ATLANTA, Georgia (CNN) - Should gays and lesbians be allowed to serve openly in the U.S. military? The audience applauded Texas Rep. Ron Paul's answer.
"We don't get our rights because we're gays or women or minorities. We get our rights from our creator as individuals. So every individual should be treated the same way," Paul said.
"If there is homosexual behavior in the military that is disruptive, it should be dealt with. But if there's heterosexual sexual behavior that is disruptive, it should be dealt with.
"So it isn't the issue of homosexuality. It's the concept and the understanding of individual rights," he said.
Paul called the current "don't ask,don't tell" policy, implemented during the Clinton adminstration, "a decent policy."
What do you think?
–CNN.com writer Kristi Keck
From CNN Politics
© 2012 Cable News Network. Turner Broadcasting System, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
| Advertising practices | Advertise with us | About us | Work for us | Help
Ron Paul- The Only True Republican Candidate!
Paul is right on this issue.
The socialist elities want everyone to be divided into groups.
However it's all based upon individual rights.
Thats how we got into half the government waste were in.
Gays have to have rights and some gov program, women have to have certain rights and some gov program, etc...
It should be based upon individual rights given to all by our creator and no special rights because of race, creed, sex, sexual orientation.
Gov needs to be smaller now and not later. Thats one reason I will be voting for Paul.
"Let me maneuver my way out of this one with grace." Dumbed down version.
Another candidate who, in the end, will pander to America's homophobia.
Ron Paul is exactly right – lets move past personal beliefs and start doing whats right for America.
RON IS RIGHT WE GET OUT RIGHTS FROM GOD NOT GOVERMENT!
Ron Paul was correct. Stop treating gays as a sub-class of citizens but don't hold their hands and coddle their every want and desire.
They are Americans first and foremost. If your personal life or sexual lifestyle conflict with the good order and discipline of the United States military.... be gone with you!
Leave it to Ron Paul to put things in the correct perspective. He must not be a good dancer like the other candidates.
Hooray
Ron Paul is absolutly correct.We are all gods children.
The USA is the only country in the western world that does not allow gays to serve in the military. I have heard of no problems in other countries
Hilary said it best the other night, Don't Ask, Don't Tell was the best compromise they could come up with 15 years ago. But now its time has come and they need to drop all restrictions on gays serving in the armed services.
I could not vote on the Political Ticker poll.....
It seems to be malfunctioning for me.
So I wish to reveal my vote quite publicly....
Ron Paul has my support! And in my opinion, wins the debate.
That is the best response be far.
Dr. Ron Paul's response included the smartest policy I've heard from a politician about this issue:
“If there is homosexual behavior in the military that is disruptive, it should be dealt with. But if there’s heterosexual sexual behavior that is disruptive, it should be dealt with."
Without a doubt the most thoughtful and common sense answer that I have heard from any candidate in either party.
Paul is absolutely right. Grouping and tagging individuals is the foundation of racism and other forms of prejudice. We ought to consider everyone a unique individual.
ron paul is right it is not a homosexual issue.
He says 'don't ask, don't tell' is a decent policy. I agree.
Ron Paul needs more time to speak CNN! You guys are not doing a debate the way it should be done...
Every time I here Ron Paul speak I want to hear more from him.
Rep. Paul is absolutely right on target with this issue. This was easily the most direct answer of the night from any of the candidates. Very nicely done.
Ron Paul did a great job. Although he had probably the least amount of questions, he made sense, he made the most of them, and believe it or not, he actually answered them. He definitely should be our President.
Ron Paul is right on the money with not only the homosexuality question but ever other he was asked. Ron Paul was outstanding.
I felt Ron Paul had the best response to this question, and I agree with Mike Huckabee, at least to a degree, that we should allow the military to establish its policy on this and other issues. However, I don't understand why someone like Ron Paul didn't raise his hand to support changng this policy. Maybe I don't understand the nature of the policy, but I am guessing that the objection by civil liberties groups has less to do with the "Don't ask" part of the policy than the "Don't tell" part. In fact, I'd guess it's entirely the latter part. Granted, an interview for any position shouldn't include this question, no more than we can be asked what our religion is when applying for a position. But if I were to volunteer that I am a Lutheran, then that also should not be cause for not hiring me. In like manner, I think gay people want the freedom to 'admit' that they are gay and not have that cost their job. If soldiers have recently lost their positions in the military [and assuming it was NOT for misconduct] simply because they were gay, and if this is considered permissible under the current policy, then it seems this policy is very contradictory to the American ideal of civil rights. I thought Joe Biden had the best answer overall to this question the other night. If you have a British soldier next to you, and he's gay, and he's got our back, he's your best friend right then, and you'd be awfully mad if policy dicated he could not be there at that moment to protect you. Ron Paul seemed to be perhaps the most reasonable GOP candidate, except for a bit of inconsistency on this issue. I hope he isn't fearing the GOP has a litmus test on this issue. And I certainly hope they don't, either.
Yet again, Ron Paul see's the forest through the trees. I am sick of people branding people and marginalizing them. People are people and if all are treated fairly, there wouldn't be a problem in the first place.
Dr. Paul is the only level headed person in the debate. He says people should be treated equally and hes right. Long live Dr. Paul!!!
Ron Paul's consistency is something to be desired. What a fantastic candidate. This response was one of my favorites tonight.
I think he is right.