Gay Soldiers Fight and Die Besides "Straight" Soldiers in the American Armed Forces. Now, Let Us Honor Them Instead of Hounding Them

I have been reading more and more editorials in support of dumping the "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" discrimination ban in the Armed Forces against gay men and lesbian soldiers.

Today the Washington Post came out in an editorial in favor of repealing the gay ban. It told about Army Sgt. Robert Stout who had received a Purple Heart after an exploding grenade in Iraq last May left shrapnel in his face, arm and legs. He is a brave soldier. He would have liked to remain in the military and would reenlist were it not for the "don't ask, don't tell" (DADT)policy.

Robert is through denying that he is gay and so recently declared his sexual orientation to the Associated Press. But the military doesn't care how brave and heroic he his. For under U.S. policy, even the most decorated and patriotic gay soldier is just a homosexual, to be hounded and uprooted out of the military at ther earliest convenience.

And this costs American taxpayers a lot of money. At last count, the services spent $190 million to do so, money better spent equipping the troops. The military is turning down qualified soldiers with language skills because they are gay. This is a "self-defeating, as it is demeaning to people who want to serve their county. . .", quoting the editorial.

So far 72 co-sponsors have signed on to a bill to repeal "DADT". All the sponsors hope to do is to get hearings started to expose this travesty. There is no evidence that gay soldiers undermine military discipline or perform badly. So why is there this ban?

The editorial ended with"Who dares TellSgt. Stout that he is unfit for service?"

This is a legitimate question that deserves an answer. Enough is enough. Our government has an obligation to these men and women to let them serve openly. Anything short of that is unjust and unfair treatment of these brave men and women on the part of our government.