Those That Can't...

The Supreme Court on Tuesday heard arguments in a case brought by a group of law professors challenging the Solomon Amendment, a federal law that requires universities, as a condition of receiving federal funds, to allow the military to use on-campus facilities to recruit law students. Many law schools have barred the military from on-campus recruiting because of the military's discriminatory policies toward persons who are gay.

Well, our representatives in Congress were not about to allow the only group in America with more job security than they have to push around our armed forces. So, by passing the Solomon Amendment, Congress gave universities a choice: let the military into the law school recruiting offices or forego millions of dollars in federal aid. Stick that in your Starbucks and stir it, Professor.

Principles are nice, but millions of dollars are better, and having both is best of all, so the professors sued, claiming that the Solomon Amendment violates the First Amendment by forcing the professors and their schools to associate with the military and appear to endorse their discriminatory message. As this article makes clear, the Supreme Court was not impressed. And rightly so.

Here's a wacky idea for the law professors: Why don't you try to teach (yes, I know you already have two classes this semester) your law students that they should not be persuaded by the military's sales pitch and should reject it as a potential employer because of its discriminatory policies. Wave a sign. Give a seminar. Talk too loudly at the Starbucks. It's called Free Speech. And of all the people in the world, law professors should know that the response to a message you don't like is not to banish the speaker. It is more speech.

Class dismissed.