Sometimes, the right thing is done for the wrong reason. Case in point: President Bush's upcoming decision on what to do about low troop levels in Iraq has turned attention to rethinking our military's "don't ask, don't tell" policy. This is not about enlightenment. It's about desperation. One insider told the BBC this week that the "central theme will be sacrifice" in Bush's upcoming speech.

In a recent New York Times column, reprinted on today's Op-Ed page, retired Army Gen. John Shalikashvili, a former "don't ask, don't tell" supporter, wrote he now feels that serving with homosexuals would not damage troop morale. No kidding. We're sure they have other things on their minds, such as, say, dying on foreign soil and never seeing their families again.

The policy became law in 1993 during President Clinton's first term, and prohibited gays from disclosing their sexual orientation while in the armed forces. Translation: They could serve as long as they remain closeted. Prior to that, homosexuals were banned from serving. But a Pew Research Center poll indicates that 60 percent of Americans favor homosexuals serving in the military. Good thing, because the Military Times reported on Tuesday that according to one service members' gay advocacy group, about "11,000 people have been discharged from the military under 'don't ask, don't tell,' including some in critical specialties such as foreign linguists."

So now that we're considering letting homosexuals in on our big, national sacrifice, maybe we can also let them get married. Just an idea.

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