Certainly Rick and the rest of their stampede have lost their minds. It is one thing to spit the vial “reasons why not to repeal”. I can to a certain extent (not to far), understand why they think this way. As a soldier, I am not sure if I would even come out if the ban was lifted. The combat arms branch is alot different than, say, the engineers. I know many gay soldiers. Those of us in combat arms MOS’s have to watch our back. I do not hide who I am, I gave that up along time ago. I abide by the regulations, I do not discuss it, I do not reveal it. If someone straight up asks me— Then I will not lie, and that is usually how people find out.

“We have a volunteer army,” he added. “They can un-volunteer too.”

I am unsure about Rick’s history. Do not really care to research this idiot to much, but it does not seem he knows the military that well. You cannot just quit or “un-volunteer”. Believe me, I wish I could at times. You serve your contract, and you get out.

“Political correctness is reigning in the military right now,” he said. “”Some people say: [Do] whatever the generals say [on DADT]. I’m not too sure that we haven’t so indoctrinated the officer corps in this country that they can actually see straight to make the right decision.”

Okay this is where I tend to get a little wound up. First off what was his prior quote?

“The military is there for one purpose and one purpose only, and that is to protect and defend the United States of America.

That might be his ONE factual statement. Although, how can you give the responsibility to fight for ones country and then not listen to the leaders, the officers, who’s job it is to over see the Army. How can you devalue the opinion of those that YOU put in place to give YOU information and data on the status of the military! It is one thing surely to state your opinion from a moral standpoint, even if it has no basis besides a old book written by kings, might I add, whose overall goal it was in life to oppress the ‘little man’.

When a man strikes his male or female slave with a rod so hard that the slave dies under his hand, he shall be punished.  If, however, the slave survives for a day or two, he is not to be punished, since the slave is his own property.  (Exodus 21:20-21 NAB)

Slaves, obey your earthly masters with deep respect and fear.  Serve them sincerely as you would serve Christ.  (Ephesians 6:5 NLT)

Anyone arrogant enough to reject the verdict of the judge or of the priest who represents the LORD your God must be put to death.  Such evil must be purged from Israel.  (Deuteronomy 17:12 NLT)

How is it not easy to see the ‘control’ factor just in these three samples. But I still understand why they might take this position.

It is quite another thing to demean the voice of the Army, what shall we do Rick? Should we get rid of all the leadership in the military and replace them with preachers, republicans, and conservative bigots? That would be a scary world. In reality most of the military is quite conservative.

The one thing, looking back on history, that I really believe is true about the military is this:

All throughout history the military has been a instigator of equality, as unlikely as that sounds. People of all different races, sexes, sexual orientations, religions, come together and must learn to work effectively as possible. I would take a round for any of my brothers or sister in the Army. That is how it is. You depend on one another for safety, comfort, and support. You are a family. When people get out of the military, they bring this with them and are more likely to pass along these non-discrimitory actions and ways of thinking to their children. This is how social change occurs.

So allow us sexual minorities to be open and show INTEGRITY ( a army value) and sure, there might be tensions at first. But this is how we evolve from a hateful, segregated, prejudice society.