Right on Educator!

Great article;

http://apnews.myway.com/article/20100202/D9DK7GBG0.html

It looks like the the military's "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy has effectively handled the issue for some time.

You know that old adage - "If it ain't broke, don't fix it"'

Is this issue a military matter, or another attempt at playbg p.c. by minor segements of our electorate?

There may not be a satisfactory answer on a national basis, any more than there is a universal answer to the abortion issue. But, having a constructive dialogue will serve all sides and perhaps provide the framawork on how to address the social and LEGAL problems that will certainly arise when the military's "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy is abolished.

OOPs! Sorry I didn't proof read my prior post.

I find it interesting that, of the people who CNN has managed to find, the gays in the military themselves seem to think that it isn't a big deal - some have been discharged because of the policy, but for the most part they say that everyone just keeps their mouth shut and they do just fine. They also seem to think that it won't be a big deal if the change is made quickly, rather than allowing it to be talked about for too long.

I really think it causes more problems if people are made aware of other people's sexual preferences and really why does it matter? You don't get asked your sexual orientation when you apply for any other job.

Yes Ally, you are right. It would only make people with conventional sex orientation feel uncomfortable, which they shouldn't . Just because someone is a gay doesn't mean that he will hit everyone being the same sex with him.

Until people can be a litt more mature and not let someone else's sexuality make them uncomfortable, this is obviously going to be a problem. When will people grow up and have enough self-confidence to not let other people's lives bother them?

We must remember, many of the recruits are 18-19 year old kids with sheltered backgrounds. Might make the situation more difficult than many of us realize. The fact that is an issue is good though...perhaps the dialogue within the military community will create a better understanding and enable the ability to evolve past this stuff. That is my hope anyway.

Some of the smartest most capable I have ever known are gay/lesbian. I guarantee there are gay war heroes we just haven't heard enough about.

"Some of the smartest most capable I have ever known are gay/lesbian. I guarantee there are gay war heroes we just haven't heard enough about."

I heard that Alexander the Great was gay. Is it right? What about Julius Caesar. Anyway, I have a girl friend (she is my friend who happens to be female) who is lesbian. She is cute, smart, funny, but lesbian. Too bad!

I think I read somewhere that George Washington had a questionable relationship with one of his aides.

Regardless, whoever said "if it ain't broke don't fix it" was absolutely right. What is so bad about the current policy?

Jrsygrl, the "problem" with the current policy is that if a commanding officer finds out someone is gay, they can be dismissed from service for that REASON ALONE. And that is pure idiocy. Not only dismissed but DISHONORABLY DISCHARGED which robs them of any and all VA benefits. What if this particular service person was an exemplary soldier (or whatever) and was wounded in the defense of their unit mates? Now they get hung out to dry just because they're gay? That is what is wrong with the current system. The kid on the video saying that having a gay non-service policy in the military is violating the separation of church and state policy of the Constitution is accurate. It isn't a matter of "family values" it is a matter of religious preference. People who are gay do not CHOOSE to be gay they simply are. It's like the color of your eyes. It is an integral part of who you are. It has no place on the battlefield, yes. But who thinks about sex when you are being shot at anyway? What anyone does behind the privacy of closed doors is no body's business unless what you are doing is violating anyone else's human rights. Hell, half the time I think I would rather have a gay guy guarding my back than a straight one because I know he's not going to do anything when we're bored! And for the record, I am not gay, myself.

Ok, so you're saying that we should encourage gay military personnel to "come out" even though there have been acts of violence and even murder when their sexual orientation has been exposed? Theoretically, they should be allowed to be who they are wherever they go. On a practical level, the world just isn't there yet. They know full well when they join the military what the risks are. I'm not saying it's right, I'm just saying it's the way things are for now.

I believe people as a whole are making progress with accepting gays in general. Some people who weren't so tolerant 20 years ago are now shrugging it off. However, this is not always the case with members of the military and, as I said above, when a gay person joins the military, they know in advance what the deal is.

The whole point of "Don't ask, don't tell, don't pursue, don't harass" is to ALLOW them in. Do they need to keep quiet about their orientation? Yes. But if I was gay and in the military a discharge would be the least of my problems. I would keep it to myself to protect myself from violence.

In a perfect world we would love and accept each other for who we are. Then again, if that was the case, we wouldn't need the military in the first place.

I believe that at this point we are not ready to encourage them to come out. However I do think that the policy needs a rethink in that, those who are discovered should simply be reassigned if there is trouble within the unit-dishonourable discharge is not the way to go. A DD is a dark stain on any service record, and is shameful to the vast majority who understand.