Pace says he should not have expressed his personal views

Gen. Pace has released a statement saying he should not have introduced his personal views of morality into his interview with the Chicago Tribune in which he said that homosexual acts are immoral. He is not retracting or apologizing for his comments, only saying that they did not belong in a public discussion of the “Don’t Ask Don’t Tell” policy. Sadly, within the terms of the present American society, I don’t see how he could have said otherwise. “Don’t Ask Don’t Tell” is not based on the immorality of homosexual acts, but on the fact that allowing open manifestations of homosexuality within the military is destructive of good order and discipline. In liberal society, pragmatism is the closest permitted equivalent we have to traditional or Christian morality.

NEWS RELEASES from the United States Department of Defense A Statement From Gen. Peter Pace, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff

“Yesterday, during a wide ranging interview with the Chicago Tribune Editorial Board, I was asked if I think the current policy as codified in U.S. Code, generally referred to as “Don’t Ask Don’t Tell,” should still hold.

“People have a wide range of opinions on this sensitive subject.The important thing to remember is that we have a policy in effect, and the Department of Defense has a statutory responsibility to implement that policy.

“I made two points in support of the policy during the interview.One, “Don’t Ask Don’t Tell” allows individuals to serve this nation; and two, it does not make a judgment about the morality of individual acts.

“In expressing my support for the current policy, I also offered some personal opinions about moral conduct.

“I should have focused more on my support of the policy and less on my personal moral views.”

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Howard Sutherland writes (3-14):

The knives are coming out for General Pace. Secretary of Defense Gates and Bush-mouth Tony Snow (meaning, in effect, Bush himself) are leaving the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs to twist in the wind, while Sen. John Warner is making a point of disagreeing publicly with Pace: “I respectfully but strongly disagree with the chairman’s view that homosexuality is immoral.”

The timing of this, now that no-one in the Bush administration or the Congress will stand by Pace, could hardly be worse. At a time when people should be focused on the revolting case of USAF Captain and homosexual serial rapist Devery Taylor, a textbook example of the moral hazards that accompany tolerating homosexuals in the armed forces, instead all the homosexualist pressure groups are hogging the headlines, using Pace’s very reasonable remarks as evidence of anti-”gay” bigotry and “homophobia” (whatever that is) in the services. If Pace is driven into retirement over this, the magnitude of the homosexualists’ victory will be hard to calculate. They will have succeeded in knocking off the head guy (and a Marine, no less) in the most macho (well, used to be, anyway) section of society – all for simply stating the obvious.

If matters follow their usual trajectory, Pace’s brief burst of truth-telling will become the catalyst for ending Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell. Not, however, by returning to the previous rules governing homosexuality in the services, but by removing any remaining restraints on open homosexual behavior. Once again, ideology-driven liberals will have succeeded in turning someone else’s honesty into a weapon against the truth.

Posted by Lawrence Auster at March 13, 2007 01:57 PM | Send