Military Dismisses Qualified Officer

The American Civil Liberties Union of Washington has challenged the dismissal of a decorated Major and flight nurse in the U.S. Air Force Reserves for engaging in “homosexual conduct.” The lawsuit, filed in U.S. District Court for the Western District of Washington, seeks to forbid Major Margaret Witt’s discharge.

“Major Margaret Witt has been an exemplary member of the military with a distinguished record of service. To discharge her simply because of her sexual orientation is unfair and does not make our military stronger,” said ACLU of Washington Executive Director Kathleen Taylor.

The lawsuit seeks to stop the Air Force from discharging Major Witt or from otherwise hampering her military career. The ACLU of Washington argues that Witt’s discharge would violate her right to engage in private activities without government interference. The military has provided no evidence that her sexual orientation or conduct has caused a problem in the performance of her military duties. To the contrary, the ACLU of Washington is submitting declarations from military colleagues that her forced absence is harmful to her unit’s morale. (source)

So we lose another qualified military officer to the stupid and archaic Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell policy.

It’s becoming more difficult for me to support the military at all anymore. I know I’m going to get hate mail for this attitude, but look at the facts. They just don’t get it anymore. The would rather kick someone out like Major Witt, than to admit that their policies for dealing with Iraq have failed.

They would rather kick someone out like Major Witt for what she does in private, than to address the problem that Donald Rumsfeld has failed at his job. He’s the one we should be looking at to let go. And while we are at it, we have a failed Presidency and Congress isn’t looking so good either these days.

And the sad part of it is, the military dismisses at least one person a day for being gay, and most of these dismissals are hitting career soldiers and those with extensive training. This is yet one more thing that the U.S. taxpayers will have to pick up the tab for. You don’t really think that there’s zero cost to letting that kind of expertise just walk out the door, do you?

It’s time for Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell TO GO!!!