'Don't Ask, Don't Tell' Hypocrisy

The Washington Post ^ | December 11, 2005 | George F. Will

[george76]

The entitlement mentality produces petulant insistence on an ever-higher ratio of rights to responsibilities.

Unsurprisingly, this mentality flourishes on campuses, where tenured faculty and privileged students live entitled lives supported by the taxes and generosity of others.

The mentality was on vivid display in the Supreme Court on Tuesday when an association of 36 law schools and faculties asserted an audacious entitlement.

Many schools bar military recruiters...

The schools asked the court to declare unconstitutional, as a violation of the First Amendment protections of freedom of speech and association, the law that denies federal funds to any school that denies military recruiters the same access to students that any other employer enjoys.

Federal assistance to institutions of higher education was about $35 billion last year, so the schools flinch from the price tag on their gay rights principles, which in this case dovetail neatly with their anti-military prejudices.

During oral arguments last week, the schools had many occasions to wince.

Regarding the schools' theory that any conduct can be imbued with "communicative force," Justice Antonin Scalia wondered whether the schools might also justify banning military recruiters during a war the faculty disapproved of, because allowing the recruiters would be tantamount to the schools' endorsing the war.

The self-marginalization of the professoriate.

An inhospitable campus climate has prompted the growth of public policy think tanks and publications that sustain a conservative intelligentsia that helps elect and staff conservative administrations.

Faculties have adopted increasingly adversarial stances toward an increasingly conservative public and its institutions.

Today's schools bristle with moral principles that they urge upon the -- so they think -- benighted society beyond their gates.

But as Roberts blandly reminded the schools regarding their desire to bar military recruiters: "You are perfectly free to do that, if you don't take the money."

[Wristpin]

Little ivory covered North Koreas.

[Sister_T]

But as Roberts blandly reminded the schools regarding their desire to bar military recruiters: "You are perfectly free to do that, if you don't take the money."

HELLO! It really is that simple, isn't it? But, of course, the entitlement mentality is so deeply entreached in our society, thanks to these liberals, that these people think they should be able to continue in their anti-military hostility and pro-homosexual advocacy AND get paid for it! I sure hope SCOTUS takes this common sense approach and tear these folks from the government trough but somehow, I doubt it.

[george76]

Dan Akroyd in Ghostbusters:


"Personally, I liked the university. They gave us money and facilities, we didn't have to produce anything!"

"You've never been out of college! You don't know what it's like out there! I've *worked* in the private sector. They expect *results*."

Too many people in academia don't seem to realize that the money has to come from somewhere.

And you hear people talk about how academia needs to adopt an "adversarial stance" toward the larger culture, without thinking much about why the larger culture would want to pay for that.

http://instapundit.com/archives/027396.php

Glenn Reynolds

[Grampa Dave]

"But as Roberts blandly reminded the schools regarding their desire to bar military recruiters: "You are perfectly free to do that, if you don't take the money."

Roberts will shred and mow down the bs agendas pushed by the liberals in court.

This is a great legal statement, and we will see it used to shred a lot of left wing legal agendas.