Posted by
Catmman on Wednesday, July 01, 2009 5:55:02 PM
It's not about being gay. It's not about "Don't Ask, Don't Tell".
It's about violating the law.
Any officer who doesn't understand this is unfit for command and service.
His Iraqi service, though commendable, is irrelevant. The money spent training him and other strawman defences are irrelevant. Lt. Choi violated military policy. He violated the law. He must suffer the consequences.
This is an issue precisely because Lt. Choi is choosing to make it so. He entered military service knowing what the policy is. As an officer, he is responsible for enforcing the policy on others and ensuring his subordinates are aware of the policy and the consequences of violating it. Knowing what the policy is, he came in anyway. Perhaps he felt he could live with it. Maybe he had ulterior motives right from the start. Who knows.
All I know is that a military officer who violates the law is to be punished. Social acceptability and political correctness are not defences to violating the law. In this particular case it seems Lt. Choi is banking on social pressure and more favorable political winds to keep the focus away from his misconduct.
Lt. Choi is perfectly free to live his life however he wishes, this isn't the issue. Naturally anyone in the military knows there are times and circumstances where societal norms or even non-norms don't apply - the military world is not the civilian world. The reason the military has a seperate legal system and code of behavior is precisely because of the differences inherent between the two worlds. If Lt. Choi were a civilian, this wouldn't be an issue. He is not. He is a military officer and is goverend by military law and military rules. Being a National Guardsman, perhaps he doesn't fully understand this, not being immersed in military life 24/7. But while on active duty (while serving) he falls under the militaries rules. If you find you can't abide by what the military is doing, if you can't live under the rules the way they are, then get out, you have that right.
Lt. Choi knew what the rules were, he knew the law. As an officer, he allowed his personal feelings to overide his duty. This alone makes him an ineffective officer and unfit for continued service.
Get over yourself Lt. Choi. As is typical with many these days, it's all about "me". Any officer worth his salt would bow out, accept the consequences and salvage what personal Honor he could. Of course one must have a sense of Honor to begin with to wish to salvage any, but that's just my opinion.