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OPINION: MR. PRESIDENT, WHERE IS YOUR HONOR? DON’T ASK, DON’T TELL
MAN IN THE MIDDLE JOURNAL – UNEDITED – 5/14/09:
The brave men and women who serve in our nation’s military should be beyond reproach. Any American willing to sacrifice his or her life to defend the freedom we take for granted must not be denied our sincere gratitude and respect. That means we do not have the right nor does our government have the right to sit in judgment of anyone’s sexual orientation, especially those in the military. “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” is a reprehensible legal compromise, shamefully passed during the Clinton administration and maintained during the Bush years. Since the passage of the bill, over 12,500 men and women have been discharged from the military because of their sexual orientation. The approximate cost to the U.S. taxpayer for training and replacements is $358 million, possibly more. In a time of war, two wars in fact, and a strained U.S. Military, any dismal of a honorable soldier on the grounds of Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell is illogical and puts this country in danger.
President Obama, a commander in chief with no military experience, and perhaps no perspective on the sacrifice and honor required to wear the uniform of this country, pandered to the gay community with the promise to repeal DADT. This week, Obama & Company announced repeal of DADT was being pushed to the proverbial back burner. Even more serious, the administration has suggested that it is Congress, not the President, which has the authority to lift the ban. However, a committee of military law experts at the University of California at Santa Barbara has recently determined that it is within the authority of the executive branch to discontinue the policy. In case you’re not keeping count this is Mr. Obama’s second slight against military personnel. Earlier this year, he tried to shortchange vets on health care benefits. Fortunately veteran organizations reacted quickly and stopped that effort.
The President has stated he believes in equal rights, but he doesn’t endorse gay marriage on the grounds of his religion. Poll after poll shows that the average citizen and those currently serving in the military overwhelmingly favor the repeal of DADT. So why is Mr. Obama waiting? And why does he continue to court the gay community, and then not support them on core issues? I guess Mr. Obama’s ‘words’ were just that: ‘words’ to get him elected. And when we need deeds, he is willing to hide behind Congress. As ‘Command and Chief’ and the man sending more troops into Afghanistan isn’t it about time he came out of the closet and showed equal respect to everyone in the service of this country?
The following is an open letter from Lt. Daniel Cho a founding member of Knights Out, an organization of out Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) West Point Alumni. He is a client of the Servicemembers Legal Defense Network (SLDN), which provides free legal services to those affected by Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell. An estimated 65,000 LGBT Americans serve in the armed forces. We find his words powerful enough to post them without any editing.
By Lt. Daniel Choi
Open Letter to President Obama and Every Member of Congress:
I have learned many lessons in the ten years since I first raised my right hand at the United States Military Academy at West Point and committed to fighting for my country. The lessons of courage, integrity, honesty and selfless service are some of the most important.
At West Point, I recited the Cadet Prayer every Sunday. It taught us to “choose the harder right over the easier wrong” and to “never be content with a half truth when the whole can be won.” The Cadet Honor Code demanded truthfulness and honesty. It imposed a zero-tolerance policy against deception, or hiding behind comfort.
Following the Honor Code never bowed to comfortable timing or popularity. Honor and integrity are 24-hour values. That is why I refuse to lie about my identity.
I have personally served for a decade under Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell: an immoral law and policy that forces American soldiers to deceive and lie about their sexual orientation. Worse, it forces others to tolerate deception and lying. These values are completely opposed to anything I learned at West Point. Deception and lies poison a unit and cripple a fighting force.
As an infantry officer, an Iraq combat veteran and a West Point graduate with a degree in Arabic, I refuse to lie to my commanders. I refuse to lie to my peers. I refuse to lie to my subordinates. I demand honesty and courage from my soldiers. They should demand the same from me.
I am committed to applying the leadership lessons I learned at West Point. With 60 other LGBT West Point graduates, I helped form our organization, Knights Out, to fight for the repeal of this discriminatory law and educate cadets and soldiers after the repeal occurs. When I receive emails from deployed soldiers and veterans who feel isolated, alone, and even suicidal because the torment of rejection and discrimination, I remember my leadership training: soldiers cannot feel alone, especially in combat. Leaders must reach out. They can never diminish the fighting spirit of a soldier by tolerating discrimination and isolation. Leaders respect the honor of service. Respecting each soldier’s service is my personal promise.
The Department of the Army sent a letter discharging me on April 23rd. I will not lie to you; the letter is a slap in the face. It is a slap in the face to me. It is a slap in the face to my soldiers, peers and leaders who have demonstrated that an infantry unit can be professional enough to accept diversity, to accept capable leaders, to accept skilled soldiers.
My subordinates know I’m gay. They don’t care. They are professional.
Further, they are respectable infantrymen who work as a team. Many told me that they respect me even more because I trusted them enough to let them know the truth. Trust is the foundation of unit cohesion.
After I publicly announced that I am gay, I reported for training and led rifle marksmanship. I ordered hundreds of soldiers to fire live rounds and qualify on their weapons. I qualified on my own weapon. I showered after training and slept in an open bay with 40 other infantrymen. I cannot understand the claim that I “negatively affected good order and discipline in the New York Army National Guard.” I refuse to accept this statement as true.
As an infantry officer, I am not accustomed to begging. But I beg you today: Do not fire me. Do not fire me because my soldiers are more than a unit or a fighting force – we are a family and we support each other. We should not learn that honesty and courage leads to punishment and insult. Their professionalism should not be rewarded with losing their leader. I understand if you must fire me, but please do not discredit and insult my soldiers for their professionalism.
When I was commissioned I was told that I serve at the pleasure of the President. I hope I have not displeased anyone by my honesty. I love my job. I want to deploy and continue to serve with the unit I respect and admire. I want to continue to serve our country because of everything it stands for.
Please do not wait to repeal Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell. Please do not fire me.
Very Respectfully,
Daniel W. Choi_1LT, IN_New York Army
