Don't Ask, Don't Tell...Don't Care?

This is not a political blog, and I am not about to make it into one. In fact, I’m not someone who stays completely informed and up-to-date on political issues. But I heard something on the news today that really pushed my buttons, and, as long as I have a forum, I think I’ll use it to voice my issue with this particular headline.

So this issue is this:

Today, Defense Secretary Robert Gates announced that the Pentagon is taking its first steps toward repealing the “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy of the United States military regarding homosexual service members. You may be quite familiar with this policy, which was enacted under President Clinton in 1993, but in case you aren’t, “don’t ask, don’t tell” prevents openly gay, lesbian, and bisexual men and women from serving in the military, but it does not allow the military to ask any service members what their sexual orientation is. So basically, if you are a homosexual but no one knows, you’re ok.

Now I’m not here to discuss my views on homosexuality. I’d be happy to do that another time, but that’s not really the issue at hand here, in my opinion. The issue for me is why this is an issue at all. I realize that the world was a different place in 1993, but it’s 2010; so my question is why, at a time when thousands of young, noble American men and women have gone to fight and potentially die for their country in two wars that have lasted too long, we are even a tiny bit concerned about who is going to meet these men and women at the airport if they ever do make it home?

This isn’t about whether homosexuality is wrong or right. It’s about why in the world anybody, anywhere, in any position would care whether our soldiers are gay, straight, or anything else.

I’m not advocating homosexuality, nor am I opposing it. I just find it incredibly ironic that, in a country that has fought so hard to be able to stand on a platform of freedom, we would even consider denying anybody the opportunity to fight for others to be able to stand on the same platform.

But here’s the bottom line: When you are trying to fight two wars, rejuvenate the economy, and reform health care, how do you possibly find the time or energy to care about what our soldiers do in their downtime?

Let’s get some perspective here. The issue is that there shouldn’t be an issue at all.