Retired Gen. Pace Recipient Presidential Medal of Freedom Homosexual Activists Oppose

[las47032]

Two homosexual advocacy groups are criticizing the decision to award the What do you get for calling LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender) Americans immoral and supporting the continued firing of gay Americans?" asked Parents and Friends of Lesbians And Gays (PFLAG) in the group’s online blog last Thursday.

"If you’re retired General Peter Pace, you get a Presidential Medal of Freedom," the organization said.

"President Bush is preparing to honor the military’s self-appointed ‘moral monitor’ with an honor traditionally reserved for those who defend freedom … not those who try to deny it to millions of people," the group continued.
"Honoring General Pace for using his personal prejudice to meddle with military matters is just plain wrong," PFLAG added. "There should be no medal for bigotry and intolerance."

Both PFLAG and the SLDN criticized Pace for comments he made during an interview with the Chicago Tribune in May 2007, when the general remarked: "I believe homosexual acts between two individuals are immoral and that we should not condone immoral acts," including adultery.
"I do not believe the United States is well served by a policy that says it is OK to be immoral in any way," Pace told the newspaper.

As Cybercast News Service previously reported, Sens. Hillary Clinton (D-N.Y.) and Barack Obama (D-Ill.) responded to the remarks by the then-chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, but only after they were criticized for failing to do so by the SLDN.

While Pace retired from his post on Oct. 1. At the time, Defense Secretary Robert Gates said the decision not to appoint him to a second term wasn’t a reflection on Pace’s performance but an acknowledgement that the general would face bruising questioning by the Senate Armed Services Committee over early mismanagement of the war in Iraq.

Nevertheless, Pace was praised by the White House during last Thursday’s announcement as "one of our nation’s most accomplished and respected military officers. His selfless service and visionary leadership have helped keep our nation safe."

"Regardless of one’s opinion about ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell,’ every service member deserves respect," said Sarvis on Wednesday. "As commander in chief, the president should condemn General Pace’s remarks and express support to all our men and women in uniform, gay and straight."

However, Peter LaBarbera, president of Americans for Truth — a group devoted to opposing "gay" activism — told Cybercast News Service on Wednesday that he was "stunned" by the homosexual lobby’s self-centeredness and vindictiveness in trashing Pace as he was about to be honored for his service to America.

"General Pace did nothing wrong in stating his moral and religious opposition to homosexual acts as immoral," LaBarbera said. "Pace also said adultery is wrong, and yet I don’t see two ‘pro-adultery’ organizations out condemning him.

"These petty attacks on a good man’s character by PFLAG and the SLDN are just more evidence that homosexual activists put their selfish and misguided cause way above the national interest," he stated.

"If we’ve come to the point in this country where our leaders cannot answer a question about homosexuality for fear of being demonized by the ‘Gay Thought Police,’ then we’ve lost the very freedom that Gen. Pace defended — and for which our heroic men and women in the armed forces paid the ultimate price to protect," he added.

LaBarbera said PFLAG and SLDN should apologize to Gen. Pace "for using this moment when we as a nation honor our national leaders — so they could make a cheap point for a bad cause: bringing open homosexuality into the military during a time of war."

Pace will join five other persons in receiving the Medal on Thursday, including: Benjamin Carson, M.D., for improving the lives "of those suffering from neurological disorders;" Anthony Fauci, M.D., for advancing "our understanding and treatment of HIV/AIDS;" and Tom Lantos, "the only Holocaust survivor to serve in the Congress."

The other recipients of the award will be: Donna Shalala, secretary of health and human services under President Bill Clinton; and Laurence Silberman, a senior federal judge on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit.

to retired General Peter Pace. He’ll be honored on Thursday.

"Honoring General Pace with the country’s highest civilian award is outrageous, insensitive and disrespectful to the 65,000 lesbian and gay troops currently serving on active duty in the armed forces," said Aubrey Sarvis, executive director of the Servicemembers Legal Defense Network (SLDN), in a news release on Wednesday.

"Our men and women in uniform are making tremendous sacrifices for our country and are looking for the president to recognize leaders who offer them praise and vision, not condemnation and scorn," Sarvis stated.

What do you get for calling LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender) Americans immoral and supporting the continued firing of gay Americans?" asked Parents and Friends of Lesbians And Gays (PFLAG) in the group’s online blog last Thursday.

"If you’re retired General Peter Pace, you get a Presidential Medal of Freedom," the organization said.

"President Bush is preparing to honor the military’s self-appointed ‘moral monitor’ with an honor traditionally reserved for those who defend freedom … not those who try to deny it to millions of people," the group continued.
"Honoring General Pace for using his personal prejudice to meddle with military matters is just plain wrong," PFLAG added. "There should be no medal for bigotry and intolerance."

Both PFLAG and the SLDN criticized Pace for comments he made during an interview with the Chicago Tribune in May 2007, when the general remarked: "I believe homosexual acts between two individuals are immoral and that we should not condone immoral acts," including adultery.
"I do not believe the United States is well served by a policy that says it is OK to be immoral in any way," Pace told the newspaper.

As Cybercast News Service previously reported, Sens. Hillary Clinton (D-N.Y.) and Barack Obama (D-Ill.) responded to the remarks by the then-chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, but only after they were criticized for failing to do so by the SLDN.
While

Pace retired from his post on Oct. 1. At the time, Defense Secretary Robert Gates said the decision not to appoint him to a second term wasn’t a reflection on Pace’s performance but an acknowledgement that the general would face bruising questioning by the Senate Armed Services Committee over early mismanagement of the war in Iraq.

Nevertheless, Pace was praised by the White House during last Thursday’s announcement as "one of our nation’s most accomplished and respected military officers. His selfless service and visionary leadership have helped keep our nation safe."

"Regardless of one’s opinion about ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell,’ every service member deserves respect," said Sarvis on Wednesday. "As commander in chief, the president should condemn General Pace’s remarks and express support to all our men and women in uniform, gay and straight."

However, Peter LaBarbera, president of Americans for Truth — a group devoted to opposing "gay" activism — told Cybercast News Service on Wednesday that he was "stunned" by the homosexual lobby’s self-centeredness and vindictiveness in trashing Pace as he was about to be honored for his service to America.

"General Pace did nothing wrong in stating his moral and religious opposition to homosexual acts as immoral," LaBarbera said. "Pace also said adultery is wrong, and yet I don’t see two ‘pro-adultery’ organizations out condemning him.

"These petty attacks on a good man’s character by PFLAG and the SLDN are just more evidence that homosexual activists put their selfish and misguided cause way above the national interest," he stated.

"If we’ve come to the point in this country where our leaders cannot answer a question about homosexuality for fear of being demonized by the ‘Gay Thought Police,’ then we’ve lost the very freedom that Gen. Pace defended — and for which our heroic men and women in the armed forces paid the ultimate price to protect," he added.

LaBarbera said PFLAG and SLDN should apologize to Gen. Pace "for using this moment when we as a nation honor our national leaders — so they could make a cheap point for a bad cause: bringing open homosexuality into the military during a time of war."

Pace will join five other persons in receiving the Medal on Thursday, including: Benjamin Carson, M.D., for improving the lives "of those suffering from neurological disorders;" Anthony Fauci, M.D., for advancing "our understanding and treatment of HIV/AIDS;" and Tom Lantos, "the only Holocaust survivor to serve in the Congress."

The other recipients of the award will be: Donna Shalala, secretary of health and human services under President Bill Clinton; and Laurence Silberman, a senior federal judge on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit.

Source: Homosexual Activists Oppose Medal for Retired General -- 06/19/2008

[Bluehawk]

Fortunately, their opinion doesn't matter in this case, either.

[Woodmonkey]

Originally Posted by Bluehawk

Fortunately, their opinion doesn't matter in this case, either.

How true!