In the wake of John McCain and Barack Obama's recent comments about Columbia's failure to allow ROTC on campus, the issue is heating up -- Columbia students may hold another referendum on the subject, and new voices are lending their support for ROTC's return.

The Washington Post, for example, opined that "'Don't ask, don't tell' is a misguided policy. For the time being, though, it is the law of the land, and we see no sign that the Ivies' protest is having any impact on it. Meanwhile, the Army, Navy, Air Force and Marines defend all Americans, gay or straight. ROTC-free Ivy League institutions accept the financial aid that students earn for participating in ROTC elsewhere. ... among other benefits, the restoration of ROTC at the Ivies might help reconnect two important American subcultures--elite academia and the military officer corps--that have grown apart."

Here's to a constructive debate on an issue that has long gotten short shrift. And it's worth noting that one reason this is possible is that organizations such as the student and alumni-led Advocates for ROTC and ACTA have kept the issue alive, and have long maintained a clear perspective on the issues at hand.