IT'S MORE THAN DON'T ASK, DON'T TELL

I am one person who mourns when just one of our young men or women die or are wounded in any war, yet, I go ballistic when in happens in a questionable war. We all rally to our country to our flag and these people do more than rally, more than give lip service, they often give their lives, their limbs. Their families give their children, wives, their husbands, and children their military parents. I cry for every one who is touched by the horror of war.

So, why do I want the Don't Ask, Don't Tell policy repealed and gays be allowed to openly serve? Perhaps it is because I believe that Gays and Lesbians are as honorable as anyone else. There is testimony and great evidence that they can serve with as much effectiveness as anyone else, and love America as much as anyone. I have not heard one iota of evidence that gays cannot or do not do the job as effectively.

Therein lies the rub: Religions, should keep their collective noses out of military policy. I say that neither the bible nor those who preach it should do other than provide services to military personnel who want these services. Their policy opinions should be shut down. To those who believe gays should not be allowed to openly serve or to serve at all, keep your opinions to yourself unless it is based on some statistically pertinent historical evidence. To our elected officials who take an anti gay stand, probably because they are prejudice, or because leaders in their party said so, or because they feel it will yield more votes, more power, I say that the most shame of all falls on your shoulders. You, above all, should know better. You have taken a solemn oath.

The laws of behavior should be the same for all military personnel and the penalties be the same. Isolated situations should not change what is right.

Many thousands of gays have been removed from a U.S.military already strapped for personnel.
So, since gays make up some 10-12 percent of the population (a guesstimate) then for 6,000 soldiers who died, 600 or more should have been gay, and for 40,000 wounded, 4,000+ should have been gay. The very people who want to serve, who are willing to die are home while their straight counterparts are dying and being wounded in statistically higher numbers then would ordinarily be.

My hat is off to all of those who want to serve and who are able to. To deny them is to deny our country, to put a larger burden on others and their families.

If we cared about and respected each other as much as we do our flag, we would have a fix to medical needs, there would be more jobs, less greed, less hunger for power, certainly less hate. I don't know why gays still care after all of the hate and problems thrown at them, but thankfully, they do.