Recently, the California State Assembly passed a bill that would give veterans from that state who were discharged under "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" a chance to receive full state benefits. However, Lou Sheldon of the Traditional Values Coalition doesn't think this will go anywhere at the federal level.
"It's going to pass the California Legislature, but I don't see the House of Representatives at this time doing anything, or the Senate of this same nature," he predicts. "I mean, there are so many homosexual bills this year it's hard to keep track of them."
Sheldon contends that if soldiers violated the law, they should not be able to get their benefits back.
"If someone breaks the law in the military and [is] dishonorably discharged, or, for whatever reason, they're discharged, then no -- they don't receive their benefits," he reasons.
Even if they were discharged as a result of a discriminatory law? I have to wonder how many black and Hispanic servicemen were drummed out of the military for trumped up reasons when it was obvious discrimination was the real reason. Would Sheldon oppose giving THEM benefits?