Patriotism and Service to Country are Red, White, and Blue

WHEREAS, The Clarkson University ROTC program and its Golden Knight Battalion hosted by Clarkson University that also serves students from St. Lawrence University, SUNY Canton, and SUNY Potsdam has received a notice that it will be closed down over the next year; and

WHEREAS, The Clarkson ROTC program is among the nation’s best in producing graduates who support the Army’s mission and has been meeting and exceeding the viability metrics and mission assigned to it; and

WHEREAS, From one of the best campus facilities to train for global assignments, Clarkson’s Golden Knight Battalion has among the highest graduation rates of cadets from start to finish, and has more than 80% with the STEM designation in fields that have been among the priorities of the armed services now and into the future; and

WHEREAS, Two of the top 30 cadets in the nation commissioned last year were from Clarkson’s program; and

WHEREAS, Cadets in this program have gone in the last decade as commissioned officers to all 17 branches of the Army, and with a long history of serving the Army Corp of Engineers as well as highly skilled artillery and intelligence divisions; and

WHEREAS, More than 40% of the students enrolled in the program at Clarkson are from New York’s North Country. Many others have family ties to the region; and

WHEREAS, As Americans living on the Northern Border, we are not “too far away” from the rest of the country -- we are in the United States and deliver vital roles to the nation's manufacturing, agriculture, environmental and technological educational assets. We never say we are “too far away” to help our nation. Every sign of both opportunity and challenges we see around the world today says the North Country and programs like Clarkson’s ROTC with a track record in STEM is critically needed; and

WHEREAS, The Clarkson family were among the American patriots that helped finance the Revolutionary War that earned our national independence 250 years ago. They were among the American patriots that officially acquired land in 1802 in New York’s North Country to create more settlement and to ensure that the French did not cross the St. Lawrence River and change New York’s border. Clarkson University’s location is what it is, next to the great United States border and surrounded by people who serve America every day; and

WHEREAS, Defense of our country, service to our country, and patriotism know no partisan divide.

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that, the St. Lawrence County Democratic Committee respectfully asks the decision by the Army Cadet Command be reconsidered and reversed immediately; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that copies of this resolution shall be forwarded to President Donald Trump, Governor Kathy Hochul, Senator Charles Schumer, Senator Kirsten Gillibrand, Congresswoman Elise Stefanik, Assemblyman Scott Gray, State Senator Dan Stec, and the St. Lawrence County Legislature.