Don't Ask, Don't Tell...Institutionalize Prejudice

I occasionally listen to AM talk radio, and I had the chance to listen to Rush Limbaugh speak about Don't Ask, Don't Tell and took callers after, one in particular from a former service member of the military, who commented about the good of don't ask, don't tell (DADT) decision, he said that "parents don't want their kids to see two men/women holding hands/PDAs..." I don't argue against the right of parents to raise their children as they see fit, but I do argue against the passing on of prejudice and intolerance. All that parents do when they continue with the idea above is that homosexuality is wrong or immoral.

I don't have children of my own, but I know what parents have said and said to me when explaining difficult topics like hetero-, homo-, bi- sexuality, etc; and all their comments to me were negative and lacking understanding.

The first person I met who was or supposedly gay was family, and I didn't understand why my parents or adults were negative about people being gay. When I spoke to my gay relative, I understood then that being gay wasn't bad or wrong, and anything he decided to do, he just was. And I understand now that all he was doing was falling in love different from me, nothing more, nothing less. We all want to find that one person we can share the rest of our lives with, don't make that any harder by passing on prejudice and hate to your child.

Teach our children compassion and understanding instead and don't pass on prejudice or intolerance.