I’m back. First off, I’d like to thank everyone who checked in on the blog while I was away recharging the batteries. I hope you enjoyed the vintage toons.

Onward to a topic that never seems to go away, regardless of the direction in which the country is moving. I ascribe it to the truism every politician is familiar with, which is that angry people are more likely to vote than those without a beef.

Surveys have shown that the military is no different than the nation at large, in that the younger the service member, the less likely the sexual orientation of one’s neighbor seems to matter.

Older members of the military are uncomfortable with the idea of gays serving openly, the same way that older members of the population at large have a problem with gays just being who they are. The reality is, older people are more likely to vote, so their sensitivities must be taken into account. Hence, the foot-dragging.

The military, as I’ve said before, is a great eraser of prejudice. If you can depend on your buddy to shoot straight and cover you, you stop caring about his or her color, creed, orientation, native tongue, or even what planet he or she may come from.

While we struggle through this uncomfortable period of transition, it might help to remember that the military exists to implement and facilitate national will through the projection of force. Since sexual orientation has been shown to bear no correlation to one’s suitability to serve honorably, it hardly seems germane to that mission.