Is the Military Now a Democracy?

I can still hear my Drill Sergeant, Sergeant First Class Febus, yelling in my ear my first day of basic training.

"This is NOT a democracy!"

I learned very quickly that in the military, you go where you are told, when you are told and do what you are told. In combat, there is rarely time to take a vote.

Apparently, though, that is changing. Not the nature of combat - that doesn't change. No, the military, in an apparent cave to pressure from the Obama administration's campaign to repeal Don't Ask, Don't Tell, last month distributed a questionnaire to 400,000 troops.; The survey asked 103 questions, trying to gauge their reaction to having openly gay service members in their ranks.

Aside from the obvious departure from centuries of military tradition and order, there are several reasons why Gays in the military shouldn't even be considered, regardless of what the troops think:

1. The military is, by necessity, an environment where members are encouraged to be strong and healthy. The military strongly discourages smoking these days, because anything that hurts a soldier's health ultimately makes him a liability to his unit. The homosexual lifestyle has been proven to lower a man's life expectancy by as much as 20 years - why would we encourage this, then?

2. The Gay subculture is one of the most violent subcultures out there. Government studies show gays are 20 times more likely to be abusive or abused in their personal relationships. This reflects an inherent emotional instability that is not conducive to good order or discipline.

3. Giving Blood: U.S. FDA regulations exclude "men who have had sex with another man even once since 1977" from giving blood at blood banks. In combat, any one of your buddies might be called upon to donate their blood to keep you alive if you get wounded. Gays should never donate blood. End of story.

4. Suicide: The military is already having problems with troop suicides these days. Gays commit suicide, or attempt it, six times more often than heterosexuals. Is this the kind of American we want to entrust with a weapon?

Bottom line: Homosexuals, by their own choices, disqualify themselves from military service. For the Pentagon to be even considering allowing them to serve openly only shows an appalling lack of common sense on the part of our elected leaders and military brass.

Meanwhile there are hordes of terrorists around the world practically slobbering on each other to destroy us. The current news over DADT is indicative that those in charge are taking their eyes off the ball - and that's not the way to win a war.