I served for a little over twenty years in the Air Force, retiring a little over four months ago.  Last month Congress finally repealed Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell, which has always seemed like the most foolish of policies, allowing homosexuals to serve, but only if they act as asexual bachelors/bachelorettes.  In those twenty years I have served with people who I knew to be gay.  And I have served with people who I assumed to be gay, one of whom was one of my closest Air Force friends during the first half of my enlistment. 

I don’t have much to say about DADT, as it has been repealed and as there seems little reason to discuss it.  If somebody wants to serve his or her country, it seems foolish to put limits on that person that we do not put on others.  The arguments against the repeal of DADT make no more sense to me than an argument for segregation or keeping women out of the military.  The argument that some make that this places undue stress on our military members undercuts the strength and bravery of them.  If they cannot fight well because there is a homosexual in their midst, then they are cowards who discredit their country.  I do not think this is true, just as I know that even though I have worked with many people who I did not agree with, people who I found reprehensible, I still did my job. 

What I find sad and disconcerting, beyond what I have mentioned before, is DADT’s most ardent supporter, Senator John McCain.  He once said that he would give full review to DADT, but has recently cited the repeal of it as a “sad day”.  John McCain served in the military, and from what I know of him, he did so admirably.  He was a prisoner of war for many years, something that I can barely even comprehend going through.  I give nothing but admiration to that John McCain.  That John McCain is dead, however.  I don’t know when that happened exactly, but I know the last shovelful of dirt was dumped on the coffin sometime in 2008, when he reversed what he had previously stood for to try to get votes.  I have to admit that early in the presidential race (before Sarah Palin was even heard of outside of Alaska for most Americans) I thought I might vote for him.  I don’t know if Barack Obama will turn out to be a good president or not, but I do not regret voting for him, because I am afraid of what would be with John McCain in the White House.  He has sold his principles; he has sacrificed his integrity.  And he has made his legacy to be the voice against Americans wanting to serve their country.  I recently watched a television show in which a World-War-II era Japanese-American, born in this country, voiced his disbelief that he should serve the country while his family was in an interment camp.  I look at John McCain now and I do not see the brave military man or the principle Senator--I see the redneck guard telling homosexuals that you can’t even do that.