Despite CRWG Report, Battle Over Gays in Military will Continue

While the Pentagon's Comprehensive Review Working Group (CRWG) released a study showing that large segments of the military were not adverse to gays serving openly in the military, the battle seems to be far from over.

"President Obama and the Democratic Party have long supported the notion that every single American who wants to serve in our nation's armed forces should have the opportunity to do so, openly and without regard for their sexual orientation, said Karen Thurman, chairwoman of the Florida Democratic Party, on Wednesday. Now, America's top military leaders, as well as a majority of America's service members, have said that they too support the notion that all Americans should be able to serve openly and proudly in our armed forces.As such, there is no reason for any additional delay of the repeal of the discriminatory and outdated 'don't ask, don't tell' policy.I therefore urge Congress to vote before the end of this legislative session to bring a swift close to the era of 'don't ask, don't tell' -- our troops deserve nothing less."

Not so fast, say some conservatives.

"Congress should hold extensive hearings on this topic, on both the findings and methodological weaknesses of this report, before taking any action to overturn current law, said Tony Perkins, president of the Family Research Council (FRC) and a Marine Corps vet. No level of risk should be acceptable merely to advance a radical social agenda.

"The 10 months of work by the Comprehensive Review Working Group may be of little value to Congress, because they failed to address the central question -- whether overturning the current law would enhance our nation's ability to fight and win wars, added Perkins. By beginning with the premise that the law would be overturned, and exploring only how to implement such a change, the conclusion that such a change would be feasible was foreordained.

"The same concern applies to the surveys conducted of service members and their spouses, continued Perkins. Media reports to the effect that a majority of service members 'would not have a problem' with homosexuals in the military overlook the fact that the surveys did not ask whether respondents support repeal of the current law. If most service members say that under a different policy they would continue to attempt to do their job in a professional manner, that is only what we would expect. This does not mean that a new policy would not undermine the overall effectiveness of the force. And if even a small percentage of our armed forces would choose not to re-enlist, or part of the public would choose not to serve in the first place, the impact on the military would be catastrophic."

Look for this battle to continue despite the report.