Letters to the Editor
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‘Now the Fight’
You are correct in highlighting the importance of the Rumsfeld v. Forum for Academic and Institutional Rights case, in which law school academia are attacking the government’s right to condition its grant of federal funds on universities providing access to military recruiters equal to the access granted to all other potential employers [“Now the Fight,” Editorial, October 28, 2005].
Unfortunately, you accept as true the totally false assertion of those schools that the case pits “the First Amendment concerns of universities against the military’s interest in recruiting on campuses.”
In reality, the universities’ position is in violation of academic freedom, which the Supreme Court has defined as primarily a right of students, not the school administrations. As the Supreme Court has explained, academic freedom means that “students may not be regarded as closed-circuit recipients of only that which the [school] chooses to communicate. They may not be confined to the expression of those sentiments that are officially approved.”
Military recruiters, as any other employment recruiters, have a message to communicate to those students who wish to hear it. The plaintiff universities in this case, however, take the position that they have the right to prevent students from hearing that message.
In essence, the plaintiffs’ position exemplifies George Orwell’s double-think: They claim that they prevent a violation of academic freedom by prohibiting students from hearing on campus the military’s point of view.
Thus, in addition to the reasons set forth in your editorial for upholding the government’s position, the basis of the plaintiffs’ case – that the conditioning of funds violates academic freedom – is meritless; it is the universities who are violating academic freedom by denying students the right to hear the military message on campus.
GERALD WALPIN
Manhattan
Mr. Walpin is a director of the Center for Individual Rights. He has submitted an amicus brief to the Supreme Court in support of the government’s position in Rumsfeld v. FAIR on behalf of that organization and 54 law students from around the country and eight Medal of Honor awardees.
‘City’s Schools Most Segregated’
If more minority children live in one area, then expect more minority children to be going to school in that area. That is not segregation but neighborhood schools [“City’s Schools Are Among America’s Most Segregated,” Deborah Kolben, Page 1, October 26, 2005].
The best thing to do is to make neighborhood schools in the city as good as in the suburbs. To bus children into white areas made it more difficult for parents that work to attend open school week. Nowadays, both parents work and to go across town to see teachers upon returning from work is out of the question.
Make the schools safer and there will be better education. Punish the children that disrupt classes and are not there to learn. Not just send them to another school to disrupt classes there but bring back the 600 Schools and bring back the vocational schools. Raise the standards and ignore the teachers’ complaints that the students are not smart enough.
Not all children are qualified to go to college but certainly some may have more of an aptitude to work with their hands than with books. We need more plumbers and electricians. Where are the shoemakers? I cannot find one.
The civil liberties union and the teachers union have made it impossible for principals to run schools the way they were run years ago. New York City had the best schools but today it has to be a politically correct school and teachers are afraid to discipline as they may get a rock thrown at them.
Many teachers are not qualified to teach but if the principal does not stand behind them when they complain about a student in fear of being an unqualified school, lax standards are the result and unqualified teachers. Qualified teachers run to the suburbs for safety and for schools that have teachers unafraid to complain about disruptive students.
It takes standards on both sides for good schools and students that want to learn.
DOROTHY WACHSSTOCK
Bayside, N.Y.
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