A leftover bookmark from my earlier post on the politics of hate.
I'm sorry, who's besmirching American heroism again? Seems to me that a Muslim community center in New York has nothing at all to do with this. In fact, it seems to me that rightwing homophobia is more of the issue here. But let's go ahead and ignore this example of the military shedding its finest officers for no good reason in a time of war, because there's no political advantage to Republicans in correcting this.
ABC News:
Air Force Lt. Col. Victor Fehrenbach has flown on dozens of combat missions over Iraq, Afghanistan and Kosovo as an F-15E Strike Eagle weapons officer. His commanders have called him a "war hero," "superstar" and "#1 officer/aviator."
But now Fehrenbach is flying into the fight of his career -- this time in a federal courtroom and under fire from the military he's spent 19 years serving.
A U.S. Air Force panel has recommended Fehrenbach be discharged immediately under the military's "don't ask, don't tell" policy that bars openly gay and lesbian service members from the force. His attorneys are asking a federal judge to find the policy unconstitutional.
Fehrenbach is one of the highest-ranking military officers investigated for homosexual conduct. A discharge before September 2011 would cost him valuable military retirement benefits awarded to those who serve at least 20 years.
I'm sorry, who's besmirching American heroism again? Seems to me that a Muslim community center in New York has nothing at all to do with this. In fact, it seems to me that rightwing homophobia is more of the issue here. But let's go ahead and ignore this example of the military shedding its finest officers for no good reason in a time of war, because there's no political advantage to Republicans in correcting this.
