Don't ask, don't tell
I'll have to respectfully diagree with my colleague, Doug Clark: Yes, the local college students who attempted to enlist as avowed homosexuals obviously did so to make a point.
That point is that the military's "Don't Ask. Don't Tell" policy is intherently unfair and hypocritcal.
The underlying premise: You have to hide your eexual orienation only if you're gay. Further, you still may be discharged from the miiltary for being gay, no matter how exemplary your service record.
That's just plain wrong.
Any American citizen who wants to serve in the military, and who meets the physical and educational requirements, ought to have that opportunity.
Comments (7)
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I'm not sure that you're disagreeing: you concede that it was a form of protest, not an actual attempt to join the military. You might concede Doug's point that military recruiters shouldn't interrogate recruits as to their sexual orientation. Your point is that the policy is wrong and thus deserving of such protest.
Obviously, that's a legitimate position, and one apparently held by your reporter, who rather credulously presents the pseudo-recruits as actually wanting to join the military.
Posted on September 25, 2006 1:03 PM
Allen,
I agree that people who want to join the military shouldn't be denied doing so because of their sexual orientation. So, as I said on Doug's blog, they should have been signed-up, inducted, and sent to Irag to serve their country. If that is what they want, they should be allowed to do it. But, what do you think their reaction would have been in that event? True patriots?
Posted on September 25, 2006 1:06 PM
Certainly soldiers who have served with distinction have been booted out of the military when their sexual orientation became known. That doesn't happen to heterosexuals and it's patently unfair.
Posted on September 25, 2006 2:23 PM
Allen,
I agree. Let's let all that want to serve come on down. They just need to understand what they are signing on to. Let's also make the distinction between those that really want to serve and those that just want to advance their own agendas.
Posted on September 25, 2006 5:26 PM
Trying to make the military into yet another "social experiment" by allowing coldiers to flagrantly flaunt their homosexuality is detrimental to our military strength. It may also detrimental to the health of the homosexuals who will be harassed, ostracized, and possibly physically abused by normal soldiers. It tears down unit cohesiveness and debilitates the moral.
Bad idea.
Posted on September 26, 2006 3:01 PM
What is flagrant flaunting of homosexuality? What is flagrant flaunting of heterosexuality? Are both equally bad?
Posted on September 26, 2006 3:06 PM
As for the "social experiment" complaint, it sounds familiar, as in when the military integrated by race. As I recall, that appears to have worked just fine (in fact, the military has been more prgressive in that area than society at large).
Posted on September 26, 2006 3:13 PM