Is This Really What a Standing Army Is All About

HJJ comments: War and our troops is not about some social standard & feel good rulings. Our troops were not really asked about this issue please read Col. Spencer's comments below... What we have allowed to happen in this country will take us decades to repair. God help us



Commentary: With ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell,’ It’s Too Late to Care Now
Posted by Col. Bill Spencer
The steady, incessant drumbeat of the homosexual lobby won’t be silenced by the repeal of the so-called “don’t ask, don’t tell” provision. It seems the drums finally got to the American people — 65 of your senators voted to end the ban this weekend. The homosexual activists’ fight for cultural acceptance of a particular behavior will go on. You’ll need some earplugs because the drums will continue.

Since the advent of “don’t ask, don’t tell” in 1993, no idea or position forwarded by homosexuals has been tied to improved mission readiness and effectiveness — none. The media’s sound bite that there would be a loss of skilled personnel if the policy remained was nothing more than a smoke screen. The political reality is that we have a commander in chief who has never served in the military who had promised repeal to a special-interest support group. And Democratic majorities in the House and Senate could make it happen, regardless of the fact that the 111th Congress has fewer veterans than any Congress in history.

What can change this now? Sadly, I think only a future war will have us rethink how we best organize our troops to fight and win wars. At that time, cooler heads will prevail, and we’ll determine who best should be fielded to defend us. The social curiosity that will have been the openly gay service experience will vanish as the nation — at great cost — rediscovers the real purpose for having a military.

But for today, I fear that our military members in the field are left with these thoughts: “Does my country not think of me that much? Does the country think it should hobble its forces in the field with these distractions during time of war? Does the country require us to deal with this, as well? Am I indeed a patriot without a country? What moral madness awaits us next? When bullets are flying at me, and everyone back home is apparently just thinking about themselves and their own private behaviors, it’s too much to ask of me to sacrifice my life.”

I ask you, fellow citizen, after Saturday’s vote, would you give your life for our Senate? Would you give your life for our president? Or, would you go home to your family? Sadly, you know the answers already. If you never made a phone call or never entered the debate on this issue, it’s too late to care now. You have just received a 2010 Christmas present from the United States Senate. Inside, please find some really good earplugs, for the drumbeat will continue. Whether you choose to put them in your ears is entirely up to you.

Col. Bill Spencer (Ret.) served in the U.S. Air Force for nearly 29 years. He is now a family policy council representative at Focus on the Family.