Banning ROTC will not help end discrimination

To the editors:

In response to “When Speaking Out is Not Enough” (Opinion, Oct. 8), the Crimson Staff hits the nail on the head when they write, “Standing up to the discriminatory ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’ policy requires more than an empty public relations statement. It requires action.” However, banning military recruiters from campus is action which will have little consequence on the policy. After being in the Navy for over two years, I’ve learned that political rallies and editorial columns at Harvard are not high visibility items followed by Naval leadership especially now that there is a surpluss of college grads trying to gain a commission. If the Harvard community wants to see action, it should encourage more students to join the military who might eventually become policy makers and leaders. This would help bridge the large gap which exists now between the military and Harvard and bring the debate directly to the leadership in a constructive manner.

ENSIGN RYAN HAMILTON ‘02

October 9