US PRES. CANDIDATE: “GAYS INTOLERABLE RISK”
United States Senator John McCain, a candidate for the 2008 Republican presidential nomination, has reiterated his support for the military’s “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” ban on lesbian, gay and bisexual service members.
In a letter to Servicemembers Legal Defense Network (SLDN), McCain says the law, passed in 1993, “unambiguously maintains that open homosexuality within the military services presents an intolerable risk to morale, cohesion and discipline.”
In his letter, Senator McCain says that, “I believe polarisation of personnel and breakdown of unit effectiveness is too high a price to pay for well-intentioned but misguided efforts to elevate the interests of a minority of homosexual service members above those of their units. Most importantly, the national security of the United States, not to mention the lives of our men and women in uniform, are put at grave risk by policies detrimental to the good order and discipline which so distinguish America’s Armed Services.”
McCain, who voted in favor of “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” in 1993, says “I remain opposed to the open expression of homosexuality in the U.S. military.”
“Senator McCain’s comments are out of step with the overwhelming majority of the American people, and out of touch with the best interests of our armed forces,” said Sharra E. Greer, SLDN’s director of law and policy.
In contrast to McCain’s views, a growing number of prominent Republicans now support repeal of the ban on open service. In the U.S. House of Representatives, a bi-partisan coalition of 123 lawmakers now supports legislation to repeal the law.
Bull. Bul shit!!!!! A bad straight or a bad gay soldier adds a bad name to any force. It is or was the belief that gay men will easily tell but straight men and 99% of them in the armed forces has something to hide and in the arms of another woman they they can talk. A force that is worried about what will happened to our moreles if gays are allowed to be open open or gay in the closed does not mean that when they change the law that gays will start wearing dresses. In fact tha gay soldier are more serious about there job that the straight men and woman in the force believe me.
So the senator must wake up he is living in the dark ages. Coming from a soldier who is in a open gay inviroment in SA air Force but still in the closet for the last 25 years of his life. Myattatude if you find out that I am gay and you ask as so many has done I am open about it the rest must wonder and still try to pick me up straight woman at all the Senior Officer’s parties.
At the end of the day we are proud to be gay in SANDF
LT Col