As for her burning bridges; I hope she has. I hope the DADT policy is repealed soon; but I hope she is not allowed back in the military. "Sorry, we're all filled up". She has no respect for the military. She's an opportunist. She has no idea what "Service before Self" even implies. If she did, she wouldn't have turned this into a dog and pony show. No one has a "Right" to be in the military and to serve their country. It's an honor and a privilege. Unfortunately, there are some people out there that are too self centered and only look at how it affects them. They have no idea what "Sacrifice" means.
One thing I am going to say is essential to every cadet and we can all agree on is “Sacrifice”. If you are not willing, and furthermore READY to die for USA, don’t join. Nobody will think any less of a man or woman who decides not to join the military because of an innate human fear of death. The thing is too many people are not ready to die who join, some drop out before they are committed. I think that is honorable, very honorable in fact. It takes great courage to give up all that the academies have to offer because you know you can’t make it. Going through with it when you haven’t accepted death as a possibility, and ready to die. Inevitably it could lead to the death of all the men (and women)in your company. Not everybody is ready for that, and acceptance of that is honorable. Sacrificing one of the best education’s money can buy, for free. Not to mention everything else the Academies offer, because you accept it’s not for you, and the lives of the people around you is too great of a responsibility for you. Honorable. End of story. We all can agree on that.
On the other hand, Accepting an appointment which thousands of Americans would do anything for, knowing the DADT policy, with all intention of staying, is also still honorable. It turns to dishonor when you either go in with the intent of either 5 and dive, or not even making it to the point where you commit to AD. With the intent of taking advantage of the GI bill, the $400,000 scholarship to one of the best colleges in USA, and to not be ready to die for the country, IN MY OPINION is unacceptable. Now I am not specifying anybody here for all I know she came in wanting to die, and serve honorably. But the way you leave is just as important as the way you came. Leaving with your head high, knowing it just wasn’t for you is good. Leaving stomping your feel and hanging your head, is the wrong way to go. For example, in PJ training if an airman decides to drop out they walk out in dress blues knowing “the men who can do that, are incredible, I cant”.
Now to go on topic, she came in with an unknown intent, so we cant judge her on that. Maybe she was brave enough to join knowing the DADT policy, and I commend her. But like I said the way you leave is important too. She left then decided to “make a statement” and in the process she dishonored the men and women who did make it. She decided to rub it in everybody's face by going in from of millions as an open lesbian wearing her dress Army uniform. Clearly not wearing it to honor anybody. My personal belief is that is crossing the line too far. Somebody mentioned earlier that MLK had to cross the line to really make a statement that change is necessary. Just going to the VMAs with Lady Gaga would have been OK. But wearing a uniform symbolizes that she is part of the Army still. She is obviously not a part of the Army any more, so she is showing she can’t accept she’s out of the Army. Not wearing the uniform, and speaking about why gays should be let in the military would not be dishonorable.
The uniform symbolizes so much. To even slightly portray the uniform wrong would cause massive amounts of people to be extremely upset. She should have accounted for that. She got publicity, and she made a statement, but offended an enormous part of the population in the process.
But when you keep trotting out the same banners over and over and over again, as though they are new and original, you're going to be called on it.