An Absence of Service

11 September 2008 Townhall column "An Absence of Service" by Austin Byrd.  Note:  Byrd, a sophomore at Columbia and a Marine Corps trainee, notes the upcoming presidential candidates' forum on national service and writes "Columbia University has shown a glaring lack of service for 40 years, following its ban of ROTC from its campus in 1968.  How can one discuss fulfilling service to one’s nation without considering what is one of the vital forms of fulfillment, that of military service?  ... In what moral calculus could one’s sexual orientation ever trump the monumental gift of citizenship in and open, free, and safe society?"  He also notes "Even small gestures, such as waiving the Physical Education requirement for students involved in training could have a positive cultural impact at Columbia."