We're hard-pressed to fully comprehend what legitimate morale issues would arise if gay service members were allowed to serve openly in the U.S. armed forces. We are not aware of any research indicating differences between homosexuals and heterosexuals when it comes to firing weapons, following orders, flying planes, saluting, repairing tank treads, dismantling roadside bombs or any other critical and necessary duties that arise defending our country.

Military personnel are taught allegiance to the flag and uniform. Differences in ethnicity, color, gender, religion, class, upbringing or age are de-emphasized. Everybody's uniforms look identical. One's rank is the only differential factor that matters when it comes to showing respect.

The armed services' own manuals stress that prejudice is caused by a lack of understanding of others' circumstances. How any understanding can be found in the context of the current "don't ask, don't tell" policy is beyond us.

It is time to remove the last vestige of institutional discrimination in the U.S. military.

Supporters of such a repeal are not hard to find. President Barack Obama, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Adm. Mike Mullen, former Joint Chiefs Chairman Gen. Colin Powell, Defense Secretary Robert Gates and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., merely top the list.

There are detractors, to be sure. Many military and legislative leaders fear disruption in the ranks while the nation is busy fighting two wars.

But to wait for a time when the country is not at war before repealing this ban is not the answer. First of all, we're at war a lot. There simply aren't that many time periods in U.S. history when we're not engaged in one military conflict or another. Secondly, when we're not at war we're preparing for war. That's why we have had such a relatively successful force.

Most of Europe allows gay people to serve openly in the military. So does Canada, Israel and Australia. And we're fighting right alongside those troops today in Afghanistan.

We don't really see the morale component of this issue. We do, however, see a moral one. We see the same anti-acceptance mindset that existed when the military debated allowing women to serve. And again when black people were being considered.

We need to be mindful of what our military fights to defend: freedom, equality and the American way of life. Gay people reap those benefits the same as straight people in this country. Both should be allowed to fight for them as well.

Editorial by Patrick Lowry

plowry@dailynews.net