Gays in the Military

Lift military ban on gays, officials say

That was today's headline in our local rag newspaper. This on going debate is becoming an old one. Please folks, haven't we had this conversation many times before. First it was blacks in the military, then women fighting next to men, then women as fighter pilots, now it's whether gays should be allowed to serve openly in the military. All of the same excuses have been laid down over the years. You've heard them, it will be to distracting to the heterosexual men to have to live, work, fight, sleep (in the room not bed) with gay men. I haven't heard much from the women and how they feel about lesbians, probably because most of them don't care. They've been harassed by those poor heterosexual men so much they are not worried about a bunch of gay women.

New Flash Folks: Gays have been serving in the military for as long as there has been a military. Since don't ask/don't tell has been in effect many more have joined and are bravely serving our country.

Defense Secretary Gates is saying they are reviewing how to drop the ban, not whether is should be dropped. This has many Republicans in a tither. Like the military is skipping a step by not getting Congress' approval to drop it before they figure out the best way to do it. In 1948 President Truman signed an executive order integrating our military. That caused quite the uproar but what do you know, now blacks and whites serve together without much thought. Do a little research and find that most countries do not ban gays in the military and haven't for a long time. Spain, France, Britain, Sweden, Norway, Israel, Canada and most European countries are many of the examples you will find.

Does that mean that there isn't racism in the military? No. If gays are permitted to openly serve does that mean it will wipe out homophobia, no. Are women still harassed and sometimes worse, yes. Does that mean that we shouldn't have blacks, gays and women in the military? No it doesn't. Are we trying to punish the wrong people?

Whether or not you believe that homosexuality is a sin is not the point. That is a personal opinion to which you are entitled. Just like if you do not like people of a certain race, religion or hair color, that is your opinion to which you are entitled. Is it wrong to punish those people because they do not fit your idea of how people should be? That is the question, you know my answer.

Don't forget that all those men and women (no matter what their race, religion, sexual orientation, or hair color) have protected your right to judge or even hate them, and many have given their lives for you to do so.