Letter 1

START WITH THIS LETTER

Dear President Pamela Whitten, Dean Joanna M. Millunchick, and Vice President Russell J. Mumper,

As highlighted on the Luddy strategic plan website, scientists and engineers should keep humanity at the center of their research, understanding the potential benefits and consequences of their work in service of a positive social impact. These principles are violated by IU’s partnership with NSWC Crane. The secrecy of defense research and operations often means scientists are in the dark about how their work fits into larger government interests or how it will be used. However, what we do know about Crane’s operations leaves reason to be pessimistic.

The US military in general and Crane in particular have helped supply weapons and defense technology to Israel during its ongoing genocide in Gaza. For example, NWSC Crane has iteslf partnered with Israeli sniper tech company Smartshooter that uses imaging processing software to help soldiers kill more efficiently. All such deaths are a tragedy but one should note especially how Israeli snipers have targeted children. Meanwhile, the CAAA facility at Crane also houses and refurbishes MK-84 2000 LB bombs. When the US sends over 14,000 of these bombs to Israel, Israel uses them on civilians in densely populated areas. One cannot escape that military applications means applications to a genocide. And, even if IU scientists and engineers have civilian applications in mind for their research, partnering with NSWC Crane gives Crane easier access to the talent IU provides, greatly increasing the chance that their work goes on to harm human life.

As such, I call on you to end IU’s partnership with NSWC Crane.

From,

[Name]

LETTER 2

START WITH THIS LETTER

Dear President Pamela Whitten, Dean Joanna M. Millunchick, and Vice President Russell J. Mumper,

I am a [student or other position] at Indiana University. I, like many IU Students, Faculty, and Alumni, have grown increasingly disturbed by the University’s partnership with CRANE, a military installation complicit in genocide. This is an installation that directly supports the Israeli military, including by storing and refurbishing the 2000lb bombs that level apartment complexes in Gaza. This is also an installation that IU has invested over 100 million dollars in and one that is directly affiliated with multiple programs, departments, and labs across IU’s campus. This deep and lucrative partnership with CRANE ties Indiana University to militarism and violence. IU should be a place for learning, a place that builds students up with the knowledge and skills to create a better world, not to create profit at the expense of humanity.

In better times IU’s partnership with CRANE would be absurd and dangerous, but CRANE’s complicity in the genocide means that, through its partnership, IU is complicit in genocide as well. Therefore it is a moral imperative that the University divest from CRANE, and become an institution invested in education rather than militarism and mass death. As University Administrators you have the ability and a moral mandate to push for divestment as well as institutional decoupling from CRANE.

I demand that the University end its partnership with CRANE and from genocide.

Sincerely, ________