Retired Generals: End Ban on Gays

[RTO]

Marking the 14th anniversary of legislation that allowed gay people to serve in the U.S. military, but only if they kept their orientation secret, 28 retired generals and admirals planned to release a letter Dec. 7 urging Congress to repeal the law.

"We respectfully urge Congress to repeal the 'don't ask, don't tell' policy," the letter says. "Those of us signing this letter have dedicated our lives to defending the rights of our citizens to believe whatever they wish."

The former officers offer data showing that 65,000 gays and lesbians now serve in the U.S. armed forces, and that there are more than one million gay veterans. "They have served our nation honorably," the letter states.
The letter's release came as rallies were scheduled Dec. 7 on the National Mall by groups calling for a change in the law, which is known as "don't ask, don't tell" because it bars the military from investigating soldiers' sexual orientation if they keep it to themselves.

Although the signers of the letter are high-ranking, none are of the stature of John Shalikashvili, a retired general who was chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff when the policy was adopted and now argues for its repeal. Shalikashvili refocused attention on the issue this year when he wrote that conversations with military personnel had prompted him to change his position.

The current generation of Americans entering the armed services has proved to him "that gays and lesbians can be accepted by their peers," he wrote in an Op-Ed article published in The New York Times on Jan. 2.

"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 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."

Few issues have separated the Democratic and Republican presidential candidates this year as clearly as whether to repeal "don't ask, don't tell."

At a debate in June, all of the Democrats said they favored rescinding the policy. The Republican candidates, meanwhile, have favored continuing the policy, saying that it is a sensible approach or that it would be a distraction to integrate openly gay service members into the armed forces at a time of war.

Full Story Here....

[RTO]

I'm sure in any combat arms unit (and most others),
you would have soldiers subject to severe disiplinary action and chaptered out of the military for violating the 'rights' of openly gay soldiers.


Just yet another reason to vote Rebublican next year.....

[Glenn, MSG Ret.]

What latrine would they use??

[GSXRanger]

That would mean that if there were more gay men in ACU's, I would have a better shot at this?

[EvilCouch]

I'm sure in any combat arms unit (and most others),
you would have soldiers subject to severe disiplinary action and chaptered out of the military for violating the 'rights' of openly gay soldiers.


Just yet another reason to vote Rebublican next year.....

I'd have no problem serving with an openly gay soldier. If they have the patriotism and balls to sign up and go into combat with me, I'm fine with them.

That said, my professionalism would be contingent on theirs; hitting on me would be interpreted as "Hey, sarn't, can you show me what a paper cutter choke feels like again?"

[GSXRanger]

I'm sure in any combat arms unit (and most others),
you would have soldiers subject to severe disiplinary action and chaptered out of the military for violating the 'rights' of openly gay soldiers.


Just yet another reason to vote Rebublican next year.....

I'd have no problem serving with an openly gay soldier. If they have the patriotism and balls to sign up and go into combat with me, I'm fine with them.

That said, my professionalism would be contingent on theirs; hitting on me would be interpreted as "Hey, sarn't, can you show me what a paper cutter choke feels like again?"

I completely agree with this post.

[Vee]

Fags are gay.

[Chiron]

Why do they have to take a shit on Pearl Harbor Day? I hope their letter gets shot down on that premise alone. You'd think a bunch of zero's could exercise some tact.

Fags have no place in combat arms. Thats just opening a door for more problems. The military is no place for social experimentation. If they are patriotic and want to serve, they can. Just don't suck any dick on the way to formation.

I agree with that. I will never, ever want to see a male in ACUs shaking his ass while marching! For what it's worth they should keep the "don't ask, don't tell' policy,".

[centermass]

Can you just imagine what the barracks would look like???????

[Flesh Thorn]

It might be an end of the ban, but not an end of the queerstomping.

........and every time a homosexual is KIA there will be a hate crime investigation.