Military Gay Policy is Working Just Fine, Thank You

          Just what would ‘serving openly’ as a gay in the military mean?  Would it include an open display of all the learned behaviors and affectations that activist homosexuals adopt as part of their shared persona?  Would it mean sordid late night bacchanals at the Officer’s and Enlisted Clubs on base and sodomy in the open barracks?   What about cross dressing, gay couples, and military weddings with men in wedding dresses?  And how long will it be until the activists insist on the right to have a sex change operation in military hospitals at taxpayers’ expense?  Finally, what about the increased cost to the military resulting from the greater need for medical care incurred by this unhealthy lifestyle? 

          These are all questions that have yet to even be considered as the Commander in Chief prepares to push a major change through a severely ‘Wounded Duck’ Congress simply to placate his waning left wing base.  I realize that these questions may not be considered politically correct, but someone had to ask.  Gay rights activists will probably try to reassure us that none of these scenarios would be permitted if gays are allowed to serve openly in the military.  If that’s the case, then I say there is no need to change the policy, since that’s essentially where we are right now! 

Our Take on Homosexuality 

          Although it really warrants a full discussion at another time, a momentary digression is in order to address the response that is sure to come from some of our readers who will dismiss this article as homophobic.  We want to go on the record as recognizing that while homosexuality is not fully understood, we’re inclined to believe it probably has both genetic and environmental underpinnings and is likely a ‘situation’ that the individual cannot completely control.  While we do not believe that homosexuality can be ‘cured’, the degree to which one chooses to manifest homosexual behavior is at the discretion of the individual.  We also do not necessarily believe that being a homosexual is a sin, but that some of the behaviors associated with it, just as with some heterosexual behaviors, might be considered so.         

Military Standards Are Different 

          That being said, we further believe that the United States Military is the finest fighting force in the world in part because it demands that its members adhere to strict rules of behavior.  To that end heterosexuals in the military have always been held to a higher standard of moral and sexual behavior than their civilian counterparts.  Adultery, for example, is a crime punishable with a dishonorable discharge, forfeiture of all pay and allowances and confinement for one year.  The Uniform Code of Military Justice is a different legal system applicable to men and women in uniform.  All those who have the honor of serving their country understand that they are giving up certain civil rights for that privilege.  These high standards of behavior form the backbone of the discipline for which our military is known.  ‘Don’t ask don’t tell’ simply assures strict adherence to these standards by all military personnel. 

Pentagon Shakeup 

          Defense Secretary Robert Gates and Admiral Mike Mullen, the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, are apparently both firmly in the Obama camp.  Since the top military brass at the Pentagon serve at the pleasure of the president, it is no surprise that they favor lifting the ban.  It is also not surprising, then, that the recently released draft of a Pentagon report concluded that ‘repeal of the law would not cause overall harm to the military’.  On the other hand an unprecedented number of top uniformed leaders in the Pentagon are retiring in the next several months, including four of the six members of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.  I suspect they are either jumping ship or being forced out.  Either way it will enable Obama to solidify his influence on the military and unfortunately, in my opinion, further weaken it in so doing. 

Devastating Effects 

          Those who oppose repeal of ‘don’t ask don’t tell’, as we do, need not worry that fifty years from now they will appear to have been left behind.  Attempts to compare the current push to allow gays to ‘serve openly’ in the military with the executive order issued by President Harry Truman that integrated the military in 1948 are ludicrous.  Equating behavioral characteristics like sexual preferences with personal characteristics like skin color is like mixing apples with oranges.  Minority citizens are rightfully outraged by this comparison.  More than likely Harry Truman and Dwight Eisenhower, two president’s who actually served in the military, would be in favor of retaining the current ‘don’t ask don’t tell’ policy.  Military stalwarts like Senator John McCain and the new Commandant of the Marine Corps, General James F. Amos, certainly are and these men have served on the ground with our combat troops and know that a change would have a devastating effect on recruiting, morale, discipline and ultimately our fighting strength.  

          Looking ahead to just one of many potential problems, we would like to know if the activists are prepared to take responsibility for the inevitable increase in the number of suicides in the military if gays are permitted to serve openly.  The military is already grappling with a very serious suicide rate in its ranks as it is.  If bullying in high school and college has been a factor in the suicides of gays living openly, imagine what it might be like in the military. 

Homosexuals Welcome 

          We suspect that homosexuals have served proudly and honorably in the military throughout our country’s history, although they probably account for only a very small segment of the total force.  Indeed, we should all be extremely grateful for their service and for the sacrifices they have made to defend their country.  To be sure, only a small percent of homosexuals actually manifest the aberrant behavior described in our introduction, but we believe it may be just that segment which is behind this drive to change the behavioral standards in the military.  The current ‘don’t ask don’t tell’ policy merely ensures that everyone, straight and gay, adheres to the same standards of behavior required of anyone given the privilege of serving in the military of the greatest country in the world.  In the end, no one’s opportunity to serve his country is being denied. 

          Let’s remember that we are fighting a tenacious enemy in two wars with hundreds of thousands of men and women currently in harm’s way.  We should not risk their safety and the ultimate victory of our country simply to assuage a far left fringe that really cares nothing about either.  We should continue to encourage and welcome all Americans who are qualified and who are willing to adhere to these high standards to serve their country.