UCSC Job Fair Free of Military Recruiters

This is a response to an article in the Santa Cruz Sentinel titled Activists celebrate military-free job fair at UCSC, on April 24, 2007. The article is about how activist on UCSC campus were able to have the military and marines pulled out of the job fair since their policies are discrimination among different communities and organizations.

I believe it is great that the military received the message that they are unwelcome in UC Santa Cruz campus to recruit. Schools should be a respected space where students feel comfortable, and the military being there disrupts this peace. There are many contradictions that are involved with the military. The most noted is the “Don’t ask, don’t tell policy”, which marginalize and ignore the gay and lesbian community in the military. It is upsetting to know that on March 6th 2006, the Supreme Court ruled in favor of withholding federal funds if a college does not allow military to recruit on campus. This ruling forces students to have their environment disrupted by military recruiters and shows that the country allows discriminating policies in colleges. However it is a victory that the military decided not to attend the job fair, making it a safe and friendly environment for all students.