Unintended consequences

There was a humorous story in the New York Times yesterday about the travails of being an anti-warrior in the Age of Obama: "Answering the G.I. Rights Hotline for the last 11 years, J. E. McNeil has counseled thousands of soldiers who want to become conscientious objectors and get out of the service." But with Congress's May 27 step toward repealing the don't-ask/don't tell policy, Ms. McNeil has a problem: the crisis of conscience has suddenly afflicted not just those who wish to avoid close combat, but also those wanting to avoid close association with homosexuals. What's a Good Person to do? “I told him it was outside the norm, and I’d have to think about whether it met the legal criteria,” she said. “I won’t tell you my internal dialogue. But I will tell you I have a brother who died of AIDS and a sister who’s a lesbian.”

You get no prize for figuring out how Ms. McNeil came down on this particular question of conscience. Blue skies! -- Dan Ford