This page was last updated on December 22, 2010.
Dumping anti-gay policy was right; Donald Thomas; Beaver County Times; December 22, 2010.
The only previous letter from Mr. Thomas of which I’m aware is here.
Below is a detailed critique of the subject letter.
“So letter writer Joe Lewis doesn’t like being labeled a bigot (“‘Bigot’ is all lefties can use a rebuttal,” Sunday).
“Probably nothing I could write would change his mind about the rights of homosexual citizens of the United States.
“Oliver Wendell Holmes wrote: ‘The mind of a bigot is like the pupil of an eye. The more light that is applied, the more closed it becomes.’”
[RWC] This quote also appears to cover leftists.
“Maybe he would prefer to be called ‘un-American.’ It is un-American to deny liberty and/or justice to anyone. My enjoyment of life and liberty should not be limited by someone else’s questionable interpretation of Old Testament literature.”
[RWC] Mr. Lewis didn’t mention “Old Testament literature,” the Bible, or religion in his letter. In his previous letter, Mr. Thomas told us Jesus and Christianity are “synonymous with hatred, bigotry, judgment and homophobia.”
“The abolishment of ‘Don’t ask, don’t tell’ brings us one step closer to the realization of the American dream, ‘life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness’ for all Americans, and should be celebrated by all who love the ideal of American liberty.”
[RWC] Before I proceed with my position, which I’ve provided in previous critiques, let me state I have neither military nor behavioral science experience or expertise. What I write below just seems to make sense. At the risk of being labeled ignorant and a sexist homophobe, here goes.
One of the reasons I oppose women serving in combat roles alongside men has to do with the sexual tension present in mixed groups and the potential effects on the mission even if full-blown romance doesn’t break out. There are a couple of other reasons, but this is the one relevant to this discussion. The fact non-pregnant sailors leave on an aircraft carrier but a number return pregnant makes it obvious sex isn’t checked at the dock.
When you have homosexuals serving with members of the same sex, how is that different from heterosexuals serving with members of the opposite sex?
Is this one of those cases where commonsense - at least to me - is wrong? I don’t know. As I wrote above, I have neither experience nor expertise in this area. Until we’re certain, however, I don’t believe our armed forces should serve as a behavioral science lab for politically correct social policies.
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