Take fed funds-then you must accept Mil recruiters on campus

I wanted to take a few seconds and open discussion on the recent decision that smacks down the law student and other organizations that had tried to prevent Military recruiters from doing business on campuses, particularly law schools and such.

In the last few years, this has been an increasing problem, as some on the more liberal end of the spectrum have decided that freedom of speech applies only to their views of the world, and have mistakenly believed that their rights to association should override and overrule the right of the Federal (U.S.A.) government to attach strings to any funding they provide to colleges and universities.

For my $.02, the U.S. Supreme court got the decision right. The Federal government has the right to attach strings to funds they hand out. It's incredibly rare that anyone would ever receive something for nothing, but that is the equivalent of what the people suing to overturn the law in this instance asked for.

The Solomon law is named for its House sponsor, former representative Gerald B.H. Solomon (R-N.Y.). The law fairly simply requires that any college or university that accepts recruiters from any organization must allow military recruiters on the campus.

The people suing to overturn the law had claimed that the military's Don't Ask, Don't Tell policy was discriminatory, and for that reason (at a minimum) their right of free association should preclude the military recruiters from being able to access the campuses.

Again though, the Solomon Ammendment/Law rules the land, as determined in a unanimous decision by the U.S. Supreme court. Even the liberals on the court were unable to back their brethren and sisters in the losing side.

I'm sure some on the losing side will try to come up with a new reason why they should be able to prevent the military from accessing their facilities, but hopefully they'll lose in those efforts as well.
2,866 views 8 replies
Reply #1 Top
Bumping my comments on this late commentary on the news....
Reply #2 Top
I just don't understand what these schools are afraid of. Are their students so weak-willed that they can't resist being recruited into the military?
Reply #3 Top
What gets me about many of these schools...

They say that they resent the military for "don't ask, don't tell". They say that they consider that discrination, and they don't support any organization that would "discriminate" on the basis of sexual orientation.

But the same schools have organizations on campus that are set up just for "alternative lifestyle choices". Are they saying that one of those Gay, Lesbian or trans-gendered groups would allow an openly anti gay student to join? Are they saying that they would allow a hetero-sexual person to be the president of one of their "gay" themed clubs?

Not only don't they, I think they have the right to be exclusive on such things... and so does the military.

Sadly, these "open-minded" people only seem to embrace "alternative" lifestyles as long as THEY agree with the lifestyle choice.

Basically, all the SCOTUS did was uphold equal rights.
Reply #4 Top
Kind of hard to argue with a unanimous SCOTUS ruling.
Reply #5 Top
Kind of hard to argue with a unanimous SCOTUS ruling.


And yet the people behind the case tried...

(Meaning one would think that they would have seen the decision well in advance and not have had to even bother with the case to begin with...)

I guess it goes to prove, yet again, that no one ever went broke underestimating the stupidity of some lawyers and wannabe lawyers.

As I commented previously, it would seem to be yet another great example of a place where loser pays would be needed. In this case I guess the losers already might have paid as they filed the suit to begin with, but it would have been nice to see a stiff penalty applied for wasting the courts time to begin with.
Reply #6 Top

And yet the people behind the case tried...

Think about that for a moment.  Now think about the opposition to Justice Alito back in the fall and Winter.  And these clowns in the universities want us to listen to them when it comes to SCOTUS appointments?

Reply #7 Top
I just don't understand what these schools are afraid of. Are their students so weak-willed that they can't resist being recruited into the military?
How true. Actually, I believe that universities should as a courtesy honor and admit the military on campus regardless, of fed funds. Perhaps mandatory field trips to veteran memorials would be sobering to angry students.
Reply #8 Top
You know what is even better? Even if you refuse federal money, you still must allow recruiters onto your campuses. Nice work, SCOTUS! It's all about allowing the Congress and the President to assemble an army, oh yeah... that pesky Constitution.