General Pace Asked to Apologize for Remark About Gays
You can tell the Democrats are in power because this issue just continues to stay alive:
The Pentagon’s top general expressed regret Tuesday that he called homosexuality immoral, a remark that drew a harsh condemnation from members of Congress and gay advocacy groups.
In a newspaper interview Monday, Marine Gen. Peter Pace, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, had likened homosexual acts to adultery and said the military should not condone it by allowing gays to serve openly in the armed forces.
In a statement Tuesday, he said he should have focused more in the interview on the Defense Department policy about gays — and "less on my personal moral views."
I don’t think General Pace should apologize for his own personal moral beliefs, but it definitely wasn’t wise to bring up his moral beliefs because it just feeds the untrue assumption that the military is conducting a witch hunt against gay servicemembers. You can read more of my thoughts on this in my prior posting here.
About time somebody in Pentagon has some guts to say the right thing in the midst of liberal immoral loud minority. At least the Chairman is sticking to his gun instead yielding to liberal pressure. I hope every DOD leadership has GEN Pace's moral courage instead of yielding to political pressure. If Homosexuals wants to serve in the military, they can immigrated to Canada, Britian or any other EU countries who would accept them as long as they are legal residence in their countries. My 2 won.
Homosexuals HAVE served, and IS serving, and WILL continue to serve in the U. S. armed forces. The question really is, are they serving openly? I agree with the policy of the DOD that serving openly will damage the good order and dicipline, and it is in the best interest of the overall armed forces to not to allow them to serve openly.
However, I agree with GI that the General's moral belief statement was an overkill.
I just wish to fuck that gays anywhere, -not just in the military, would once and for all stop their bitching. For one, in other liberal democracies, gays seem to spend a hell of a lot less time advertising their sexual orientation, much less demanding all of the rights and privileges of victimhood / protected class status.
-And at least in the Army, I'm more than willing to bet that as long as gays are discrete, -and don't try to make their orientation into some sort of statement, everybody will be just dandy. I've been in units where I had rather openly gay people right in my platoon.
Had a woman squad leader, SGT Janis C. As butch as they come, no disguising it at all, but as long as she never hit on anybody in the unit, everything was peachy keen. Or so I thought. Her whole squad were Katusas, and a pretty effete and softer-than-usual batch at that. She never abused them, or anything, just made sure their hands got blistered from time-to-time. I would also credit her with being the best NCO on the company.
One day the senior Katusa in her squad makes use of the open door policy to lay a list of grievances concerning SGT C on me. After taking in his litany of complaints, I crushed him like a bug, of course, explaining that I had no plans to curb SGT C's leadership style, "She's just a tough broad, and you're going to have NCO's like that from time to time, so suck it up!", I counseled.
The Katusa's face turns fish-belly white: "You mean..SGT C…is, is a….WOMAN?!"
Personally, I'm not going to whine if the guy dragging my wounded ass back to safety is queer as a three-dollar bill, especially if he's one of those, big, buff, hard gay guys I see working out in the gym all the time.
I'M sure using the phrase "tough broad" was appropiate
General Pace was right in everything that he said. He was also right a month ago when he countered the Bush Régime's claims about Iran. If there were to be a coup d'État to set the country straight, General Pace is the man I'd like to see lead it.
I have to disagree with people I more than likely agree with on many issues other than this one.
If Pace wants to say these things among friends and family and whatnot in his off-duty time, fine. But, in an interview, and in his capacity as a military leader, his duty is to toe the official government line. I would not be dictatorially about this all the time on every issue, but if the issue is one where his breaking ranks is likely to cause a shit storm, he should hold his tongue.
I think it is as simple as following orders. The president is the commander and chief. The civilian and military leaders at the Pentagon are an extension of this. They have power to influence and shape policy, but when a policy is in place, and when the policy is something as hot button as this, they should go out of their way to – up front – toe the policy line, and exert any influence they feel necessary in favor of changing the policy line behind the scenes as part of their work.
I think General Pace is one of the US military's better generals but he definitely should not have been expressing his personal moral views in the manner that he did that is not consistent with the current governmental policy. Like usinkorea said, he is causing a shitstorm where their shouldn't be a shitstorm.
The Don't Ask, Don't Tell policy has been highly successful in letting gays serve in the military which the linked article even states that thousands of gays are serving. He should have focused on that instead of causing the current shitstorm that he should have known the media would jump all over.
I wonder if homosexuals in the military were gay when they enlisted or if they just got sucked into it?
J!
"A SOLDIER's JOB IS TO SHUT UP, AND FOLLOW ORDERS"
The above is subscribed to by GI Korea and his fellow pension whores. Therefore, General Pace is advised: "to keep it where the sun don't shine".
"A soldier's duty is to follow orders, nothing more."
— Adolf Hitler, from Mein Kampf
Yet, a man whom our GI blogger would consider a radical anti-British terrorist … had this to say about standing on moral principles in the public sphere.
"…there are natural duties which precede political ones, and cannot be extinguished by them."
— Benjamin Franklin
Another terrorist said: "Patriotism means to stand by the country. It does not mean to stand by the President or any other public official, save exactly to the degree in which he himself stands by the country. It is patriotic to support him insofar as he efficiently serves the country. It is unpatriotic not to oppose him to the extent that by inefficiency or otherwise he fails in his duty to stand by the country. In either event, it is unpatriotic not to tell the truth, whether about the president or anyone else…"
— Theodore Roosevelt
Our very own GI Korea of this blog, however, has no qualms about degrading the integrity of our military nor the erosion of US Constitutional freedoms now taken away by his commander in Chief. GI is a good German. Our GI, therefore, tries to shut up those — such as General Pace — who don't weep in the face of controversy such as Lt. General Charles Campbell.
Why is this so about GI Korea? He's a good German?
Does anyone agree with me that the virus of fascism is infiltrating and growing in the American military? These Good Germans are about 2% in our military at this moment. It's not too late to stamp out the bug before it grows too big.
GI, all I have to say to you is …. "Remember the military oath." Fight for freedom, not tyranny.
Jimmy Said alot, Most of it came from minds other than his/her own. It is also obvious that "jimmy" never served in any uniform for any country. Jimmy, ya simple minded person. What is your problem with Germans? I doubt that you would know a fascist if he or she kicked you with their jack boots. That military oath, where did you get that? You need to check your submissions next time, to ensure that you don't sound like the village idiot.
One more thing "jimmy", whores worke hard for their money. Another concept you likely are not familiar with. I doubt you could live off my enlisted pension which I worked very hard to earn in places such as Bosnia, Iraq and Honduras. Bottom line, you sound a bit worthless to me.
ChickenHEAD that was cute. I just got up and had to read it twice before I got it.
Dan,
I'm glad you liked it. Sadly, I suspect most people never catch half the stuff I write even if I present it in one-liner format.
As for General Pace, I can now feel comfortable with a leader like that standing behind me.
J!
ChickenHead another great one liner.
Don't mind Jimmy, I'm pretty sure it is Silly Sally again. She had dissappeared for a few months but it is appears she is back.
Chickenhead you are on a roll.
For you history buffs, you may recall the first thing Jimmy Carter did was pardon the draft dodgers. The first thing Clinton did was try allow gays to serve in the military. I think the don't ask- don't tell policy was a compromise. At least the General has an opinion – he should not compromise. Right now he is disliked by gays and gay supporters. If he rolls over the will also lose the respect of his current supporters. A lose lose situation.
I guess in the end, the Don't Ask, Don't Tell policy is really saying, "Hey, guys, there is nothing wrong with sucking a dick, just don't get all faggoty about it."
J!
"No apology from Gen. Pace for gay stance"
I don't know who wrote this great Stars & Stripes headline, but I, for one, believe he can stand any way he wants.
J!