Ginny Robinson, in "Majority rules" (Sept. 20), successfully turned a rather common-sense Supreme Court case into a horror story complete with the extermination of Christianity and the arrival of the newest contracted independent organization on Grounds: "Hoo's in the Mob." The case in question, Hastings v. Martinez, concerns the nondiscrimination policy for student organizations at Hastings College of Law. From Robinson's account, it seems as though a student organization at Hastings was either an official club or an underground gang. That is simply not the case. At Hastings, student groups may either be a Registered Student Organization (RSO), thereby gaining school funding, or be unregistered and exist just fine, as do fraternities and special-interest groups. In order to be an RSO however, the group cannot discriminate against one's religion, sexual orientation, etc. The question: Can the Christian Legal Society (CSL) still discriminate on those grounds and become an RSO? The answer from the Supreme Court: No.
While CSL, a nationwide organization for lawyers with Christian values, is welcome to exist at Hastings, it can't be expected to be an RSO while prohibiting its members from "unrepentant participation in or advocacy of a sexually immoral lifestyle." Looks like gay students can't join the club. Conveniently, Robinson failed to mention that the financial assistance that RSO's receive comes from a fee that all students pay. If a group wants to be more selective about its membership, that's fine - the group can join the Greek organizations and the political groups in the unregistered category. Discriminate away, just don't expect the student body to pay for the pizza parties.
Logan McClellan\nCLAS IV
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