Gays in the Military: Don't Ask; Don't Tell. Who Cares

I am not gay. I wasn't born gay and changed later. I have always been attracted to the opposite sex. Normally this discussion would not cross my radar except it was mentioned in the President's State of the Union address.

Don't ask, don't tell. Yeah right. It was dumb when President Clinton brought it up, it's still foolish. Something akin to "don't ask and leave me alone about it" , should have always been implemented. If gay men and women want to fight and die for our country, this is a good thing. I know I'm not going out there with a gun and people shooting at me. I have enough trouble protecting my house. Protecting and serving the entire country is not something that I wouldn't want to think about let alone perform. My world is too global to fight against people that I might know or a war that I don't believe in. In the military, there is no choice. You go where you're told and do as you're told. That is so not me.

So if my fellow Americans want to fight and they just happen to be gay, what is the problem? This is so reminiscent of Blacks in the military. There was a time that being flat-footed was all that was needed to keep a black man from entering the military. Finally someone got a clue and stopped that insanity. The Viet Nam was the first war that Americans fought integrated. It was not without its concerns. Gay people fought then as well. The difference is that they fought under cover. No one asked, so there was no reason to tell. Besides, telling someone in the military that you were gay could have dire consequences, the least of which was to be courtmartialed. While Blacks were being mistreated in droves by the brass, closeted gays could work their way up the ranks without a second glance.

Don't ask. Why not? Well it's none of our business. It really isn't. There has been a long traditi0n in America of pushing our way into other people's business. Abortion, interracial marraige, blacks in the military, gays in the military are just a few. These are a couple of the issues that have nothing to do with most of us. The people that are affected should be the only people making the choices. After all, they will have to be the ones living their lives, not me or you.

Now there is dialogue going on getting rid of the "don't ask, don't tell" policy. It should never have been an issue. Just as being Black should never have been an issue. I am even concerned that the internment camps will return, not for the Japanese Americans, but for Muslims in America. What does sexual preference have to do with courage, honor, ability and willingness to fight? When you find out, let me know.