I have always tried to

I have always tried to really understand "don't ask, don't tell" and for the life of me, I don't get it. I've been thinking about it since I came across this article from Ohio (see below) about putting up another flag pole to move the gay flag away from the US flag. That's all well and good. I don't really want to get into their business, but I was really taken back by what 81 year old Ralph "Pete" McGrew (a Marine in World War II) said about gays when he was in the military: "We did not like them. "We lived off of 'em. We rolled them. We just beat the heck out of them." So basically, they would go out, beat some gay man senseless, rob him (I assume that's what he meant by saying that "we lived off of 'em"), and left him alone to deal with his injuries. That's despicable and, as much as I hate myself for saying this, the world is better off without people like that. At least at 81 years of age, I hope that he's no longer able to beat the heck out of anyone. His kind is a cancer upon this society, veteran or not!

With his attitude in mind, I'd like to shift our attention to General Wesly Clark, a former NATO commander. General Clark said of the 10-year-old policy, "Essentially, we've got a lot of gay people in the armed forces, we always have had, always will. And I think that ... we should welcome people that want to serve."

I suppose this is what I don't understand about men (soldiers) who are in our armed forces who just can't stand the thought and are scared of being around someone gay. If they had their minds on their job, they would realize that the person next to them who happens to be gay, is foremost, a soldier. If they can't understand that, or they are putting themselves ahead of other fellow soldiers, I wouldn't feel safe going into combat with them. And, it makes me wonder just how good they really are. We boast about the American military being the best in the world. The military of other counties invite gay citizens into their military, and it hasn't caused any problems of unit cohesion. Maybe that's because they have their priorities straight (no pun intended). And please don't feed me that crap about how I don't understand life in the military because I have never been in. I understand that people live in tight quarters and that there can be day to day tension. I also understand that it is your duty to put aside those considerations and do your damn job!

What should happen is that "don't ask, don't tell" should be totally abolished. Gays should be allowed to serve openly in all branches of the military. The straight boys and girls that don't like it... can simply leave. We are stronger together than we are torn apart by prejudice and hatred. Now, what part of "don't ask, don't tell" don't I understand? Hummm???

OHIO - Lakewood veterans and gays poles apart on flag compromise. Lakewood - Mayor Madeline Cain ordered workers to install a new flagpole outside City Hall to avoid flying a gay pride flag below Old Glory. But Cain's attempt to forge a compromise didn't please every one. A half-dozen veterans, some wearing surgical gloves, tore up a six-panel gay banner outside City Hall yesterday morning. And gay advocate Brynna Fish later called Cain gutless. "We are trying to be responsive to the gay community," the mayor said in defense of flying the rainbow-hued gay banner from the new pole about 70 feet east of the pole that holds the U.S. flag.

One of those protesters was Ralph "Pete" McGrew. McGrew, 81, said he was attacked by homosexuals as a teen and has a long-standing hatred of gay people. Later, as a Marine during World War II, he said he and others beat homosexuals and stole their money. "We did not like them," he said. "We lived off of 'em. We rolled them. We just beat the heck out of them."
It's nice to see that "don't ask, don't tell" was alive and well when this "soldier" was in the military. Kind of makes you proud to be an American doesn't it, with such high values and standards. He was wronged by some in the past so he uses that for all his future actions against homosexuals.
Cleveland suburb puts up separate flag pole for gay-pride banner
Veterans Call Gay Pride Flag 'Disrespectful'

Retired general criticizes military gay ban. General Wesley Clark, a former NATO commander and a possible 2004 Democratic presidential candidate, shot down the military's "don't ask, don't tell" policy in a televised interview on Sunday. "I don't think it works," Gen. Clark said of the 10-year-old policy. "Essentially, we've got a lot of gay people in the armed forces, we always have had, always will. And I think that ... we should welcome people that want to serve."

The retired four-star general made the remarks during an appearance on NBC's "Meet the Press," hosted by Tim Russert. Clark noted that U.S. troops have served in joint military operations in Bosnia, Afghanistan and Iraq with soldiers from countries where gay recruits are welcome.
Now that's someone I can respect! That is a soldier. He doesn't make a judgement one way or the other about gays, but rather about their ability to serve and be a valued part of the military.

Canada Government Accepts Gay Marriage Decision. OTTAWA (Reuters) - The Canadian government signaled its acceptance of gay marriages on Tuesday, deciding not to appeal a landmark Ontario provincial court decision that opened the door to such unions. "Not to appeal means that we recognize the definition as it's been developed by the courts," Justice Minister Martin Cauchon said after the federal cabinet made its decision. The government plans to draft legislation to legalize same-sex unions and ask the Supreme Court to rule on its constitutionality before allowing members of Parliament to hold a free vote on the bill, he said. In the meantime, Canada will be governed by a patchwork of regulations. Gay marriages in Ontario, where a court set aside the heterosexual definition of marriage last week, will be valid. They will become legal next year in British Columbia, where another court gave Ottawa until 2004 to recognize them.
Gay marriage law moves a step closer

Ousted Minister to Fight for Gay Marriage. FORT MITCHELL, Ky. (AP) - A Presbyterian minister who was ousted from his post after he continued to marry same-sex couples says he feels obligated to continue fighting to change church policy. Members of the presbytery, a cluster of Presbyterian churches in the Cincinnati region, voted 119-45 on Monday to remove the Rev. Stephen Van Kuiken from his ministry at Mount Auburn Presbyterian Church in Cincinnati and from membership in the Presbyterian Church (USA).

Gay Affluence Questioned Using Census 2000 Data. Men in same-sex couples typically earn less than other American married men, according to a newly released Urban Institute analysis of Census 2000 data. The findings of the Urban Institute, a nonpartisan social and economic policy research group, seem to contradict the stereotype that gay men have greater affluence than their straight counterparts. But the institute's analysis found the income gap lowered or closed entirely when it looked at states with laws that protect workers from employment discrimination based on sexual orientation. It is currently legal to fire someone based solely on their sexual orientation in 36 states.

Extremist Jews torch gay flags. Right-wing Jewish zealots belonging to the outlawed Jewish Kach movement have destroyed and set fire to rainbow flags, which had been put up by Jerusalem's council in preparation for Friday's Gay Pride Parade. The event has already been postponed as it was due to take place last Friday but because of a suicide bomb attack was rescheduled for June 20. A member of the gay and lesbian community was killed in the attack.

1 year in prison for exhibitionist gay sex. Without any form of debate the Senate in Louisiana, USA, unanimously approved legislation which would mean an automatic jail sentence for anyone found guilty of having sex in a public place 'with the intention of drawing a crowd'.
Huh?? Why would one have sex with the intention of drawing a crowd? Isn't sex kind of a private thing?

Anyone convicted of this crime could face up to 1 year in jail or be fined up to $1,000 or both. Anyone caught with their pants down would have to serve a minimum of 10 days in the clink.