Ugggg...This has me steaming mad!
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| Tue, 03-13-2007 - 11:06am |
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070313/ap_on_go_ca_st_pe/military_gays
Aides: Pace won't apologize for gay remark
By PAULINE JELINEK, Associated Press Writer 15 minutes ago
WASHINGTON - Senior aides to the chairman of the military Joint Chiefs of Staff said Tuesday that Marine Gen. Peter Pace won't apologize for calling homosexuality immoral — an opinion that gay advocacy groups deplored.
In a newspaper interview Monday, Pace had likened homosexual acts to adultery and said the military should not condone it by allowing gays to serve openly in the armed forces.
"General Pace's comments are outrageous, insensitive and disrespectful to the 65,000 lesbian and gay troops now serving in our armed forces," the advocacy group Servicemembers Legal Defense Network said in a statement on its Web site.
The group has represented some of the thousands dismissed from the military for their sexual orientation.
Pace's senior staff members said Tuesday that the general was expressing his personal opinion and had no intention of apologizing. They spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not allowed to speak on the record.
Rep. Martin Meehan, who has introduced legislation to repeal the current policy, criticized Pace's comments.
"General Pace's statements aren't in line with either the majority of the public or the military," said the Massachusetts Democrat. "He needs to recognize that support for overturning (the policy) is strong and growing" and that the military is "turning away good troops to enforce a costly policy of discrimination."
In an interview Monday with the Chicago Tribune, Pace was asked about the "don't ask, don't tell" policy that allows gays and lesbians to serve if they keep their sexual orientation private and don't engage in homosexual acts.
Pace said he supports the policy, which became law in 1994 and prohibits commanders from asking about a person's sexual orientation.
"I believe homosexual acts between two individuals are immoral and that we should not condone immoral acts," Pace was quoted as saying in the newspaper interview. "I do not believe the United States is well served by a policy that says it is OK to be immoral in any way."
Pace, a native of Brooklyn, N.Y., and a 1967 graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy, said he based his views on his upbringing.
"As an individual, I would not want (acceptance of gay behavior) to be our policy, just like I would not want it to be our policy that if we were to find out that so-and-so was sleeping with somebody else's wife, that we would just look the other way, which we do not. We prosecute that kind of immoral behavior," he said.
The newspaper said Pace did not address concerns raised by a 2005 government audit that showed some 10,000 troops, including more than 50 specialists in Arabic, have been discharged because of the policy.
Louis Vizcaino, spokesman for the gay rights group Human Rights Campaign, said Pace's comments were "insulting and offensive to the men and women ... who are serving in the military honorably."
"Right now there are men and women that are in the battle lines, that are in the trenches, they're serving their country," Vizcaino said. "Their sexual orientation has nothing to do with their capability to serve in the U.S. military."
"Don't ask, don't tell" was passed by Congress in 1993 after a firestorm of debate in which advocates argued that allowing homosexuals to serve openly would hurt troop morale and recruitment and undermine the cohesion of combat units.
John Shalikashvili, the retired Army general who was Joint Chiefs chairman when the policy was adopted, said in January that he has changed his mind on the issue since meeting with gay servicemen.
"These conversations showed me just how much the military has changed, and that gays and lesbians can be accepted by their peers," Shalikashvili wrote in a newspaper opinion piece.





I agree Kirche. But I look at it this way, if they took out all the gay and lesbian military personnel in the military and all of the ones going into the military (how can you tell?)then who's going to fight the war?
If they took out all of the bisexual military personnel in the military and all of the ones going into the military (how can you tell?)who's going to fight the war?
There would be a shortage of fighters and real patriots. Some times when they give leading military personnel those stars and bars, they forget about the the "other" folk that will be left defenseless and less protected. If I were in the military, I wouldn't care about the sexual orientation of the man or the woman fighting next to me. I would save their life as well as them saving my life.
Sometimes you wonder who the real enemy is.
hugs,
Sebastian
Hugs,
Sebastian
http://www.facebook.com/sebastianbruce
I totally agree, Sebastian. I just noticed that the General expressed "regret" over his remarks but won't offer a personal apology. From what I read he drew harsh condemnation from Congress over his statements. IMO he doesn't have to apologize for his personal views -- he's got a right to believe whatever he wants. He just needs to keep them to himself when discussing the military in the public eye and not let them affect his job.
Thanks for responding! Hugs!
"He just needs to keep them to himself when discussing the military in the public eye and not let them affect his job".
I can agree with this statement also, Kirche. I guess he felt a cold wind when he realized that his own cushy career was being threatened. Everyone has the right to be wrong, but keeping views like that to oneself is absolutely necessary.
It seems that members of the military is realizing that they are expendable also, and not just the rest of us.
Hugs,
Sebastian
Hugs,
Sebastian
http://www.facebook.com/sebastianbruce
I was in a one year and 8 year relationship during my time in the service.
I am proud to have served and I would do it again. I do hope that one day they will come to their senses and let gays and lesbians live their lives just like everyone else.
I am betting there are far more than 65,000 gays and lesbians in the military. There were 82 in my bootcamp unit and 80 of us were lesbians.
I am thinking these men are afraid of who will be taking care of their wives while they are at sea! Lol.
Makes me mad the guy still thinks this way!
Hugs,
Laurie
My web pages
http://homepage.mac.com/lauriedav/PhotoAlbum1.html http://hometown.aol.com/didoangst/myhomepage/photo.html
I'm not sure ya all want to know my views on this..
((((Hugs))))
C >^. A .
He said we were immoral, like adultery is immoral. Is he prepared to back up his belief and kick out all the adulters too?
I doubt that very much.
This is discrimination, pure and simple.
Sure, they can be worried their god will disapprove of us. But they can't oppress us for a god NOT EVERYBODY BELIEVES IN. I mean, isn't this in some way similar to marching us to the top of a volcano and throwing us in? It's that ridiculous.
Gay folk have always been around. It's past time to get over 'it'.
I have to say, there's been a lot of talk lately in the media where people have been caught openly hating gays. It makes me almost gleeful, these horrible opinions vomited out to widespread censure. Can the shock of hearing crap so blatant not help jolt borderline cases into reason?
The light is shining brightly in their faces and the picture isn't pretty. Too exposed ;)
~ Nony
Kim
Check out my
It's going to be very interesting to see how the issues on homosexuality play out in the democratic race. I'm looking forward to following it.
Good to see ya! Hugs!