Hey All-
This news story just broke within the past 24 hours about the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, General Peter Pace. The buzz surrounds remarks that he made during an interview with the Chicago Tribune regarding the "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy regarding gays in the military. The general called homosexual behavior an "immoral act," and goes on to say that "we [the military] should not condone immoral acts. He did not single out homosexuality as the only immoral act a soldier can commit, however. These were, according to the general, his "personal, moral views." For the record, the general supports the "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy, which allows gays to serve in the armed forces as long as they keep their sexual views private. Lawmakers and advocacy groups are calling upon General Pace to apologize for his comments, something that the general has, rightly in my opinion, refused to do.
I believe that the media has once again taken something of minute importance and blown it out of proportion. One man's opinion of homosexuality, even a man as senior as General Pace, is not the basis of policy, and thus nothing to get worked up about. I believe that General Pace has served his country long enough and with enough distinction to be allowed the same freedom of opinion that we take for granted. I agree with his views on the policy of the military not to allow open homosexuality because it is a divisive issue. We do not need this kind of division within the military, as it can lead to unrest from within, something that we do not need right now. The policy also, in theory, prevents anti-gay hate crimes from becoming a common occurrence. Furthermore, open homosexuality creates an unwanted and unneccessary source of differentiation within the military, something that is contrary to the ethos of the military, an ethos of order and discipline.
The quotes in this post were taken from CNN.com.
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