Stop waging war on gays

The wheels of change are moving forward once again – or so it seems. When President-elect Bill Clinton takes office on Jan. 20, he may very well announce that he plans to lift the ban on gays in the military.

The rules that alienate gays from military service are outdated. The ban was created during an era when deviant sexual behavior was viewed as a sickness by a people who viewed homosexuals as lepers. It is time for America to close the door on that era and open our minds and our military to those who choose a different sexual preference.

The military should not attempt to distance itself from the gay population. Contrary to past belief, gays are very capable of doing the same duties as those of the heterosexual soldier. The Pentagon should instead work toward creating and implementing rules of sexual conduct. Soldiers should be given guidelines to encourage professional behavior. Sexuality should not be a factor in the development of strong professional relationships in any area of business and national defense is clearly big business.

The military ban against gays is discriminatory. Worst yet, there was never any valid reason given for instituting such a ban. When Clinton moves to raise the ban, the military should fully cooperate and NIU’s ROTC program should follow suit.