Tuesday, March 13, 2007

A few questions concerning Gen. Pace's condemnation of homosexuality as "immoral"?

Isn't it immoral to send U.S. troops into war without adequate equipment? Without an exit strategy? Without valid intelligence to justify the conflict? Without adequate facilities and procedures to humanely care for troops wounded in the war?

Isn't Pace's attitude toward homosexuality pretty much the same as that of our terrorist enemies?

Hasn't the U.S. military lost the services of many valuable personnel (including linguists, who are in especially short supply) by dismissing known homosexuals?

Didn't the U.S. military previously bar blacks from the service on grounds that morale among white troops would suffer? Wasn't the same rationale used to bar women from certain military duties? Isn't that "morale" excuse one of the reasons why openly gay people are barred today?

Has Gen. Pace told Vice President Cheney that his lesbian daughter is "immoral"?

Is not Eric Alva (the first American wounded in the Iraq war) a homosexual? Has Gen. Pace told this Marine, who lost a leg, that he's immoral? Are there not other homosexuals who have lost limbs or lives in military service to their country?

By the way, Staff Sgt. Alva had this to say in response to Gen. Pace's statements:

"Judging gay men and women in the military for factors unrelated to their fitness to serve undermines our military's effectiveness. Certain leaders' bigotry should not be a rational basis for discrimination.

"This kind of prejudice is going to continue to have a direct impact on our national security as we allow qualified gay men and women to lose their jobs for no good reason. This policy - and General Pace's bigotry - is outdated, unnecessary and counter to the same American values our soldiers are giving their lives for each and every day."

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