Will "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" soon become history?

A recent report from the Pentagon suggests that Secretary of Defense, Leon Panetta, will officially certify that homosexuals may serve openly in the military. The move by Panetta is not a huge surprise since Congress approved, and the president signed in to law a measure that would repeal the controversial "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy. According to "Don't Ask, Don't Tell," if an individual is openly gay, they are not allowed to serve in the United States military. When "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" became law in the early 1990's, the concern was that heterosexual soldiers would be uncomfortable serving alongside someone who was homosexual. Many believed that morale would also be affected if gays were allowed to openly serve in the military. Panetta's decision to certify that homosexuals can serve openly comes as a result of top military leaders agreeing that repealing the seventeen year-old ban will not negatively affect military readiness. In my view, if someone was openly gay and serving honorably alongside me, I could care less if they are homosexual. Why should that person's sexual orientation affect the way I look at how they do their job? If they are a good soldier, and are committed to defending their country, isn't that the most important thing? I applaud Congress, the president, and Secretary Panetta for ending, through the repeal of "Don't Ask, Don't Tell," what is blatantly a discriminatory policy.