|
|
|
Vets seek to clarify muddy waters |
|
|
|
Wednesday, 02 April 2008 |
Pete Hegseth
Guest Columnist
I’m writing to provide clarity and restore civility to the public discourse about what happened when my group—Vets for Freedom—was un-invited from Forest Lake High School on Tuesday, March 25. The media spin that ensued following this decision has created a narrative that barely resembles reality.
I want to re-iterate my respect and appreciation for Forest Lake High School. I’m so proud of my time at Forest Lake, and maintain friendships with many excellent teachers, coaches and administrators to this day—especially Principal Steve Massey.
Principal Massey is a personal friend and an honorable man, who loves our great county, is proud of our military, and has the best interest of his students and teachers in mind. And while many of us take issue with his decision, the personal onslaught that has befallen him is not justified.
He has been called “anti-American,” “anti-military,” and “anti-veteran.” He is none of these, and the name-calling and personal attacks need to stop immediately. Debate about the merit of his decision is reasonable and healthy, but personal assaults are detrimental and poisonous.
And as someone who loves this community and still considers it home, I would like to clarify a few points surrounding the situation:
First, neither I, nor anyone at Vets for Freedom, have attacked Principal Massey personally or professionally; nor have we stoked the flames of this controversy. We have only taken issue with his decision. We have not issued a single press release on the situation, and have not asked anyone to e-mail, call, or harass the school.
Second, although Vets for Freedom publicly advocates for achieving success in Iraq, Principal Massey and I were in complete agreement <http://forestlaketimes.com/content/view/659/44/> about the parameters of our message to 150 social studies students at Forest Lake. Our talk would not include opinions about the war, only talk about our service and our experience. This was never in doubt.
And when Principal Massey called me on Monday to cancel the event, the explanation he provided was receiving six “negative calls and e-mail relating to the school’s involvement in the event,” mostly from groups outside the district. This is the exact same reason that was cited <http://forestlaketimes.com/content/view/686/1/> by the school on the Forest Lake Times web site that same evening.
However, since then, the school’s explanation has changed. Recent statements from administrators claim we planned a “press conference” at the school that would have created an “unsafe” environment for high school students.
Such a press conference was never planned, nor was “school safety” ever a reason cited to me. In fact, the Friday prior to the event, Principal Massey and I both agreed that a low-key media availability outside the school before the event was perfectly acceptable. The availability would have allowed newspapers like the Forest Lake Times to interview veterans before the event.
I could accept if the school either defended its original position or admitted a mistake. However, attempts to re-write history and blame us for the cancellation are disingenuous. From the moment we reached out to the school, nothing Vets for Freedom did made the situation political, and every step we took was in close consultation with the school.
I have no desire to create controversy or manufacture media coverage; this is a purely a matter of principle. The school agreed to have us and then reneged on that agreement; capitulating to the demands of a noisy few. All we ask is that school administrators acknowledge, as they did initially, that outside political pressure caused the cancellation. It’s unfortunate, but at least it’s accurate.
Finally, despite my disappointment, I hope we can move beyond this contentious situation as soon as possible. Name-calling and media battles serve no purpose. What matters is that public school kids—like my younger brother—hear from troops and veterans who have served so nobly, and sacrificed so much, so we can all live free. There must be room for this in our public schools.
I know Principal Massey and I agree on that point. And I hope we can bring resolution to this situation by bringing Iraq and Afghanistan veterans into Forest Lake High School before the school year is out.
Pete Hegseth is a Forest Lake High School graduate, a Captain in the Army National Guard, and executive director of Vets for Freedom, an Iraq and Afghanistan war veterans organization.
|
|
|
