General David Petraeus appeared on CNN’s Fareed Zakaria Global Public Square today, and made major news.
The head of the US Central Command, and past leading General in the Iraq War, said that he had served with gay and lesbian soldiers in his 36 years in the military and with CIA personnel, and that after ten seconds of absorbing that fact, that then the issue was simply can we all work together on the military mission to accomplish the goals at hand.
And Petraeus said the answer was “Yes”, so therefore he has no problem with exploring the end of “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell”!
So Petraeus joins Admiral Mike Mullen, head of The Joint Chiefs of Staff, and Secretary of State Robert Gates, in endorsing the end of the discriminatory policy.
It is time for President Obama to assert his leadership, and take the kind of action by executive order, as Commander in Chief, that President Harry Truman took courageously in 1948, when he ordered racial integration of the military, no matter how much opposition there was in the South and in the military itself!
Realize also that 25 countries already allow gays in the military, including Canada, Great Britain, Australia, and Israel, which Petraeus describes as “pretty good” military! So it is time for change!
And the fact that one of the top generals in the U.S. military knew in fact that he was serving with gay and lesbian soldiers and did nothing was in direct violation of a direct order to process those individuals for separation. These are standing orders which hold the power of direct orders. This shows that the general is unable to follow a simple direct order and chooses to impart a policy and apparent personal agenda which he feels is more important than obeying his superiors. A military without discipline, honor and commitment is not a military at all.