The Supreme Court ruled on Monday in the case Rumsfeld v. Forum for Academic and Institutional Rights that military recruiters must be allowed on college campuses and be given the same amount of access that other employers do, so long as the institution is receiving federal funding. The case began out of a dispute in which professors and students at the law schools that make up the FAIR organization protested the Armed Forces “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy. But when the college moved to appease protestors, Congress decided that schools depriving the military of equal access could be deprived of up to $100 million dollars – the High Court agreed unanimously.
Though the Supreme Court’s decision may be unpopular among those who beleive the military does not belong on campuses, the ruling is a sound one. Any employer, no matter what they promote or what policies they abide by, should be allowed on campus to seek out diligent young workers.
Although people may be opposed to the military’s policies, whether concerning the industrial complex or its stance on homosexuals, the military plays a vital role in our society. A career in the armed forces is a viable job option for many college students. UR is home to hundreds of math and science majors, any of whom would be welcomed into the Armed Forces for their talent. Not to mention that our campus is home to dozens of NROTC students.
Well-informed college students should be allowed to pursue a career in the military, and colleges should support them in doing so. Removing the military from valuable potential applicants – denying equal opporunty – because of disagreement with an unequal policy is nothing short of hypocrisy.
We should be glad the military is recruiting college students, rather than exploiting high school students who are not nearly as mature and feel they have few alternative routes. Colleges and universities are not saying that they are supporting the military’s policies by letting them recruit on campus. This is merely granting the military what it deserves. Feel free to join, feel free not to, even feel free to hate – but don’t discriminate.
