Any action by MIT, such as severing ties to ROTC, is likely to have no positive effect on DOD policy toward gays, and is likely to be irreversible. The benefits from ROTC outweigh the consequences from the acknowledged discrimination. Students benefit from a critical source of financial aid, the opportunity to serve the country as a military officer, and the ROTC academic program. MIT benefits from financial relief, as ROTC scholarships eliminate the need for MIT financial aid to most ROTC students. And the country benefits from having MIT-trained officers in our military.
Many students have a strong desire to serve their country through military service.
MIT has a responsibility to provide opportunities for MIT students to fulfill this desire. These exceptions include circumscribing behavior in areas of dress, speech, and other forms of conduct. Given the broad agreement between the legislative, judicial, and executive branches on the special status of the military, MIT must accept t he current discrimination against gays until one of the three branches determines otherwise. As discussed earlier in this report, there are several cases in process in the judicial system that challenge the existing DOD policy. Argument Against a.