About 600 people have been arrested, bur nor a single civil liberty case has been filed. We need to be care– ful about what pow– ers we give the gov– ernment, because

"The government is calling the military action in Afghanistan a war on terrorism, bur it's really one country fighting another," he says. "Rather than invading, the United States would have done better to set up an international coalition to combat terrorism, one that could work globally to weed out terrorist cells." The war in Afghanistan, Case believes, was undertaken in part to satisfy America's need to find a way to immediately strike back and show strength. He condemns the human rights violations committed by Afghanistan's Taliban government, bur he also wonders if Americans are fooling them– selves by viewing the war as a liberation of the Afghan people. "If Osama bin Laden was hiding else– where, would anyone be paying attention to human rights issues in Afghanistan?" he says. "In other parts of the world, we should think about ensuring the basic needs, dignity and human rights of people before situations get to this point." As he talks up the issue around campus, Case has found that most students feel they

once they take something they tend not to give it back, but war does necessitate the gov– ernment assume limited special powers. " Lovell believes the U.S. goal of thwarting sophisticated terrorist organizations like al– Qaeda will likely require additional military action. He is adamant that such action be consistent with the Constitution's separation of powers doctrines - meaning further action must have Congressional approval. "It would be nice if the al-Qaeda in Afghanistan was all we had to worry about, but that's not the case," he says. "Countries like Iraq encourage the same ideas that led to the terrorist attacks. One of the things the terrorists are trying to undermine is our system of gov– ernment, and staying true to the Constitution is one of the best ways to defeat them. " +

Planting the Seeds of Peace Memorial Garden Honors Victims N ative lilacs, wild roses and honeysuckle will transform a narrow strip of land behind the Hahn University Center into an intimate memorial garden to honor victims of the Sept. I I terrorist attacks in New York and Washington, D.C. The $70,000 garden, which is expected to be dedicated this spring, began as a native plant garden by the student club The Environmental Action Group, but soon blossomed into a living memorial to the tragedy and those touched by it. "The University Senate recommended that the university establish a memorial to express, in a tangible way, the sorrow we feel for the families of those who were affected," President Alice B. Hayes says."This also is a way for the people at the university to express their patriotism:' On the edge ofTecolote Canyon, the I00-foot-long garden, which ranges in width from IO to 30 feet, will be filled with more than 50 perennial plants native to the San Diego area. Benches will surround a section of the ground decorated

Jen Neill (left) and fellow environmentalists Juana Purchase and Mark Montygiera '01 at the garden site along Tecolote Canyon.