Western Courier

Issue date: 1/24/05 Section: Opinion

I was compelled to write this article to squelch a few rumors that are floating around campus. The Veterans Club received a complaint regarding our use of balloons as breasts during this year's homecoming parade. We do not at this time know who made the complaint. Mr. Brokaw wrote an article regarding it that mentioned Unity, and there are a few things that need to be cleared up regarding this issue. Unity was mentioned because they sponsor a drag night, which also involves men dressing as women, which we do not have a problem with. The problem we have, is that certain organizations such as Unity, and also the Rugby teams (of which many of our members also belong to) sponsor events that involve dressing in drag and they do not receive complaints from anyone regarding this behavior. Our question is simply this, why is our behavior found offensive by some, when other clubs and organizations can freely engage themselves in similar activity? Why are we held to a different standard? The Peach Blossoms are not new to this campus, "peaching" has been a tradition carried on since the end of the Vietnam War, and to my knowledge there have only been two complaints regarding our costumes since. The point is simply this, as Veterans we demand to be allowed the same rights of self-expression that others enjoy on this campus. We do not proclaim ourselves to be heroes or ask for any concessions or special treatment. We simply wish to be allowed the same rights and freedoms that we strived to maintain as members of the Armed Forces and are entitled to as Americans. The campus community has reached a point of acceptance that it's populace does not speak out against alternative lifestyles, why can't they have some reverence for Veterans and respect our choices of expression in upholding the traditions that we have carried on for decades? It is this double standard and discrimination of status that inspired those returning from Vietnam to create the original Peaches in decades past, and it is the very thing that will keep us driving on for decades to come.

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