Don't ask don't tell

I read John Shalikashvili's editorial in the NY Times today with great ambivalence. Great that he has changed his mind about the American military policy on gays in the armed forces. Would've been nice if he had done so while still in a position of power. The thing that bothers me is this:

Our military has been stretched thin by our deployments in the Middle East, and we must welcome the service of any American who is willing and able to do the job.

So it isn't so much he's willing to say that gay people are qualified to do the job and entitled to serve as much as the fact that the military is desperate for volunteers and is willing to take what they can, even if the powers that be find it distasteful to employ gay people.

Here's the link to yesterday's Op-Ed piece. You'll need a login, but it is free.

Upcoming books

I was procrastinating, and checking out the list of upcoming books for January & February via AAR.
( Coming soon to a bookshelf near you...or me. )