Sixteen professors from the University of Regina have brought shame and disgrace to themselves and their campus.

They have criticized Project Hero – a scholarship program that would provide four years of free tuition, and $1,000 in book money, for the children of Canadian soldiers who have perished in combat. The 16 professors say that Project Hero glorifies military combat.

What they fail to realize is that we enjoy the freedoms that we have because of our military. Nobody knows what our country would be like without the efforts of Canadian soldiers in the First and Second World Wars.

There should be no greater source of pride for Canadians than our military history. Vimy Ridge, D-Day, the liberation of the Netherlands – the fighting men and women of the Canadian Forces have given us much to celebrate.

Project Hero doesn’t glorify war, but it does honour those who have perished in combat.

Most of the Project Hero opposition probably stems from a lack of support for Canada's involvement in Afghanistan. It's one thing to be opposed to the Afghanistan mission. There are many out there who wish that Canadian forces withdrew from that volatile country. Many wish we had never gone there in the first place.

But there is a difference between supporting the mission, and supporting the troops. Regardless of whether you support Canada's presence in Afghanistan, you have to support the soldiers. These “intellectuals” fail to grasp that basic concept.

Many of the men and women who perished in Afghanistan had a spouse and children. And between now and next year, when Canada's commitment to Afghanistan is slated to end, more Canadian soldiers with families will die.

While the soldiers’ families will receive some insurance payments, that money doesn't come close to paying for the costs of living – a mortgage, a car payment, the cost of raising children – for a grieving widow or widower. For many children who lose a parent in the service of their country, Project Hero represents their only chance as post-secondary education.

Project Hero is the least we can do for the children of fallen soldiers.

The Regina 16 have also given their camps a bad name. For many Canadians, when they think of the university, they will think of people who opposed scholarships for the children of deceased soldiers. They won't think of the quality programs or the excellent faculty that the university should be known for.

The University of Regina deserves credit for remaining steadfast and joining the growing list of Canadian universities who support Project Hero. And hopefully the 16 dissenting “academics” will promptly resign as a form of protest.