Editorial: Keeping to oneself

Thursday, March 15, 2007 | 7:18 a.m.

Gen. Peter Pace, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, has said he should not have aired his personal view earlier this week that homosexuality is immoral . But that acknowledgment offers little comfort to the thousands of troops whose morals were questioned by his thoughtless remarks.

Pace revealed his personal views on sexual orientation Monday when the Chicago Tribune asked him about his views on the military's "don't ask, don't tell" policy. The Clinton-era rule requires homosexual military personnel to keep their sexual orientation to themselves. Commanders are not allowed to ask about it, and military men and women are not allowed to tell.

In explaining his support of the policy, Pace told the Tribune that he believes homosexual acts "are immoral" and that homosexuality is akin to adultery. The United States, Pace said, should not be "saying through our policies that it's OK to be immoral in any way."

In Pace's view, however, it apparently was OK to label as immoral the thousands of homosexual men and women who are risking, or have risked, their lives in Iraq and Afghanistan. Among them is Marine Staff Sgt. Fidelis Alva, who lied about his sexual orientation when he enlisted 17 years ago. Alva stepped on a land mine and was the first American wounded in the Iraq war. His morality didn't seem to be an issue when President Bush awarded him a Purple Heart.

Pace is entitled to his personal opinions, but it is disturbing that he would, on the basis of sexual orientation, question the morality of a vast number of our military troops as they fight for our country.