"I will end 'don't ask, don't tell,'" President Obama told the Human Rights Campaign, a gay-rights lobbying group, though he did not tell them when.

"I will end 'don't ask, don't tell,'" President Obama told the Human Rights Campaign, a gay-rights lobbying group, though he did not tell them when. His hesitation is merely prudent, but why does the policy exist? Congress has declared that gays should not serve in the military; "don't ask, don't tell" was a Clinton-era administrative compromise, declaring that the military would not look for gays who were discreet. After years of gays on TV shows and in lesson plans, the shock of their presence is gone, which is no bad thing. Still, chains of command and unit cohesion must not be threatened by romance or lust, real or imagined (this is also an argument against women in combat roles). This is especially true of republican armies: Prince Eugene and Frederick the Great didn't shower with anyone. Don't ask, don't tell, don't change. And to President Obama, don't lead on your supporters, but that is another matter.

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