Editorial | Time to ask and tell

Last week members of Lambda Law organized a protest voicing dissent about the continued presence of the Naval Reserve Officer Training Corps and military recruiters on Penn's campus, despite the fact that the military's dated "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy is clearly not in agreement with the University's own nondiscrimination policy.

The protestors raised an undeniably compelling point. Penn subsidizes the NROTC's and recruiters' presence through a number of in-kind donations, possibly including things like office space and phone lines, while simultaneously promoting an open atmosphere for people of all sexual orientations. Other outside organizations that wish to have a presence on campus are required to pay for their space, and the U.S. military, in that respect, should be treated no differently. The University should not subsidize organizations whose internal policies and practices are at odds with the University's ethos.

The military should not be restricted in its efforts; for the public good they should remain active on campus. The armed forces can always use a few more good men and women, and Penn cultivates the type of practical, thoughtful and decisive leaders that would do well in that environment. The military route is already a rare one among Penn students, and the military deserves its foothold on campus to try and reach those students - but it does not have to come at a cost to the University, especially when the military's internal policies discriminate against a portion of the student body. Until the military's policies are more in line with the University's mind-set, it can pay the same rent that any other group on campus does.

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