[Peace-discussion] Expansive Rule Proposed to Implement Solomon Amendment Continues to Militarize Campus Life

[Deanna L. Taylor]

Expansive Rule Proposed to Implement Solomon Amendment Continues to =20
Militarize Campus Life
June 29, 2007 -- Center on Conscience & War

The Solomon Amendment, an act of congress from 2005, prohibits a =20
college from receiving federal funding if it bans military recruiters, =20
prevents the military from maintaining, establishing, or operating an =20
ROTC unit at that college, or prohibits a student from enrolling at an =20
ROTC unit at another college. To date, no college has done any of =20
these things. The Defense Department has proposed an expansive rule =20
for implementing the Solomon Amendment that, in addition, would =20
require campuses to allow ROTC programs to function as academic =20
programs without restriction and ban protests against military =20
recruiters.

ROTC programs and recruiters were traditionally treated as private =20
entities ROTC had to pay to rent facilities, and recruiters were =20
granted access the same as any other private employer. The new =20
implementation rules would change that, allowing unfettered access to =20
student's lives.

The new rules prohibit colleges from doing anything that in effect =20
prevents a ROTC unit from operating. This means that under the new =20
rules ROTC programs must be granted access to campus life, and creates =20
special rules for the ROTC and recruiters  withholding federal funding =20
from universities who refuse to comply.

Even more oppressive would be the attempt to ban the students from the =20
exercise of their Freedom of Speech to protest the presence of =20
military recruiters. This would easily be construed (as probably is =20
intended) to even prohibit students to assure that both sides of the =20
military recruitment story are presented by claiming that =20
counter-recruitment program are protests.

The result would be the militarization of campus life  with recruiters =20
and ROTC functioning under the umbrella of military control while on =20
campus and counter-recruitment information effectively banned. Get in =20
touch with your member of Congress to say no to this proposed =20
implementation of the Solomon Amendment.


http://www.house.gov/

http://www.senate.gov/


You can also call your member of Congress. The district office number =20
is in your local phone book. To reach the Washington office, call the =20
Capitol Switchboard at (202) 224-3121.


--=20
801-631-2998
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