PressEthic

The Huffington Post ran excerpts from an editorial published in the Navy Times criticizing the policy that prohibits openly gay people from serving in the armed forces (which was signed by Clinton).

In the editorial, Glenn A. LeCarl, a member of Naval Academy Alumni Association, exhorts alums to "take the lead," saying:

That DADT is a failed policy, and an untenable one as well, is reflected in the Defense Department's ongoing struggle to meet recruitment goals. In this time of war, the absurdity of discharging otherwise qualified military personnel, including those in critical fields, solely because of their LGBT identity, and discouraging thousands of others from seeking military service, is plain. Moreover, any official policy predicated on one group's inequality will not stand.

Although LeCarl is hardly the first to discover that the policy is nonsensical, besides being blatantly discriminatory, the words have more weight because they are published in a military magazine. Emphasis on "published" and "military."

Though I would argue that the policy never made any sense, LeCarl takes the position that the political winds have shifted since the policy was signed, and it's time to reassess its value.

The ground beneath this current policy has already shifted. A solid majority of Americans, according to numerous polls, believe lesbians and gays (unfortunately, bisexual and transgendered people are not normally specified in poll results) should be allowed to serve openly.

The editorial is only available online to subscribers, but here's a link to the site.