Columbia, ROTC and Sexual Orientation

17 May 2005 Wall Street Journal letter "Columbia, ROTC and Sexual Orientation" by President Lee C. Bollinger (also on Columbia's Web site).  Note:  Responding to an editorial, Pres. Bollinger writes "After acknowledging that reasonable people can differ over the military's prohibition on openly gay and lesbian servicemen and women, the editorial goes on to suggest that those of us who disagree with that prohibition are anti-military, and to question our motivations."  However, this is not an accurate portrayal of the debate at Columbia.  As the Columbia ROTC Task Force report makes clear, proponents of the return of ROTC to Columbia also opposed "Don't ask, don't tell".  The disagreement between pro and anti-ROTC sides at Columbia was whether the benefits of ROTC outweighed the disagreements with the federal law.  Pres. Bollinger went on to blame the government for putting an end to the discussion about ROTC at Columbia, noting that his vote against return of ROTC "was based on a serious concern for the integrity of the university in the face of the federal government's use of the power of the purse to force institutions to compromise their principles".  However, the best indications of Pentagon intentions available before the vote were that "the Pentagon cannot provide a positive request or indication to Columbia to reestablish an ROTC unit on campus because, to do so, would trigger the Solomon Amendment should Columbia turn down the request".  See also a letter in response on 26 May.