HIV Soldier Found Guilty
Bad news for Johnny Lamar Dalton, the HIV-positive soldier who stood trial for having unprotected sex with a teenager:
[Dalton] has been sentenced to 40 months in military prison for having unprotected sex with an 18 year-old male he met online. Dalton had tested positive last year and was ordered by his superiors not to have unprotected sex. After the teenager tested positive, his mother notified the military. Dalton was convicted of violating a direct order, committing an “indecent act”, and possessing marijuana. After his sentence is completed, Dalton will be dishonorably discharged.
While we’re totally against the way our military treats gay people, we’re glad to hear this man’s being punished. Except for the marijuana infraction. That’s bogus.
This is a sorry case. I don’t know how old the soldier is, but maybe 5 or so years older than the teen. I agree that DADT gay soldiers are true patriots who have deep love for a country who doesn’t love them back, but this is egregious and so unnecessary, and he deserves what the UCMJ has determined and 40 months of hard labour is hard and hopefully will not harden his heart to repeat this act anonymously as a civilian.
It is hoped that the soldier seek someone positive who will help him understand why he engaged in such behaviour and get help for both his physical and emotional issues. Despite it all, this man should not be abandoned by all. He is a victim who became a victimizer.
He is about eight years the victims senior. Why should society cast sympathy upon this private. Every action has a reaction and thus yields a continual reaction. The DADT policy is merely a manifestation of our greater society practice. People ridicule Pres. Clinton for implementing this policy which has already been in customaries for ages, long before Clinton. No matter how open society will succumb to the acceptance of gays, men will always fight themselves for that macho thrown. This includes lying and concealing. He should be punished not for being a closeted gay but for being irresponsible and downright evil.