Military Should Allow Homosexual Soldiers

There are lots of things in this world I don't understand, and probably never will. I don't get quantum physics; I can't understand thick accents; I am incapable of reading a map; and I don't understand homosexuality.
I really don't. It just doesn't make sense to me. I can't empathize with someone who is attracted to the same sex, and I never will be able to. But although I can't understand the feelings related to homosexuality, I do understand that gay people can be just as intelligent and capable and hard-working as anyone else.
That brings me to another thing I don't fully understand: Why, when our nation is at war, does the military continue to enforce its policy that bars openly gay people from the armed forces?
That really doesn't make sense to me.
A recent congressional study which focused on the impact of the "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy estimates that this rule has cost the military nearly $200 million between 1994 and 2003.
This is the estimated amount it would cost to recruit and train replacements for the 9,488 troops who have been discharged from the armed forces due to the policy.
That's a lot of money.
And many of the homosexual military men and women who were discharged held very critical positions, such as translators, technicians and doctors. Those doctors had their medical school paid for with our tax dollars, yet most of them spent very little time actually serving our country simply because of their sexual orientation!
During this time of war, the United States military cannot afford to lose highly skilled workers. The people who fill these critical positions use their skills to help protect our soldiers. I don't think it's justifiable to deny some soldiers much-needed healthcare simply because their doctor is gay.
However, there are a few occasions when I must agree that certain behavior does warrant a discharge.
For example, the military is now questioning several members of the 82nd Airborne Division about their alleged involvement in a gay pornography Web site. As many as seven paratroopers are suspected of participating in the military-themed Web site.
If these troops are found guilty of being involved in gay pornography, I hope they will be immediately discharged from the military.
And if some other soldiers were guilty of participating in heterosexual pornography, I also think they should be discharged for such disgraceful and embarrassing behavior.
But to fire a soldier just because he admits to being gay? No, that doesn't seem right to me.
Like I said, I don't understand homosexuality. I'll even admit that it can make me uncomfortable. I'm not rushing to the movie theater to buy tickets for "Brokeback Mountain," and I would rather have not been in Disney World that one week when all the gay couples came.
But even though I'm not really comfortable with homosexuality, I realize that gay people should be given the opportunity to fight for their country.
In my opinion, few people are braver than those men and women in the military.
But it's also my opinion that gay people can be brave soldiers, too.
from The Exponent by Liz Aipiger