Harvard and ROTC

[erpowers]

It was announced, I think, yesterday that Harvard University would finally allow the return of the ROTC program to its campus. This morning, CNN did a report on the story. I wondered if Harvard allowing ROTC to return to their campus was really that big of a deal. I then began to wonder if the whole Harvard/Ivy League and ROTC controversy was just a big bunch Republican BS. Was the ROTC issue just a fake issue that was used to prevent debate on the real issues? Also, did the Republican Party use the fact that ROTC was not allowed at Harvard as a way to bash Democrats.

Harvard not having ROTC on its campus did not prevent any student at Harvard from participating in an ROTC program. There are many colleges that do not have ROTC programs on their campus for reasons other than disagreements with the military. Those colleges just allow their students to attend ROTC classes at a surrounding colleges that does have the program.

On another note the anchor reporting the story on CNN later interviewed the current Harvard President Drew Faust. During the interview the anchor asked the Mrs Faust how she thought the ROTC student would now be treated with the return of the program. The anchor referenced the idea that ROTC students are treated poorly by the general student body. When the anchor asked that question I wondered if ROTC students at Harvard were actually treated poorly by their peers. Mrs. Faust answered the question by stating that ROTC student were not treated poorly by the general student body. Mrs. Faust went on to discuss a letter she had received from a former Harvard student who had participated in the ROTC program while a student at Harvard. In the letter the former student stated that she had come to Harvard with the expection that she would be harrassed by fellow students, but that did not occur.

So, is Harvard finally allowing ROTC to return to its campus really a big deal? It is was never the case that Harvard students were not allowed to participated in ROTC programs, there just was not a program at Harvard. Was it really that big of a deal that Harvard did not have a ROTC program? Also, did Republican just use the issue as a way to bash Democrats?

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/10/25/opinion/25Mazur.html?_r=1

I found this op-ed when I did some research on ROTC and colleges

[speltwon]

1. I think it IS a big deal

The argument is that it was largely symbolic, because Harvard students could still participate elsewhere. That is true, but saying it's symbolic (iow it has not much of a practical effect) is not saying it's not important.

I could give a million examples of how if a group was prohibited from a presence on campus, that it would have little practical effect on students who could go off campus, and it would make clear the importance. Imagine we are talking about a GLBT group, for instance.

[frazzled]

2. To me it was always simple

Because the Don't Ask Don't Tell provisions in the military conflicted with Harvard's non-discrimination policy, they did not let them recruit or have ROTC on campus.

That is now over, they are allowed back in. It wasn't a big deal then, and it's not a big deal now. The problem has been fixed.

[walldude]

3. LOL.. all I think of when I hear ROTC is Neidermeyer

getting dragged all over the field after Otter hit him with a Golf Ball.

If that's what they want on campus let em' have it.