Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell = Lie

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Our military has always led the way in the desegregation of our society. It is, in many ways, the most meritocratic of our national institutions. It should be a fundamental right of Americans to help defend their nation by service in the armed forces, if they are physically capable. ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’ is fundamentally dishonest, and separates good soldiers from the service. The first item on a Democratic President’s agenda should be the elimination of discrimination based on sexual preferences from our armed forces.

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8 thoughts on “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell = Lie”

  2. Francine and X4mr:

    I do not want to misrepresent your positions, as I believe that we agree on this. However, I have to slightly disagree or ask for clarification on your position on this.

    I agree that the grousing about sex and people’s private lives is ridiculous and that we need to focus on other issues. However, this is a civil rights issue to me. The status quo is frankly unfair and ridiculous. Don’t ask, don’t tell has been used to force good soldiers out of the army. It also still presumes that being gay or lesbian is wrong and should be hidden or not admitted while heterosexuality is celebrated. No one gets dismissed for being heterosexual, but people do get dismissed if they don’t hide their same sex preferences.

    I think it is a very important issue and it appears to be a generational issue. College students today tend to support civil unions and even same sex marriage more than their elders. They see the ability to serve in the military, despite their preferences of partner, as a right of fairness, fitness, and bravery.

    I would like to see some in the older generation stand up for what is right and educate their peers on this. The Democratic party runs away from this civil right or quietly supports it. I needs to be a little less quiet and when people are discriminated against we should stand up and support them.

    Again, I believe you both are probably with me on this one, but I wanted to just underscore the importance of this issue.

  3. Well, it is possible for Dwight and I to look at something and have the same reaction. Yes, Francine, well said.

    In an update, we now have Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff caught griping about the immorality of homosexual sex.

    I wonder how long it’s going to take for folks to wake up and stop thinking about this. This occurs to me as every bit as stupid as a fight breaking out at an ice cream shop between a group that likes mint chocolate chip and those who prefer rocky road.

    It is, indeed, that dumb.

  5. Good grief! Why can’t we all agree that people’s private business is just that – their private business! That includes their religious beliefs and practices or the lack of them; behavior of consenting adults; y’all can supply the rest of the examples. Let’s concentrate on those things that we need to do to improve our society – ban torture, restore habeas corpus, protect the constitution. I am frankly sick and tired of the tedious discussions of sex. It’s no one’s business what anyone does as long as it doesn’t involve exploitation of children.

    ARGHHH!!!

  6. What a bunch of hogwash Dwight? No one is suggesting a military gay pride parade and no straight person has to hide his or herself or beliefs in the military.

    The person you knew who was gay and rose all they way up as you said undoubtably was not celebate all those years in the military. Undoubtably, others knew…you knew. And he apparently did a damned fine job.

    As I said in my post before, the arguments about gays and lesbians serving are no different than the ancient and discriminatory thought that kept blacks from serving with white soldiers and women from serving on the front lines with men. Both barriers have been broken and the military has been enriched because of it.

    Finally, your statement that a gay man blew up his straight colleagues suggests that this is what we would expect from others who happen to be gay or lesbian and serve. I don’t expect to change your ways, but this is a ridiculous argument.

    The military policy has done a great deal of harm. It has in fact created more discrimination and has even led soldiers to rat their fellow soldiers out because the policy would get them bounced.

    Our military needs soldiers…period. There is not a single argument that you can make that would suggest that they be lesser soldiers. The Espirit de Corp argument and socialization argument no longer flies…given what we have seen from women serving next to men and not harming a unit as some suggested.

    I would change the code too. An open military where people can be soldiers first and can serve. A military where if someone doesn’t like a gay man serving with them, then they should follow orders and deal with it. Finally, if anyone harasses a gay or lesbian soldier, like a female or black soldier, then they should face charges.

    All of this would stop be a welcoming military, a great military, and a military that America would be proud of.

  7. I knew of a person in the Air Force who achieved the highest enlisted rank and served all over the World and was gay. He was able to use don’t ask don’t tell as one uses personal religious beliefs; and keep them to yourself.

    I do NOT think the Military is the place to have a Gay Pride Day Parade celebrating coming out. Many of the Services have a dislike for the other Service just because of who they are , let alone adding another layer on top of that; which is really something to go through in Boot Camp. As we saw in Kuwait as one Gay Soldier blew up his platoon leader and other straight soldiers.

    The Military is NOT a FREE DEMOCRACY of free flowing ideas, it is a CHAIN OF COMMAND and FOLLOW ORDERS!

    If Gay or Lesbian soldiers can NOT accept the Military for what it is due to its command structure ; and adapt to it as my friend had done, and was very successful being in over 20 years, than I do NOT think they should enlist.

    Having said that; if we go to a DRAFT than it changes the picture. Re-enacting the Draft I support changing the Military Code of Conduct concerning personal preferences.

  8. Many of the same arguments about allowing gays in the military were used against women being in the military and later about them serving in combat.

    Now women proudly serve and die for their country as well.

    What is the difference is a young gay man or lesbian woman or tansgendered person wishes to serve and die for their country as well.

    Hell, right now it is apparent that the military is stretched as thin as can be and discrimination is only hurting the military with its numbers.

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