I believe homosexual acts between two individuals are immoral and that we should not condone immoral acts….I do not believe the United States is well served by a policy that says it is OK to be immoral in any way. [I support] the Pentagon’s “don’t ask, don’t tell” ban on gays serving in the military because homosexual acts “are immoral.
As Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, General Peter Pace is America’s top ranking soldier and the principal military advisor to President George W. Bush. Therefore, it was not at all surprising that he incited so much political and moral outrage after delivering the above sermon to newspaper editors last week. After all, polls indicate that well over two thirds of Americans favor gays serving in the military.
More to the point, however, consider that – according to the most recent report by the Government Accountability Office (in 2005) – 9488 service members have been forcibly discharged from the U.S. military for serving while gay. Never mind that the armed forces are being hobbled by recruiting shortfalls that are forcing many soldiers to do repeat and extended tours of duty in Iraq.
Consider further that 322 of those discharged pursuant to this ban were language specialists – 54 of whom specialized in Arabic (the language of the Iraqi insurgents). Never mind that the lives of many American soldiers, and even more innocent Iraqis, could have been spared if the military had not instituted this ban.
But, with all due respect to Gen Pace, he must know that he’s telling a lie (and bearing false witness against his former commander in chief) when he says that former President Bill Clinton ordered this immoral and strategically-flawed ban because “homosexual acts…are immoral”. After all, it’s a matter of public record that Clinton signed it into law in 1993 – under political duress – as a Machiavellian compromise to ingratiate himself with the homophobic top brass of the military who, otherwise, regarded him as little more than an insolent, draft-dodging and unreformed hippie.
Therefore, since General Pace does “not believe the United States is well served by a policy that says it is OK to be immoral in any way”, I hereby urge Secretary of Defense Robert Gates to discharge him immediately! Because Pace has clearly committed the immoral act of telling a bold-faced lie. And the unqualified principles of military justice and fairness demand it.
Meanwhile, instead of playing partisan paintball with Republicans, I implore the Democrats – who now control America’s legislative agenda – to redress Clinton’s craven compromise by repealing this juvenile “Don’t ask, don’t tell” law and lifting all restrictions on gays serving in the military.
NOTE: This weblog, The iPINIONS Journal, now has a more user-friendly address: http://ipjn.com/
gays serving in military
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