The military has always held its members to standards higher than what you find in the civilian world. Racism, not tolerated; adultery, sure court martial; homosexuality, dismissal. So it should not be a surprise that the military wants to maintain their stance on the Don't Ask Don't Tell policy. However, a top U.S. General is getting mass attention because he supports the Don't Ask, Don't Tell policy, banning openly gay people from serving in the military.
According to an article in CNN.com, Pace, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, told the Chicago Tribune on Monday that he supports the "don't ask, don't tell" policy. The general also compared homosexuality to adultery -- behavior that is prosecuted in the military, he said.
"My upbringing is such that I believe that there are certain things, certain types of conduct that are immoral," Pace told the Tribune. "I believe that military members who sleep with other military members' wives are immoral in their conduct."
Pace also told the paper, "I believe that homosexual acts between individuals are immoral, and that we should not condone immoral acts.
"So the 'don't ask, don't tell' [policy] allows an individual to serve the country ... if we know about immoral acts, regardless of committed by who, then we have a responsibility.
"I do not believe that the armed forces are well served by saying through our policies that it's OK to be immoral in any way, not just with regards to homosexual acts," the Joint Chiefs chairman said.
"So from that standpoint, saying that gays should serve openly in the military to me says that we, by policy, would be condoning what I believe is immoral activity," he added.
The Servicemembers Legal Defense Network, a nonprofit group that represents military personnel affected by the "don't ask, don't tell" policy, says that Gen. Pace's comments are outrageous, insensitive and disrespectful to the 65,000 lesbian and gay troops now serving in our armed forces," said C. Dixon Osburn, the group's executive director. "Our men and women in uniform make tremendous sacrifices for our country, and deserve Gen. Pace's praise, not his condemnation."
Asked if Pace would apologize, his senior staff members said the general stands by his statements as an expression of his personal opinion, and he has no intention of apologizing.
The I. Lewis Scooter Libby trial is well under way, and some very interesting facts are being verified and discovered.
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