An American service member, about to be discharged for being gay, penned an open letter to his commander-in-chief on CNN's Web site. Here is an excerpt:
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.