Military grasp lacking

In response to Ms. Lehinger’s letter (Dec. 11) regarding homosexuals in the military, there are several glaring mistakes. First, the small number of respondents and the 63 percent no-responses points to a poorly structured study concentrated on select members, both negating a valid study. Second, it’s glaringly obvious she lacks any military experience, which is vital to understanding studies conducted on military members, and, as revealed toward the end of her letter, a personal agenda.

My 21 years of Army service in the infantry, where the highest concentration of a chauvinistic mindset persists, makes her misguided points amusing, as many of my comrades believed women had no business in the military. The results she contends would be more in line as being from such a concentration than from the military as a whole. For the record, I’ve never followed that line of reasoning.

The response she cites would come from that sort of centralized group, but the DOD study is more in line with the entire military. The last point she states regarding abortions leads me to believe an ulterior motive is involved, which is the usual impetus behind misguided thinking and improperly structured studies. Facts trump opinion every time.

Thomas Peacock

Spokane