Opposing view: Keep the ban in place - Changing current policy on gays would undermine unit cohesion.By Rep. Duncan Hunter

Source: http://blogs.usatoday.com/oped/2007/03/opposing_view_k.html

March 14, 2007

Last weekend in Iraq, I watched America's soldiers and Marines undertake a difficult and dangerous mission.

The war in Iraq reflects all the circumstances of dangerous ground combat in the past: soldiers and Marines bonding in close-knit units, living in close quarters and sharing values that inspire them to risk their lives for each other and our nation.

Against the backdrop, liberals in the USA are making another attempt to force open homosexuals into America's military population. In a media question-and-answer session, Marine Gen. Peter Pace, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, stated his personal view that homosexuality was immoral.

Gen. Pace's principles reflect the strong aversion of our Marines and soldiers to homosexual conduct. These moral principles also reflect the position of the predominantly conservative families who send their young men and women to serve in the U.S. military.

These facts were also reflected in 1993 in Gen. Colin Powell's statement, "Open homosexuality in a unit setting is incompatible."

Today, in 2007, the facts have not changed.

It is not fair, nor conducive to unit cohesion, for young Americans whose moral principles reject homosexual conduct to force them to live and operate in close quarters with those who exercise such conduct, just to satisfy liberals in the U.S. political system.

Finally, America possesses the best fighting force in the world, and any proposed changes impacting the operability of our military, regardless of their social significance to liberals, must be blocked outright by Congress.

We are currently a nation at war. Our sons and daughters are serving courageously in places like Fallujah, Ramadi, Baghdad, Kabul and Khowst. To thrust this debate onto them as they are fighting and winning the war on terrorism is outrageous.

Present policy barring open homosexual conduct should be maintained.

Rep. Duncan Hunter, R-Calif., is the top Republican on the House Armed Services Committee. He is seeking the 2008 GOP presidential nomination.