By Eric Alva
This month, for the first time in 16 years, the Senate Armed Services Committee met to discuss the military’s “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy. As a gay, retired Marine who served for 13 years, both before and after the policy’s inception, I was completely ecstatic upon hearing Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Admiral Mike Mullen and Defense Secretary Robert Gates both call for a repeal of the policy.
Allowing qualified gay men and women to serve their country openly and honestly–especially in a time of two wars–is a positive step for the military. Our military needs all the volunteers it can get, and we should not be firing qualified men and women because they are gay.
I am completely confident that the men and women of the United States Armed Forces are professional and dedicated enough to make ending “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” a smooth process. Just as in 1948, when President Harry S. Truman signed an executive order to desegregate the troops, we can make this change happen successfully. Year after year, the military has evolved, moving towards greater social justice and treating individuals with dignity and respect as they perform important jobs at the highest levels. Sixty-two years after desegregation, we are faced with a similar situation, and I know we can achieve equally impressive results this time around.
I was the first American service member injured during Operation Iraqi Freedom, and I know what it means to sacrifice for your country. I believe that any patriotic American who wants to give their life for freedom should be able to do so without reservation. We are a nation of men and women who may not always agree with each other, but we are also a nation that must stand by our Founding Fathers’ call for “liberty and justice for ALL.”
It is time to make that call real and true. It is time to give gays and lesbians the right to serve openly in our Armed Forces.
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