In a letter to the editor last Thursday, Ashlie Bowman wrote that “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” is desirable because of its practical benefits: an army in which gays are forcibly hidden will ensure the overall morale remains high. In fact, the opposite is true. For a military involved in conflicts all over the world, intentionally limiting the size of the fighting force is foolish. If a soldier is the best at his job, then why limit the military because he happens to be gay? No evidence shows that gays are physically incapable, or unable to perform in combat. The U.S. and Turkey are actually the only countries in NATO to ban openly gay service. Consider the Israeli military, which lifted such restrictions in 1993: they are now one of the most effective militaries in the world.

Considering the hardships US troops are currently dealing with in Afghanistan, a few fellow troops who happen to be gay would be the least of their worries. Any soldier willing to put his own views on sexuality above fighting to protect his country, which he volunteered for, is the actual hindrance. Realistically, a gay soldier is not going to turn to his partner in the middle of a firefight with the Taliban, announce “baby, I love it when you squeeze that trigger,” and step right on out of the closet. Paranoia over homosexuality only exists in the armed forces because a reality is being denied, the reality that gays do serve, creating unnecessary tension and friction. Sure, there might be some minor difficulties in implementing the change, but no transition like this is seamless, and repealing “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” is the right thing to do, both morally, I believe, and pragmatically.

Edward Mostoller is a sophomore majoring political science.