I enjoyed C-SPAN this morning. Two sharp lawyers on either side of the military recruiting at law schools debate. I’ve made my biases clear…I’m very pro-military. I ‘d like to explain that more clearly…that does not mean I am pro-USE OF military, or pro-military across the board. My love of soldiers et al. usually dies right around when they achieve flag rank (General, Admiral) and become politicians. I love the dogfaces, the young men and women who work in the front without complaint (and oftimes without support). I am sensitive to situations where they become proxies for a war, or an administration, or a sensitive issue. Such is the case here.

I know I am going to get lambasted (as I have a dear friend who is a homosexual and a lawyer and will probably skewer me), as the crux of this argument is the policy (for the schools at least) is “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell.” My problem is that the law schools are punishing the military for a policy IMPOSED on them by the government. By a democrat named Bill Clinton. Do the law schools prevent the government itself from recruiting? No...just the military. My personal opinion is that this stems from a bias many in academia feel against the military. It’s not enough that you get your students to listen 24-7. You are taking away ONE DAY for the military to make a pitch to INTERESTED students.

And yes, I’m being disingenuous. The schools are doing it to protest the discriminatory policy of Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell. Yes, Bill put it in, because it was the best he could get from the military. Yes, it is a shitty policy, and not Constitutional to boot. And I disagree with it personally. BUT…it is the accepted law, and there are solvent intelligent reasons for it...because the military is NOT a law firm. As bastions of intellectual morality and ethical behavior, the law schools are saying they don’t agree with the LAW OF THE LAND, and they are punishing the military for it. Frankly, the military should get special consideration from law schools, but career professors who labor under the artificial world of academia have it all figured out apparently (until the Supreme Court finds against them…as it is certain to do). Long story short, they can refuse the government aid (public dollars) and do as they wish. But they want the money, and the right to refuse entry as well. They want the government money, but the means to prevent government access in the form of military recruitment. Bzzzzzzzt. Wrong answer. One comes with the other, in my opinion.

Gays in the military is a hot topic. It should be. But the military is a poor test tube; it is not governed by the same moral drivers as is the regular world. Watching clueless yuppies and/or their kids take issue with the military under the guise of Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell is insulting. As is the policy itself (I READILY ADMIT), but take that up with the government, not the military. They should have access equal to that of any law firm. Feel free to criticize the policy. I certainly do. But until then, it’ll cost schools to have such impeccable standards. They have the choice. They seem to not have the courage of their convictions. Much like the Virginia Military Institute, which was dead set against females being admitted. Until the specter of public money being removed was dangled in front of them. Then they became perfectly happy to accept women; so much for their moral arguments.

Take the fight to Congress…where it belongs. It's a dated, poor policy. It's easy for a law school (often ones that get most of their students from upper class families, I'd bet) to make sweeping moral judgements, but the reality is not that simple. I do not defend the policy of Don't Ask, Don't Tell. Nor do I defend military recruiters in general. Some of them are scum. But not the ones they send to law schools (or med schools, for that matter). Law schools allow firms that defend some of the most despicable citizens of our nation access with open arms...they defend those people because it's their duty...it's the law. Don't ask, don't tell...it's the law. That, and these rights are protected by many who could never see the inside of one of these schools. They deserve good lawyers. The military has the right to recruit, whether the faculty like it or not. Whether the students like it or not. The students may always choose to not go.

I'd like to tackle the existing anti-military feeling amongst the intelligentsia later.

To FM, I still love you. Don't hate...participate :)