The fragment of today’s NY Times editorial below tells it all. Politics has blocked the opening up of our military to gays — many other nations have no problem with this and we lose great talents we could use with this political blockage. How sad and also hurtful to the U.S. which could well use the talents of gays from some of the nations with which we are dealing — or at war. Gay people tend to specialize in interesting things such as languages — Arabic, etc.

Negotiations with Iran and its language could be helped, too, although they execute gays there: Saturday, July 23, 2005 “Execution of two gay teens in Iran spurs controversy” International controversy erupted after Iranian officials executed two gay teenagers who were originally reported to be convicted of homosexuality, however later reports released by the Iranian government after international furor claimed the conviction was for the rape of a 13-year-old boy. The two were hanged July 19. http://en.wikinews.org/wiki/Execution_of_two_gay_teens_in_Iran_spurs_controversy

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Editorial Military Equality Goes Astray Published: September 21, 2010 The best chance this year to repeal the irrational ban on openly gay members of the military slipped away Tuesday, thanks to the buildup of acrimony and mistrust in the United States Senate. Republicans, with the aid of two Arkansas Democrats, unanimously voted to filibuster the Pentagon’s financing authorization bill, largely because Democrats had included in it a provision to end the military’s “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy. — “A war is just if there is no alternative, and the resort to arms is legitimate if they represent your last hope.” (Livy cited by Machiavelli) — Ed Kent [blind copies]

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