SOMEBODY VANDALIZED THE ROTC OFFICE at the University of Iowa. But the response seems to me exactly wrong:

An act of vandalism against a symbol of the U.S. military on the UI campus over Spring Break prompted leaders Monday to stop requiring cadets to wear uniforms to class.

Authorities are looking for a person who smashed two glass doors at the Reserve Officer Training Corps office in the South Quadrangle building and spray-painted such slogans as “Stop U.S. military research” and “Fuck all wars” on four other UI buildings between March 20 and 21, UI police records show.

“I am not concerned for the safety of the cadets, but I worry that their uniforms may provoke attention from a person who is looking to aim his antiwar sentiments at someone,” said Lt. Col. Carol St. John, a professor of military science.

I think they should wear their uniforms every day. It’s funny to me that a University that would never respond to racist speech by asking minority students to “try not to be so noticeable” would respond to this kind of behavior in such a meek fashion.

(Via David Hogberg).

UPDATE: Hogberg has looked into how the University handled an earlier incident involving only threats, but no actual vandalism or violence. The University’s response was rather more forceful. Hogberg asks: “Why the different responses? Wouldn’t have something to do with campus politics, would it?”

Maybe someone should ask them.