• Public should let forces wear uniforms with pride, says PM

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Universities are owned by the state and part funded by the tax payer. They are ultimately under Government control, as are the Armed Forces, then the Student Union has no power to oppose where a recruitment stall is set up.

- Carl, London, UK

I would like to take this moment to proudly say that I am gay.

- Bilal Ajmal Khan, London

I am one of these so called "small minded children" that voted in the UCLU AGM in favour of this motion. It was made crystal clear that the motion's purpose was not to condemn the British military or their personnel in any way whatsoever. Rather, we opposed their presence on the university campus for the purposes of recruiting UCL students into the armed forces at the present time and climate,; as it can be deemed that this would be providing support to illegal military activities overseas.

As far as I'm concerned the motion passed reflected the views of those students who actually cared enought to show up at the AGM, if certain groups of UCL students are in uproar against this motion then they simply should have turned up and voted against the motion. These same groups of students lobbied against this democratic decision which ultimately lead to the illegal suspension of our general secretary to which the union council have mandated a public apology for.

- Sajjad Abbas, London, UK

Once again a minority of students give a wonderful university a bad name. Myself and many other fellow students take this to be a grave insult to those who 'do their job'. They proudly serve wherever they are called to and I for one support them whole-heartedly!

- Ash,, London, England

As you say it is just a small group of stupid children who have nothing better to do and should be thankful that forces personnel actually chose to do the job to defend our country. Whether they think it is right or wrong they should actually be having a go at the government not the forces personnel. If it was not for these men and woman offering to do this job then the government would be forced to bring back national service. These small group of small minded children should be thankful that some else is doing the job so it does not have to be them. Have some respect. The armed forces respect the fact that you want to get a good education so respect the decisions they have made to serve their country. If we went to war would these kids not want the forces to protect us? I doubt it.

- Elaine Barlow, Middx

I graduated from UCL within the last two years (and still maintain links), and whilst there enjoyed the wonderful opportunities the OTC offered in terms of personal development.

The most important message I have is this: it is not the majority at UCL who support this nonsensical and insulting ban.

It is quite disgusting what has happened, but unfortunately apathy towards student governement (and thus low turn-out figures at meetings) mean that small groups of 'hard-core political' students can often make ill-thought and arrogant decisions that affect the majority, and bring an otherwise highly respected University into disrepute.

I am very pleased to mention that this has caused rather a large amount of anger in the student populace, who are incensed by the insult to the Military, and the lack of respect given to students individual choices. Many students who would potentially love to have joined the OTC, URNU or UAS and gained huge personal benefit may no longer have the opportunity.

- Richard L, London

Sham and his leftist mates obviously don't think that UCL students are intelligent enough to be allowed to choose their own career. Never mind have the right to choose.

- Justin, London

Being a University student I read this article with a great degree of shock. It seems a small group of people have been able to pass a motion with has far reaching consequences, more so than just removing the recruitment from the university. The irony of the situation presents itself in the fact that this vote is removing freedom of choice for the majority of the students at UCL, thanks to the views of a small group of 80 people. If I was part of the student union I would be focusing my attention on increasing its ability to represent the students! 130 people speaks very poorly for student engagement at UCL.

- Cameron, London, England

I am a graduate of UCL and I am appalled and ashamed that this has happened. University is about providing opportunities to people. UCL itself was formed to combat the selective and elitist nature of Oxford and Cambridge; to provide opportunities to those who were prejudiced against by those universities. This motion takes away opportunities. University students are supposedly educated individuals capable of independent and free-thought. This does not seem apparent in this case.

- Michelle Kim, London, UK

Why don't they take a close look at who is really doing the killing in Iraq?

- Peter Berg, Wembley

This is completely outrageous. I wonder where Sham Rajyaguru's family was in WW2. Probably not fighting for the good of the country or indeed the world. Perhaps he should take History lessons and spend some time reading up on the scourge of terrorism instead of creating ludicrous stunts like this to get himself a name in the Student union.

- Jason, London

Hopefully in a generation male and female students in Afghanistan and Iraq will have similar freedom of choice. Its easy to forget that the democracy we take for granted has been fought for and protected by our wonderful and under appreciated armed forces. Politicians slash their funding with one hand and double their deployment with the other.

- Eve, London, UK.

I am surprised this motion has generated so much ferocity.
The war in Iraq is killing people everyday and recruiting students for the army indirectly supports the war. Students at UCL have made it clear that they don't want to support the war and this seems like a decision they should be allowed to make. This doesn't make them traitors.

- Richard Roaf, London

I simply cannot think of any real world example that is more close-minded, misguided, reactionary and frankly hypocritical.

If it weren't for the soldiers that protect and serve our country, often at great personal risk, these students would have never had the opportunities that they take for granted.

Blame the politicians for "an aggressive war overseas". NOT the soldiers - they don't make the decisions, they simply lay their lives on the line.

- David B, Aberystwyth, Wales

Unfortunately this is a fairly typical example of student politics. I stayed at university to do post-graduate courses, and I know from personal experience that the general political atmosphere at most universities is left-wing, perhaps because both students and staff are removed from many of the responsibilities of the real world.

- Daniel Jupp, Chelmsford, England

Agree totally with Batfink.

If our Armed forces are fighting an 'aggressive war overseas' one has to look no further than the Politicians who sent them there!
Shout Insults at No10 Downing Street...Not at a Military Barracks!

- Simon F, Newcastle upon Tyne

This upsets me beyond belief. My son is passionate about joining the army and serving his country. He has applied to Sandhurst but wants to study Psychology at university first. He was looking at UCL and Goldsmiths as places he would like to go. He is currently in Year 12 and has just started to look into university places for when he leaves next year and is getting quite excited about it. I'm afraid until now I was unaware of these recent motions passed by a very very few people - 80- to 50 - that's 130 people! How can they have had the right to curb the ambitions and freedom of god knows how many more? How can this be allowed to happen? Surely this is a violation of civil rights?

I am a graduate of LSE and have been supporting their development fund through the Alumni association since I left in 1981. Obviously, I will now withdraw this support. I am disgusted - how dare a few mis-guided, unintelligent people (who clearly can't see beyond their stuck-up, no-doubt privately educated noses) have thwarted the ambitions of a thoroughly decent, intelligent and kind young man - my son.


- Nicky Kerr, London, England

What a load of misguided fools these people are, at least these men and women had the decency to stand up and be counted rather than spend most nights drunk playing world of warcraft, or am I just misguided thinking that's all students do ?

- Mark, wirral

Here in Southampton we do have many students, many are indeed worthwhile, then there are all the media studies students, what a waste of time effort and money, at least there is a need for service personnel.

- Wills, Southampton

Universities haven't changed much. Students will nearly riot if anyone tries to curtail any of their activities, but they don't hesitate to impose upon the rights of others.

Perhaps they should vote that the university not accept any funds from the same government that has funded the military. Surely, they would not want any educational funding to come from the same source that provides funds for wars!

We seem to say that people are grown up and have the right to vote at Age 18 or 21 depending upon the country. But clearly, a lot of people in their 20's are not mature enough to make decisions.
Let's hope that most of them grow up someday.

- Bill, Canada

If this motion is carried through, it will be a further sign of the fragmentation of society in this country. Although having said that, the goings on in one university in London do not represent the country's feelings about the UK military. When it comes down to it, we must be, and the vast majority of us are, grateful and proud that our armed forces are here to protect us.

- Karl Chads, London, UK

Stupid children, I suppose your superior air will protect you from the bad guys. What will you do twit, when they come for you? Who will you call? Oh gee, the military? How will you know who they are? No uniforms, remember...? Try getting in Prince Harry's face and tell him not to wear his uniform, I double dog dare you.

- Donald Reynolds, New York, USA

I feel that if the students ban the military personnel, the police should say they will not attend to any of their meetings just to show that they are not above everyone else and lets see what trouble they get into in the "meetings".

- Tom Mcleod, Ormeau/Queensland/Australia

Its the Government you want to ban you moronic individuals you only got where you are today because of the easy test results/ your reasoning ability is zero as Students you should be in an infant collage /these very brave people keep you safe from harm and allow you your freedom to speak and protest also they pay your fees ungrateful louts that you are

- Terence.Oakes, rainhill England

Fair enough, but the students should also be protesting the politicians who send the armed forces to fight.

Banning the military from campus simply serves to reinforce the view held by many in HM armed forces that students are nothing more than selfish and who don't care about 'those who defend freedom and democracy' (which seems to be the rote phrase oft falling from the stiff upper lips of the establishment nowadays, further cementing the idea that the UK is nowt but another state of the USA)

Taking a stand which implies solidarity with the armed forces fighting illegal wars (and many in those armed forces are fully aware of that situation and are increasingly frustrated by it) may do the student cause more good.

- Munky, Sydenham, Kent

Can we vote to ban UCL??

- Jeremy E, London UK

Well again people seem to struggle to separate the armed forces, who are doing a difficult job with little praise, from the politicians who send them to war. It is not the fault of the service personnel, they didn't choose to go to war. Also the vote hardly seemed representative of the university students if only 130 students voted.

- Batfink, Birmingham

I hope that the parents and grandparents pull the plugs on their beer allowances and explain the deep debt of gratitude we all owe our military personnel past and present.

- Charioteer, Sidcup, England

I think all public funding should be withdrawn from these students, as I do not want my tax money to be of any benefit to people who treat our troops this way. In 1941/5 this attitude would have been treated as subversive and dealt with accordingly.

- Nick Pearson, Rustington West Sussex

So these allegedly clever youngsters don't know the difference between the country's military forces and the Government that takes the decisions to send them to war?

Do they imagine that soldiers and sailors and airmen sit around saying "hey, it's been a bit quiet lately, let's go and start a war"?

In my lifetime, this country was threatened with invasion by Hitler, and thank heavens we had men and women brave enough to stop him.

Do these youngsters imagine that there are no more military threats to us? I don't agree with the current wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, but I know that they are down to Blair, Bush and Brown - not Private Smith or Sergeant Jones.

Anyone for raising the voting age to 25?

- Sjm, London

Make them do National Service.
Many of us had no choice but to serve our country and learn about the real world.

- Bernard Parke, Guildford, UK

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