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ERIC ALVA - ERIC ALVA
Friday, October 03, 2008
IN
JANUARY
2003,
my
unit
was
deployed
to
the
Middle
East. Third
Battalion
7th
Marines
was
among
one
the
first
to
cross
the
border
of
Kuwait
into
Iraq
for
the
start
of
Operation
Iraqi
Freedom.
Three
hours
into
the
ground
war,
near
the
city
of
Basra,
while
my
unit
stopped
to
rest
and
I
stepped
out
of
my
vehicle
for
a
third
time,
I
triggered
a
landmine.
The
violent
explosion
threw
me
about
15
feet
from
the
vehicle,
and
I
was
left
with
a
broken
left
leg;
a
torn
open,
severely
nerve-damaged
broken
right
arm;
and
a
badly
injured
right
leg
that
was
later
amputated.
I
had
become
the
first
American
wounded
in
the
war,
and
the
war’s
first
Purple
Heart
recipient.
After
13
years
of
military
service,
I
retired
as
a
Staff
Sergeant,
and
I
went
back
to
college
to
finish
my
degree.
While
at
school,
I
decided
to
be
true
to
myself
and
help
others,
coming
out
as
gay.
On
Feb.
28,
2007,
I
joined
Rep.
Martin
Meehan
in
introducing
the
Military
Readiness
Enhancement
Act,
a
bill
designed
to
repeal
the
military’s
“Don’t
Ask,
Don’t
Tell”
law.
With
this
step,
I
openly
acknowledged
to
the
military
and
the
world
that
I
am
a
gay
man
—
one
that
had
served
and
proudly
sacrificed
for
my
country.
I
took
a
courageous
step
toward
fighting
for
the
rights
of
GLBT
Americans,
and
in
particular,
for
those
who
have
served
and
are
serving
in
the
military,
but
are
unable
to
be
true
to
themselves.
My
goal
is
to
help
achieve
civil
rights
for
all
citizens
of
the
United
States.
IN
THIS
ELECTION
year,
we
have
Sen.
John
McCain
running
for
president,
a
man
who
routinely
refers
to
the
military
service
and
sacrifice
that
he
has
given
our
country. He
talks
about
how
he
suffered
and
bled
for
this
country. As
a
fellow
member
of
the
United
States
military,
I
honor
and
respect
his
service
to
our
country. But
Sen.
McCain
does
not
honor
my
service
to
our
country,
nor
does
he
honor
the
service
of
the
thousands
of
gay
and
lesbian
men
and
women
who
have
been
discharged
under
the
discriminatory
law
of
“Don’t
Ask,
Don’t
Tell.”
McCain
thinks
“Don’t
Ask,
Don’t
Tell”
is
working
just
fine. I
have
news
for
the
senator
—
he
is
wrong!
I
would
like
to
tell
McCain
face-to-face
that
I,
too,
suffered
and
bled
for
this
country.
That
I
fought
to
defend
the
freedom
of
the
United
States
just
as
valiantly
as
he
did. That
there
are
thousands
of
men
and
women
who
put
on
the
uniform
of
our
military
and
go
to
work
to
defend
our
nation
every
day.
And
I
would
like
to
ask
him
how,
as
commander
in
chief,
he
could
see
fit
to
deny
us
the
same
equality
that
he
enjoys?
How,
as
commander
in
chief,
could
he
see
fit
to
dishonor
all
of
the
brave
gay
men
and
women
who
have
died
for
this
country?
Any
presidential
candidate
who
would
dishonor
and
discriminate
against
any
group
of
Americans
is
not
fit
to
be
commander
in
chief.
IF
YOU
LOOK
at
where
McCain
stands
on
issues
such
as
“Don’t
Ask,
Don’t
Tell,”
the
Matthew
Shepard
Act
and
ENDA,
it
is
clear
that
John
McCain
does
not
honor
us,
which
makes
it
clear
to
me
that
he
is
unfit
for
duty
and
unfit
to
serve.
As
a
patriotic
gay
American,
I
know
that
Barack
Obama
will
bring
the
necessary
change
we
need
for
this
country. I
am
supporting
Obama
for
president
because
he
believes
in
all
Americans,
regardless
of
who
they
are. He
will
sign
the
Military
Readiness
Enhancement
Act
when
the
time
comes,
and
he
will
be
the
best
commander
in
chief
we
have
seen
in
the
last
eight
years.
And
I
hope
every
LGBT
American,
ally
and
friend
will
join
me
and
do
the
same. We
can
take
our
country
back,
but
we
cannot
do
it
alone. This
is
a
battle
that
everyone
who
believes
in
fairness
and
equality
needs
to
enlist
in.
I
will
cast
my
vote
for
Barack
Obama
on
Oct.
20,
2008,
when
early
voting
begins
in
Texas.
Let’s
bring
change
to
our
country.
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