There has been plenty of talk in the news lately about overturning the military’s “Don’t ask, don’t tell” policy. Retired Gen. John Shalikashvili, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff when that policy was enacted, has changed his mind on the issue. He once felt that allowing homosexuals in the military would undermine morale, recruitment, and cohesion of troops, but in a recent article for the New York Times he stated:
“I now believe that if gay men and lesbians served openly in the United States military, they would not undermine the efficacy of the armed forces.” Shalikashvili wrote. “Our military has been stretched too thin by our deployments in the Middle East, and we must welcome the service of any American who is willing and able to do the job.”
It’s obvious that the military’s stance on gays is rooted in fear and old-fashioned viewpoints, and has no real benefit to the armed services. This has been proven time and again by the militaries of foreign nations, such as Israel, which have not seen a decline in morale or performance.
There is no doubt that thousands of Americans are being denied the opportunity to serve their country willingly, simply because of unfounded hysteria over homosexuality. It’s about time they were treated with the respect that they so rightly deserve.
