Gen. Peter Pace's thoughts on Gays

To thousands of Gay soldiers currently risking their lives in the mid-east, their boss offers a lesson in morality.

Surely you've all heard about Marine General Peter's Pace's unfortunate remarks about gays people, both in the military and in general. I read this stuff and it still stings. If the military can bend its standards letting folks into the service to meet recuriting goals, then why not allows gays and lesbians as well? Says Gen. Pace,

"I believe that homosexual acts between individuals are immoral, and that we should not condone immoral acts. I do not believe that the armed forces are well served by saying through our policies that it's OK to be immoral in any way, not just with regards to homosexual acts"

No word yet about what Gen. Pace has to say about he morality of war, but that's another blog for another day anyway. I decided to call my dad, a retired Marine whose perspective I value more and more the older I get. What did dad think about the General's remarks?

First a disclaimer: "I've known Peter Pace since he was a Major," dad tells me. "He's a good Marine, the first to become Chairman of the Joint Chiefs."

"I believe every person should -- regardless of religion or sexuality or whatever -- should be able to grow up to be whatever they want to be," Dad tells me. "But to make the changes to make that happen would have remifications."

To prove his point he asked me how much having OB-GYN's aboard Naval ships (to care for the many pregnant female sailors) really has to do with combat readiness.

(Note to Dad: point taken)

Dad and I both agree that Gen. Pace would have been well served to keep his opinions to himself and simply defer to the Commander in Chief on the topic. Judging from the tenor of the General's remarks the next day, he feels the same way.

"That's the closest thing to an apology that you're gonna get from Peter Pace," Dad warns me.

Dad's final remarks on the topic were more reassuring: "I disagree with Peter Pace that homosexuality is immoral. It's not. It's not a choice."

By the time I got off the phone with Dad, I didn't feel steamed up about Pace's remarks. I guess the moral of this whole polemic is this: feeling confused, vexed, frustrated? CALL YOUR PARENTS!!