I hate to say it but I have known for a long time that we gay people are not considered citizens in any real sense of the word. The only reason this issue is being revisited is that they are hurting for troops for their endless war on “whatever that was, way over there”. Interesting that these are the same people that have declared a “Culture War” on us within the country. Oh They’ll take our tax money just fine but we can’t expect too much in the way of safety, rights and equal protection under the law.

As the first openly gay police officer in the para-military Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD), and as the coordinator of the Nation’s FIRST panel of litigants opposing the policy of banning LGBT Armed Forces service personnel, I can tell you that not only have I had the privilege of meeting the best military role models (who were gay or lesbian veterans who served our country with distinction), but that I also was able to have the authority to carry firearms and to take a life if necessary, and graduated #1 from the police academy, saved seven lives in one year, received 135 letters of commendation (plus a City Council Commendation) in one year, and helped protect both the Pope on his visit to the USA and also the Olympic athletes in 1984.  Sexual orientation SHOULD NOT BE A BARRIER in serving or protecting our communities nor our country.  If a person is willing to take a bullet to protect liberty or life, why does their being gay make a difference?  It doesn’t.

Due to the moral code that I was taught in Sunday school and the Boy Scouts I try not judge the conduct of others because it’s hard enough minding my own. I consider it a waste of time to take issue with whom anyone has consentual sex with let alone falls in love with because love is the root of moral behavior.
I do however consider anyone that, intentionally or not, ever kills or rapes, has others kill or rape, or celebrates killing or raping another human being to be lacking the most rudimentary level of morality possible and therrefore disqualified to judge anothers morality.
I wonder if General Peter Pace (a gay porn name if I ever heard one) has ever seen American Beauty. That homophobia can really drive a soldier crazy.
My gay-bor (gay neighbor) just suggested that maybe the General just doesn’t want anyone to “ask” him. He also said that his mouth is really pretty and ooooh-la-la that fabulously crisp uniform is so old school Banana Republic hot!

When gay people are allowed to serve openly like everyone else there needs to be training on how to deal with the transition.  Other countries have successfully allowed gay people to serve openly like Britain and Canada.  I think it will happen within the next seven years.

don’t ask, don’t tell, don’t enlist, don’t serve a government which would enslave you. peter pace’s stilted sanctimonious pronouncements regarding morality are what chris hedges warns about in his reports on fascism. exhorting one’s neighbors to rout, vilify and expel other neighbors makes one at best the worst neighbor and at worst hitler. as for mel white’s assertion that my people are losing their will to fight, he speaks for himself. i need no throng to stand with me in defiance of delusional hatemongers, the cretinous dobson et al. 
thackeray said all cowards are liars in their hearts. ain’t it the truth?

Having lowered their standards in terms of age, education, and criminal histories, it is ironic that the military still resists allowing openly gay and lesbian soldiers to serve, regardless of what they have to contribute.  Now that it is becoming clear that wounded soldiers cannot depend on quality care when they return, increased recruitment problems may force the military to reconsider its self-defeating discrimination agains homosexuals.