The Supreme Court yesterday unanimously ruled that universities must
give full access to military recruiters to receive federal funds. A
coalition of law schools had brought the case before the Supreme Court,
arguing that the military’s explicit exclusion of gay men and lesbians
who are open about their sexual orientation violates university
anti-discrimination policies (which it obviously does). With the
occupation on Iraq sending many to fight and die in a murderous and
unjust war, many
students have been fighting to get military recruiters off of their
campuses. But Congress has passed a series of laws called the Solomon
amendments which force universities receiving federal money to give
military recruiters access to prey on their students.
Meanwhile, Fred Phelps, a fanatical Christian fundamentalist,
brought his family out this past Saturday to protest the funeral of a
soldier killed in Iraq because Phelps claims that the soldiers are
fighting for a country that accepts homosexuality. Apparently the
army’s discrimination towards gays isn’t good enough for Phelps, who
says, “You can’t preach the Bible without preaching the hatred of God.”
Phelps has no problem with the war crimes being committed against the
people of Iraq, but wants the same brutality inflicted on gays. What
makes this all the more deadly is the degree to which theocrats like
Phelps have influence inside the government, including in the military.
People like Phelps are not just out to lunch, but are out to enforce
their hateful brand of Christian fundamentalism on the world, and the
President, much of the Supreme Court, and most of the Republican Party
support them.
(sources: “US Wins Ruling Over Recrtuiting at Universities”, NY
Times, 2/7/06; “Dodge City showdown at funeral”, CNN News, 2/7/06)