I am ashamed to be an ISU student. When I saw your response to the College Republicans Troop care package drive, I was appalled. Why do politics have to be involved in everything?

It is the month of Christmas, when people give to those less fortunate. These men and women in uniform are sacrificing so much so people like you can teach or learn at a university where it is free to study and have opinions as your own. They have given up their normal lives, family and more.

Yes, they did make the decision to serve in our military, but just because they chose to do that, you have the right to say they don’t deserve a small gift from us. Those who are less fortunate than us that are in the poverty class, didn’t they have a choice too? I’m not saying they all did, but some of them do have a choice. Get a small job at a fast-food place.

You say families would be sending them gifts anyway. What about those that don’t have families? Or come from families that are less fortunate? I have friends serving overseas that have no relatives back here in the states. You think a small gift to these people giving us so much while you sit in your warm house on Christmas is wrong?

I saw this as a response to your article and I think it is fitting. It is about a U.S. service member in a college lecture. It goes a little something like this:

“A Marine was attending a college course between missions in Iraq and Afghanistan. The professor, an avowed atheist, shocked the class one day when he walked in, looked toward the ceiling, and said loudly, ‘God, if you are real, then I want you to knock me off this platform. I’ll give you exactly 15 minutes.’

“The lecture room fell silent and the professor began his lecture. Ten minutes went by and the professor proclaimed, ‘Here I am God – still waiting.’

“It got down to the last minute when the Marine stood up, walked toward the professor and threw his best punch knocking him off the platform and out cold. The Marine went back to his seat and sat down.

“The other students were shocked and stunned and sat there looking on in silence. The professor came to, noticeably shaken, looked at the Marine and asked, ‘What the hell is the matter with you? Why did you do that?’

“The Marine calmly replied, “God is busy today protecting America’s soldiers who are protecting your right to behave like an idiot and say stupid stuff. So He sent me.”

I honestly hope you lose your job over this. You are a disgrace to your university, your country and all of the people in the military, especially those students here at Iowa State.