Gaze Upon the Military
I know I usually write about state and local issues here, but one thing I can’t stand is blatant discrimination. The only discrimination I have ever believed in should be based on merit and ability. This is why I take issue with recent statements by the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.
In a recent interview with my hometown paper, The Chicago Tribune, General Peter Pace said homosexuality was immoral and he likened it to adultery. He said he based his views on his upbringing and supported the military’s “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy.
Having grown up in a military environment, I have always respected the belief that people should be judged on their merits, not who they are. This is why the General’s comments are disappointing. But what makes matters worse is that while the army has dismissed more than 10,000 troops, including more than 50 specialists in Arabic, because of the policy, it’s granted “moral waivers” to recruits with criminal pasts.
According to the New York Times, the military has increased the number of waivers by 65 percent in the last three years in an effort to expand its diminishing recruitment pool. While some of the waivers have been for minor drug offenses and traffic offenses, but they have also been for more serious crimes such as aggravated assault, burglary, robbery and vehicular homicide. The number of waivers for felony convictions has also increased. Also to meet its recruitment goals, the military has offered cash bonuses, allowed applicants with low aptitude scores and loosed age and weight restrictions.
I think it’s sad that the institution that is supposed to defend the American ideals of equality for all, would still engage in a policy that is remnant of our archaic past. And it’s even more sad that some who is gay and speaks fluent Arabic who can help this country win the war on terror is less desirable to serve his country than someone who is an older, overweight, high school dropout with a criminal background.
