'Don�t Ask Don�t Tell' Upheld by Supreme Court

By J. Matt Barber
6/9/2009
Liberty Counsel (www.lc.org/)

Today our armed forces triumphed over the enemy of moral relativism; an enemy that seeks to replace military wisdom with San Francisco vice.

LYNCHBURG, VA (Liberty Counsel) � Matt Barber, Director of Cultural Affairs with both Liberty Counsel and Liberty Alliance Action issued the following statement today on news that the U.S. Supreme Court has upheld the military�s prohibition against homosexual conduct within the ranks of the armed forces. The high court refused an appeal from former Army Captain James Pietrangelo II, who was discharged after his superiors learned that he self-identified as �gay�:

�This is a military victory of a different sort,� said Barber. �Today our armed forces triumphed over the enemy of moral relativism; an enemy that seeks to replace military wisdom with San Francisco vice. This is a victory for our fighting young men and women and for the nation.

�The military is no place for such radical social experimentation; especially during a time of war. As polls continue to prove, the vast majority of military leaders and personnel agree. It has long been established that to enlist those who define themselves as �gay� or �lesbian� would both disrupt unit cohesion and harm troop morale.

�In an age of rampant judicial activism it�s refreshing to witness some commonsense judicial restraint. This decision by the Supreme Court should once again remind everyone that, contrary to the propaganda fomented by the organized homosexual lobby, homosexual temptation and the destructive but changeable homosexual lifestyle must not be confused with neutral and immutable characteristics such as race or gender for purposes of assigning special government minority status or protections.

�It is properly illegal, for instance, to ban African-Americans from serving in the armed forces. It is neither illegal nor discriminatory, however, to disallow an African-American who �loudly and proudly� chooses to engage in distractive, destructive and deviant sexual behaviors. Today�s decision hammers home that reality.

�I�m speaking from personal experience,� continued Barber. �I served twelve years in the Army National Guard. During basic training a young man who later turned out to be homosexual was discharged after making unwanted advances toward other soldiers and for inappropriately touching several while they slept in the barracks.

�A lengthy investigation ensued. Troops were pulled away from their regular training to answer questions. It was a tremendous distraction for our entire platoon. This incident most definitely disrupted unit cohesion and harmed troop morale.

�Still, although today�s news is good news, the battle is far from over. For the good of the country and in the interest of national security, President Obama should heed the wisdom of the high court and our military leadership. He should cease his ill-advised efforts to force the military to implicitly sanction sexual deviancy by allowing it to occur. He should leave Don�t Ask Don�t Tell alone.�

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Liberty Counsel is a nonprofit litigation, education and policy organization dedicated to advancing religious freedom, the sanctity of human life and the traditional family. Established in 1989, Liberty Counsel is a nationwide organization with offices in Florida, Virginia, and Washington, D.C., and hundreds of affiliate attorneys across the Nation.

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1 - 6 of 6 Comments

Scooter
3 years ago
I'd like to see more fair coverage of this topic from other perspectives. mil's comments are absolutely correct. It is ignorant bigotry to assume that all gays and lesbians will act in the manner described above. I agree 100% with the Church's teachings about the sin. But, these are human beings who have free will. Most gays and lesbians are trying to live the best they can even though they may be disordered. How can we expect to evangelize them if we cannot even treat them with dignity and engage in respectful dialogue without stereotyping? This is just trash.
mil
3 years ago
One in three women in the military will be sexual assaulted.
Up to 66% will be sexually harassed.

At year-end 1997, sex offenders accounted for 1 in 3 prisoners held in military correctional facilities.

181 out of 2,212 reports of military sexual assaults, or 8 percent, were referred to courts martial. By comparison 40 percent of those arrested in the civilian world on such charges are prosecuted.

According to the Department of Defense's own statistics 74-85% of soldiers convicted of rape or sexual assault leave the military with honorable discharges (meaning the rape conviction does not appear on their record!)

A woman who signs up to protect her country is more likely to be raped by a fellow soldier than killed by enemy fire"- Rep. Jane Harman (D-CA)

Over 90% of all females that report a sexual assault is discharged from the military before her contract ends. From the 90%, around 85% are discharged against their wishes. Almost all of the 85% lose their careers based on a misdiagnoses that makes one inelgiable for military service. The most common misdiagnoses are: adjustment disorder, personality disorder and pre-service existing PTSD or other disorder.

A 2007 study has shown that 23 percent of Coast Guard cadets said they would not report other cadets who commit sexual assault, while 65 percent say they would allow personal loyalty to impact their decision to report sexual assault.

http://stopmilitaryrape.org/facts

But, hey, it's the gays. IF Barber's story is true (and I have my doubts), the reason for the investigation was due to UNWANTED SEXUAL ADVANCES. With the statistics I've just given, maybe all men should be banned from military service?

BTW, Don't consider the SCOTUS refusal a victory. He thinks like a lawyer. DADT will be over. Soon.
Jean
3 years ago
I thought that dont ask dont tell also worked to protect them.
I think that it is wise because I dont think anyone should be worried about anyone sexual activity since I believe it should be a private matter in the first place.
I also recommend Courage Apostolate for information regarding same sex attraction and a program in the Catholic Church.
I also recommend Father John Harveys book Homosexuality and the Catholic Church Clear answers to difficult questions.
Bulbajer
3 years ago
I agree. Gays and lesbians ARE fighting for our country and our world.
Bulbajer
3 years ago
I agree with the decision because there should be no sexual activity in the first place.
Steve
3 years ago
Wow, there are so many things one could comment on in this article. I guess I'll just focus on one. The phrase "radical social experimentation" is only one of the incredibly ignorant statements I just read. Newsflash: This isn't about letting gays into the military, as the statement implies. Gay men and lesbian have always, and will continue to, proudly serve in the military. This is a question about the misguided and unconstitutional policy of discharging them when their sexual orientation becomes officially known. Yes, Mr. Barber, they're already there, fighting to protect YOUR country. Instead of degrading them, maybe you should thank them.

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