Edward Kelly, Jr., Red Oak

Letter to the Editor

As a U.S. Army veteran that served during the Vietnam era, I am shocked and ashamed at President Trump’s decision to ban transgender people from the military. His reasons for the dictatorial decree: the burden of the tremendous medical costs and disruption to military readiness. Those arguments are a smokescreen and untrue. Extensive studies have shown that there is only a 0.04-0.13 percent increase in total defense health care spending and there is no cost to military readiness associated with allowing trans people to serve.

What’s really going on? It was Vice President Pence influenced by the anti-LGBTQ groups such as the Family Research Council, which lobbied the House of Representatives to pass an amendment to the 2018 Defense Spending Bill that would have ended care for transgender people in the military who are transitioning. I am proud of 24 Republicans who joined Democrats to vote it down. That was democracy in action — voting down a discriminatory and unjust amendment.

Now the president who promised in his campaign to protect lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender Americans from violence and oppression is trying to score cheap political points on the backs of the American soldiers. I am hoping that Americans will stand up and speak up for these brave soldiers who put their lives on the line for this country.

— Edward Kelly Jr., Red Oak