This is in response to "Minding your business" (letter, March 31). I find this letter very disturbing. I have gay family members and have worked with homosexual servicemembers since joining the military. I think if he spent a little time with them and got to know them, he would find that his whole view on homosexuality is wrong.

The letter writer said, "I wish the general public would understand that homosexuality is not a right, but a choice. Instead, the homosexual minority is trying to [force their opinions on] the population who wish not to know of their choice to be homosexual; I wish the homosexual population would mind its own business."

Correct me if I am wrong but, from my understanding, I thought we, as Americans, had the right to be with whomever we wanted to be with. As far as the homosexual population trying to push its opinion on everyone else, I don’t see that. All that they are asking for is the same rights as the rest of us.

If you have the right to put a picture of your loved one on your desk at work, or bring them to an official military function that means a lot to you such as a promotion ceremony or an awards banquet, why shouldn’t they have the same right?

As far as homosexuality being a choice, let me ask: How many homosexuals has the letter writer asked if that is a choice they made? I can almost guarantee that he isn’t going to find many.

When you really think about it, who would choose to go through what they go through: to have people look down on them, to take a chance on their family disowning them, to have to lie to everyone they know? Not very many people. In the writer’s opinion, "Not knowing is better than knowing." In others’ opinion, not lying is better.

Airman 1st Class Brett StanberyOkinawa

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