By Diane SilverThe hideous Don't Ask/Don't Tell policy is in the news today because of the comments of Gen. Peter Pace, the current chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.
In response to Pace's comments that being gay is "immoral," all I can say to the "good" general is meet Sgt. Eric Fidelis Alva and former U.S. Sen. Alan Simpson.
First, let Simpson take you through the reasons why Don't Ask, Don't Tell is a lousy policy. In a Washington Post op-ed piece, the former Republican senator says he may have once voted for the policy that almost amounts to a ban on gays in the miliary, but that he would never vote that way again.
Kudos to Simpson for stating the case against this terrible policy so well.
Also, hearty applause for The Washington Post's editorial board slamming Pace and introducing the general to Sgt. Alva.
As Gen. Pace considers the uproar over his remarks on morality, he might reflect on Marine Staff Sgt. Eric Fidelis Alva, who like his father and grandfather chose to serve in the military. When he enlisted 17 years ago, he lied about his sexual orientation. Sgt. Alva was the first American wounded in the Iraq war, when he stepped on a land mine. President Bush presented him with the Purple Heart. His moral fitness for duty was unquestioned. What's immoral is that Sgt. Alva -- and thousands of other brave members of the armed forces -- had to lie or be silent for the right, the risk and the honor of serving his country.The emphasis is mine, and all I can say is yes!
Seems today that we have a theme on morality. Interesting...
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That's Sg. Alva at top.
2 comments:
The Adjenda; redefining 'normal' and 'moral'. It took great stength for General Pace to stand up for what he believes, countering the gay rights groups primary goal to make their lot accepted as normal and moral in our society.
This "agenda" has nothing to do with gay rights organization. It has to do with me and my son and thousands of other Kansans and their children and millions of other Americans and their children and millions more around the world. It is so easy to claim that the call to be seen as human with innate rights is somehow the "agenda" of huge organizations who are out to rule the world.
Right.
It's about people. Individuals. Your neighbors. Your family. People in your church. At your work.
The "agenda" is to do something truly "radical" and be allowed to live my life without being kept from visiting my spouse in the hospital, losing custody of my child, being forced to pay taxes no heterosexual will ever face (and I'm not joking about that), losing my job for no other reason than who I love.
The "agenda" is to protect my child and other families, to make certain that children aren't torn from the parents they love and to guarantee that they can go to school without being beaten up.
The "agenda" is to make certain that lesbian and gay teenagers can go to school without being harassed and beaten and hounded out of school.
The "agenda" is truly about what it means to be moral. Is it moral to defame people who are courageously serving our country and have done nothing wrong except to be born different? Is it moral to break up families? Is it moral to keep your neighbors from getting jobs? Is it moral to break apart families?
If "morality" is standing up to hurt families, then I don't think Pace is moral. He may be normal because, still, so many agree with him, but that isn't moral.
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