Open a newspaper or turn on the TV today, and the topic of racism is as prominent as it has ever been, despite the fact that open expressions of hatred have become relatively uncommon.
As if you didn't know, Westboro Baptist Church held a rally here at AU yesterday to protest "Fag-Infested American University." AU students organized a counter demonstration across the street to reaffirm the school's commitment to tolerance; it was "a great success," with a turnout of about "1,000 to 1,200 people" according to organizer Jonathan Lipton, a freshman at AU.
AU students were prevented from engaging directly with protesters, but if you want to hear what they were saying, we have some video.
In its November 23rd edition, the editorial staff of The Eagle wrote a defense of the expansion of the Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (ROTC) program use of AU facilities and resources in their editorial “Don’t punish students over DADT.” The editorial is a response to a move by the administration that will allow ROTC cadets to use AUTO vans and fitness facilities at AU as well as potentially for AU to offer military science classes.
Previously, such activities were prohibited due to the ROTC program’s discriminatory “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy (DADT), which does not allow openly homosexual individuals to participate.
