Stick a fork in it, it is done, so let’s all move on and get to the subject at hand: Teaching students what they pay for in college, which is to learn, graduate and make the world a better place for generations to come.
When the U.S. Supreme Court made its decision the other day on whether or not ROTC and military recruiters should be banned from campuses there was no surprise in the outcome of the deliberations.

In case you need a reminder, the Justices ruled overwhelmingly in favor of the military recruiters and ROTC. No, the decision was not because the Justices are supposedly conservative.

The ruling was made because the argument to the matter was simple: No military recruiters/ROTC allowed on your campus, no problem. No federal cash for your grants or your campus either, and again, no problem.

I don’t know what’s worse: The military’s “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy or the supposed reason presented by academia as the impetus for wanting ROTC and military recruiters banned from college campuses.

I don’t agree with “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” and there are perfectly good reasons for this. The late, great, Senator Barry Goldwater of Arizona – a staunch conservative mind you – couldn’t have put it better when he said “you don’t have to be straight to shoot straight” and to this day I fully agree with the man.

I also see many people who want to proudly serve their country and God knows we need them, but because of their sexual preference or orientation they’re denied the honor of serving and being a part of America’s best. That’s wrong.

But what is worse is the reason for all the hoopla about “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” brought on by academics and scholars. If the members of academia who have brought this forth would just admit that it was a political ploy against Dubya, then I would actually have respect for them.

At the same time I would kindly remind them that it was the darling of the left, Slick Willy Clinton, that imposed “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” upon the military when he wasn’t busy ruining an intern’s perfectly good blue dress.

I’ve asked it before, I’ll ask it again: Why now? Please don’t insult what intelligence we have by sticking to the party line that it had all to do with the discriminatory nature of the policy. Any dumbass can tell you it is discriminatory and you don’t need a Ph.D. to make that assessment. So again I ask why now?

Any fool can tell you it isn’t about the policy. It is only because some people can’t move on with the fact that Dubya got elected in 2000 and then re-elected in 2004 and nothing pisses off the academic left more than that.

One has to wonder where scholars and academics are coming from and one clear indicator is Yale University, which was one of the plaintiffs that filed the anti-ROTC/military recruiter brief.

This is the same Yale University whose faculty has actually allowed the former traveling ambassador of Afghanistan’s now defunct Taliban regime to attend its esteemed campus. Maybe someday they’ll even let him teach or, maybe yet, become chancellor. But that’s a different story for a different time in the future.

The intention shown by academia on the “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” matter is nothing less than blatant. The policy was acceptable under the Clinton years, but now it comes under the light of scrutiny? If that isn’t politically timed, I don’t know what is.

So in all, I hate to say I told you so, but I did. Military recruiters and ROTC are on campus to stay and why should that be a problem? If you don’t like what the military stands for, don’t sign up.

At least in this country you are given the choice, unlike some other places in the world. And besides, you’re all over 18 years of age therefore you can call your own shots as adults. If you do sign up for the military you also have the option to not be asked and not to tell anything on the nature of your sexuality. It’s not the most perfect practice, but it is all there is for now until a change is made.

The academics involved in this fiasco showed their true colors by dropping this hot potato in order to avoid a cut in federal funding. I guess every fight has a price and it was one they weren’t willing to pay.

The only one they have left to blame is Bubba for putting it in place. If they can only get around to realizing that and moving on, the ivory tower of academia can go back to it’s original mission statement: Higher education.
Henry Sarria is a long-time resident of Isla Vista.