Serve proudly

EDITOR: I have served in the military for more than 15 years, and I proudly wear my uniform. While I am heterosexual, I am aware that others with whom I serve are not.

It saddens me that my fellow soldiers are able to defend their country but have to do so surrounded by a veil of secrecy. It's so ironic that the very rights they serve to protect are oftentimes denied to them.

There was a time when blacks and women were also discriminated against when they served. If those barriers were not questioned and broken, I may never have been offered the opportunity to be where I am now.

Simply put, you cannot protect the rights of some while giving up your own. Repeal don't ask, don't tell. The time is now. Let all who serve do so proudly.

TIA SANDERS

Santa Rosa