Show Newspaper Bans Military Ads 4 CPS staffers at the University of EDITORIAL Arkansas' Arkansas student voted v ted Central newspaper j not to publish armed forces recruitment advertisements advertisements adver- adver i. i because of the military's ban on gays and lesbians Editor Kim Green said the staff writers and editors took a stand that ROTC ROT units at the campus campus campus cam cam- pus should be banned because of the minority rights is issue ue We UWe felt strongly gly enough editorially so we de decided we shouldn't have haye their ads she said The staff voted 4 1 to halt advertising The Echo publishes 14 times a semester Local recruiting offices offices' usually bought a quarter-page quarter ad which added up to about 1500 each i i semester r Campus reaction has been muted so far The Y c first edition of tb the paper on S Sept pt 2 carried the e 4 announcement ban f r v MIN Green s said id sh she has received some letters letters' lite telling telling tell 11 ing us to go to hell others praising our cou courage age and one arguing we were discriminating Maybe we are but its it's a political statement A spokesman for the Army Recruiting Command Command Command Com Com- mand said that while the ban will have some ef e- effect effect ef- ef feet on recruiting efforts officials will find other ways to reach students Defense Department policy states The liThe presence in the military environment of persons who engage in homosexual conduct or who by their statements demonstrate a propensity to eng engage g in homosexual conduct seriously impairs impairs impairs im im- im- im pairs the accomplishment of the military mis mis- sion son Green said it is the denial of civil rights that forced the i issue sue at the newspaper We dont don't want a debate on on-ithe on the gay issue Its It's about denying denying denying deny deny- ing basic rights she said We dont don't take no for an answer r. r r |