Oliver North's speech stresses patriotism

Melissa Morgan/Exponent Photographer PATRIOT: Col. Oliver North spoke to a crowd of more than 700 at 8 p.m. Thursday night in Loeb Playhouse. He stressed the need for American youth to become more patriotic.

By Kelsey VanArsdall
Campus Editor

Amidst a crowd of mostly right-wing conservatives, sat a few liberals, listening contently until it was their turn to make the comments.

However, until that moment, Oliver North had the Loeb Playhouse stage. He spoke about patriotism to a crowd of more than 700 people Thursday night. Congress member Steve Buyer, who referred to North as a valuable asset to the country, energetically introduced him.

"I consider him not only a friend, but an ally," he said.

North's objectives for the future of the country were clear and so was his definition of a patriot.

"A patriot puts service before self," said North, and the crowd clapped. "We all need to respond as patriots."

With a career that dates back to his service in the Vietnam War, North is known for his military experience.

"I've had the great blessing to spend most of my life around true patriots," he said in reference to the years he spent will fellow soldiers.

North said the most important goal for our country should be finding volunteers to serve in the U.S. military.

"We need a call to service. We need to suggest to our young people that there is a greater service call, than the service to self."

He said that ads and billboards won't persuade prospective young military personnel but that they need to be mentored by veterans that have been in service themselves.

"If we don't get more volunteers, we'll have to do selective services," said North.

He said the kind of authority that led the country in past tragedies hasn't been found into today's young leaders.

Most of the crowd agreed with North's comments that there aren't enough of America's youth serving in the military, but there were a select few, some of which were the types of liberal professors that North denounced for their views in the beginning of his speech, who disagreed.

One Purdue professor stated that she agreed with North's views about the need for patriotism, but followed it with "I'm encouraged to hear that our young people aren't flocking to serve." Some in the crowed cheered; most booed.

Among some of North's republican supporters was Mike Delph, a candidate for secretary of state.

He said that he's known North since 1997, when they worked on Central American issues and the Colombian Drug War together. Delph was also an attendee at the dinner held in the Purdue Memorial Union before the speech.

"I thought it went very well," he said, in reference to the dinner.

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Campus editor: Kelsey VanArsdall

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