Don't Ask. Don't Tell...Let's Get Over It

The recent GOP landslide that took place Tuesday night most likely means bad news for opponents of the Don't Ask, Don't Tell policy that has reared its ugly head for the past seventeen years.

Just a few months ago Senate Republicans blocked an effort by Obama and Democrats to lift the ban on gays from serving openly in the military. With the recent Republican gains in both the Senate and House, repealing this ban may be incredibly difficult.

This debate has a long history that dates back to 1778, when Lieutenant Gotthold Frederick Enslin was the first soldier discharged from the the Continental Army for sodomy.

I'll give you the short version:

Just before World War II the US added psychiatric screening to its induction process and homosexuals were snuffed out. This was followed by years of ugly debate and 'undesirable discharges' for homosexuals in the military. So in 1982 the Department of Defense enacted a policy stating that "homosexuality was clearly incompatible with military service" and anyone engaging in it would be discharged. So along comes President Bill Clinton in 1993, who issued the "Don't Ask. Don't Tell" policy, which was intended to be a compromise and meant that any male or female entering the military could not be asked about sexual orientation. So if you are homosexual, by all means keep your mouth shut or you may be discharged.

And that pretty much brings us to 2010.

I simply don't get it. Why shouldn't gays be allowed to serve openly in the military? And how is it that an openly gay man may be discharged from the military if his sexual orientation is revealed? It isn't right.

I admire those that are brave enough to sacrifice everything in their life to serve the USA in war. I believe who you love isn't any of my business and it certainly shouldn't prevent you from serving our country. I'm not picky and I don't think any of us should be when it comes to who can or cannot protect our freedoms.

Lots of people argue that homosexuals disrupt military life. Here's a thought: maybe it isn't the homosexuals causing the problem, but those who choose to harass and torment these individuals. I believe a cohesive military unit begins with respect.

I'm not in the military and I probably don't have much room to talk about this. But I simply believe that gays should be allowed to serve openly, just like anyone else. It's amazing to me that these men and women would even want to serve a country that doesn't allow them 100% of the rights given to a straight man. Pretty incredible.

So I wonder if the US will ever join Germany, Australia, France, England, Spain and all the other countries that allow openly gay individuals to serve in the military? Doesn't look to be on the horizon any time soon.