Believe those who are seeking the truth. Doubt those who find it.
Monday, February 8, 2010
T,R 9:50am
26 comments:
Anonymous
said...
I never clearly understand th concept of being gay. I have been told since I was a kid that it was not a good thing and many years later I still think there is something abnormal about it . For me , being gay is like an Hormone error or a some sort of genetic problem that occurs in some people. Gay serving in the military is not and will never be a problem . The fact that someone is gay doesn't mean that it is a sexual predator . people have to understand the concept . Gays are not Bad person they are only people who have different sexual orientation than the majority of people .
I for one respect people’s sexual orientation. I feel that everyone is in their right to choose who they would like to spend their life with. But I think that homosexuals should be allowed into the military but with the requirement that they cannot express their homosexuality while enlisted. In my opinion if they express their homosexuality there will be a lot of casualties because many other soldiers would not appreciate that very much. I believe everyone should have the right to enlist and defend their country but everyone needs to have a standard code of conduct which in this case would be a soldier’s code of conduct.
Personally, I respect the sexual orientation of other people. But I have just one little question to Madelayne: How will a homosexual revealing his/her sexual preference ultimately cause more casualties?
On the other hand, no one should give a damn about what someone's sexual orientation is, and I don't think that someone's ability to perform in the military is hindered (or affected in any way) by their sexual preference. I know a homosexual who is more than capable of performing a heterosexual's job in the military. After all, he is ranked pretty high in the Air Force.
Well, isn't it true? Gays do not belong in combat they say "Oh they are capable and can do the job," or "Oh I know people who are gay and do it." Pffh, I do not care if you're gay, you do not belong there. If real man can't handle it most of the time, than who says that you can? Who are we to critize who goes? Well the hell, I don't want to spend my tax money on a failure who can't even decide for a fact what his orientation is.
gays are too precious? lets ponder on what that means... too precious to risk serving in the military? everyone(civil rights activists) is talking about giving gays equal rights and all that good stuff, but if that's really the case then why should they be exempt from enlisting? In the end, we're only taking more of their rights away and in no way does homosexuality allude to weakness and lack of manhood...Silvia -_-
Medelayne: how would someones sexual orientation cause more casualties? and you cannot restrict one group from expressing themselves. no one should have to express their orientation.
I don't think there was anything wrong with the don't ask don't tell policy. What should it matter if some one his homosexual or straight, theres not even a reason to ask/bring it up. the only thing that should matter is that the person cares about his/hers country and what it stands for and they want to show their patriotism.
I disagree with the military's rule of "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" because to my opinion that fall under the freedom of speech right.Do they actually have anything that makes it impossible for them to perform better than a heterosexual? Gays are humans wether people agree with their sexuality or not they should respect it and allow them to express their feelings, in any type of jobs without them being scared of losing their jobs.
I'm all for equal rights. Labeling homosexuals as "precious" is not equal. If they want to join the military they have every right. What is the difference between a straight man in the army and a homosexual in the army? are they not fighting for the same cause? are they not defending the same country? and since when did one's sexual orientation become an importance in war? Frankly, I think the fact that this is even an issue just shows how much American's love to CREATE issues.
Madelayne, please do elaborate. How would someone's sexual orientation cause casualties?
I have always had great respect for what society considers "minorities" regardless of it being sex, sexual orientation, race, ethnicity, culture ect... the personal values or worth for me truly lie within the individual's principles that define what a person's value is in essence. We, as prof. triff said have been brainwash by society, i am not saying it because i heard it from him, no! actually that is my point pesicely; why do we think certain things about certain people? repeat what we hear, appeal to the masses, adopt society's perceptions, prejudices and judgements as our own? sadly, they become engraved in us and is an eternal cycle of prejudice and false, unproved, information lacking real justifications, at least for the most part. My point is who are we to judge a person's sexual orientation? who are we truly to judge at all? like slavery and religious medieval tortures, these judgements based on "ignorance" have caused our society enough grieve through the centuries. I am not trying to be bias, however i do not agree with the united states military regarding this particular matter and furthermore am disgusted by the sarcasm and cynical attitude of the general; i am heterosexual and the reason being is because it happens that is my sexual preference had i liked women instead of men, i would have not cared about society; in conclusion this action by the military is even less logical taking into consideration the science of sexual orientation which indeed proves to be more certain. homosexuals are for the most part born with that gene and chromosomes, that should be respected, not doing so is ignorant and much worst, violates human rights.
I agree that you shouldn't ask or tell when enlisting in the military what your sexual orientation is, it's nobody's concern straight people don't go around saying what preference they have and neither should gay if you happen to tell your orientation that's up to you and the people you communicate with to know. The military is a job field like any other where sexual encounters or showing affection is not allowed in a work field. I don't think is right to judge people for being gay they are doing their job in the military to serve their country and that shouldn't be taken away to anyone it's an honor as a job to do. Still I believe behavior for anyone as to show their orientation of any sort should be regulated unless you decide to show what you are in private to a partner or anyone is your business why your already happy to be out the closet, why tell the world.
I have found a very interesting post on a "military" blog (link at the bottom of my post) in which a gay woman has to talk about her personal life through the internet because if she would talk about it on the military she would be discharged, doesn't that looks unreal? How a fighter of the country has to hide from it's own defender? To be gay and in the military in US sounds as a contradiction or an "invalid argument" for many people. Others, unhappy with the government law consider it unfair, and others really don't care.
Me on my behalf has the right to say that weather you are gay or straight your strength and enthusiasm to defend the country won't change.
In fact, the fact that gay people has to lie to defend their country probably reduce their moral and opinion of the values of their country, but still fight.
I sincerely consider the law that forbids gay people to assist on the military as bad as racism, there is no physical difference, neither mental, on the goals required to fight. To allow gay people in the military would in fact increase the american army.
We have seen through movies how a "gay in the military would be "dangerous" and capable of harassment to other men. But truth is that there is harassment to woman every other day already, the fact that gay people are or not there doesn't mean there is not going to be rape or intent of it. ("A 2003 survey of more than 550 female veterans who served in wars from Vietnam to the first Gulf war found that 30 per cent said they suffered from rape or attempted rape and 79 per cent reported being sexually harassed...")
Furthermore, and that is the saddest part, if a gay fighter dies, their children or partner wouldn't be notified of their death unless a family member as father or mother would tell them. Isn't that cruel? To know that your partner is fighting for a country that won't even let your "family" know that you've lost your life on the field?
In addition, the social environment that exist right now on the military is, as the woman from the blog let us know, very unfair. Heterosexual fighters talk with their buddy's about their son, daughter, wife and husband with a happy smile in their face, while gay fighters can't mention anything else than "friend" or "nephew" since otherwise they could be reported and discharged.
To end my comment i just wanted to add a fact, we allow people with a criminal record and/or with past drug abuse and we do not allow someone attracted to someone the same sex? Sincerely, if they can do their job, which it is proven they can, in my behalf, their welcome to participate!
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/worldnews/article-1170559/How-female-U-S-soldiers-Iraq-growing-risk-raped-assaulted--male-colleagues.html (SEXUAL HARASSMENT IN THE MILITARY)
I don't agree with the "don't ask don't tell" policy. Homosexuals that want to serve our country should have the same rights as any regular person. They should be allowed to serve openly. It is no ones business if a person is gay or not, is not like it will affect their life. This policy is not effective and I find it that it is disrespectful to the homosexuals that do want to serve our country but have to lie about who they really are.
"Well the hell, I don't want to spend my tax money on a failure who can't even decide for a fact what his orientation is."
I'm sorry, but holy crap, that is the stupidest statement I've heard in a REALLY long time. HELLO, the whole point is that they know they're gay. They have every right to express themselves. I mean, seriously, homosexuality incites more casualties? What, is it like being gay makes you magnetic and attracts more bullets?
Thanks for posting that link on the Onion by the way, that was hilarious.
With the way that history has developed, we've made efforts to silence blacks and women; but it seems like the new minority recently has become gay people. It's ridiculous, and this is why Europe laughs at us as a nation -- we're too religious to be taken seriously. Anyway, I find this all to be seriously ridiculous and this is why I hate the topic of gay marriage in nearly every single class I have.
The idea of being "gay" has always had negative conotations. Sadly this is the world that we live in. I honestly do not see why this is such an important factor in the military. There are many "gay" men that are more masculine that "straight" men. I agree with the point made about gay men needing to be punished the same for sexual advances as men are if they make advances to women. "Gay" men are simply a minority and for such an "advanced" country we should be passed this stage. The United States are one three countried left to allow "gays" to join the military and I think it is a move that the country needs to make. One should not be stopped to serve his/her country based on sexual orientation that won't affect his/her performance.
The "don't ask don't tell" bill is one of the smartest one's brought before Congres and should be taken seriously. Discrimination is a serious thing and should not be taken lightly. Hopefully this bill will be passed and things will finally change.
In my opinion I understand that" don't ask ,don't tell "is a policy instated by the army to kick gays and lesbiens out since 1947. I do not think it make any difference whatsoever, in a sense i am sure that your sexual preference can not interfere with your judgement when it comes to right or wrong. When your are an homosexual you still have the same capabilities with an heterosexual.I think" don't ask, don't tell "is very a discriminitory policy, it is time for a change.Every one should get equal treatment.
We always tend to classify things as normal or abnormal basing our selves in majorities. The big common mistake is to confound what is different with what is wrong. What is hard to realize is how wrong we are sometimes, following a routine, a pattern, a line that doesn’t even exist and really, do majorities do the right things? Who are we to judge? I used to believe that homosexuality was wrong, growing up in a country where only few has the strength to show up their sexual desires, and being raised in a way were being homosexual wasn’t the correct option. Now, after opening up my mind and getting to know some special people around me, (people I never thought could be homosexuals) I know how gays should feel, and what a hard time they are having being the black sheep in the farm without doing anything wrong. Hiding inside their own worlds and suffering critiques, jokes, being the gossip in their places, being DIFFERENT. They should have all the rights we posses. I shouldn’t even talk about it as “them” and discriminate from “we” (heterosexuals). All human beings unfortunately have the same abilities to FIGHT in WAR, sexual preferences have nothing to do with it; what matters is a person willingness to go to war. The whole theme is absurd and I am sure everyone is aware of this. It is just too scary for some people to accept what is different and confront changes.
Being gay has been taboo for quiet sometime now. Even today in the 21st century, it is still taboo for a person to be homosexual. Now think back, ( please don't take this out of context, I am not racist, or discriminating of any sort. And I am not bias to any side whatsoever.) Now when you think back to the slave days, where White Americans would take in African-Americans as their slaves. When a white person would take in a slave, they would treat the black person as an animal, thinking they are not far from being animal, and that a slave would never be a person. Isn't that something? So being an African-American was foreign, if then not even thought of as a person. That reality is not far from being gay. The white plantation owners would own up to God, saying that it's okay to take in slaves, and that it is the right thing to do. They would use religion as a safety factor. With that in mind, religion has conquered the world ,( again don't think I am against anyone's views or disrespecting anyone for that matter), What are the 2 most common religions in the world? Christianity, and Catholicism. When a person first thinks about it, its not entirely true, but when you this fact to different countries around the world, this of how many countries Spin has conquered,think of how worldly respected the Vatican is, and how it is it's own province, with its own capital, not being part of Italy. all Hispanic countries in Central, and South America are either Catholic, or Christian. Now think of other countries that are not Hispanic, but have the influence of Catholicism. The Philippines have the majority of being Catholic, so does Thailand, Taiwan, even China is growing into it. But coming back to the matters of homosexuals in society, its a preference. its not a disease, or disorder, its just simply a preference. Just because its not what one likes doesn't mean its bad. Different has never been bad. its just outside the box. as for homosexuals being predators, males who rape women don't get as much credit as for priest molesting young boys. Whats wrong with that picture?
I feel that we have to analyze this more to understand what exactly is going on. Being in the military is something a person does to represent something that they are believing in. They are fighting for something that means something to them. Now let's talk about homosexuals. These are people who have certain interests that is basically different than the norm. These two topics are both depending on each person seperately depending on the situation they are in or who exactly they are. Now reading your post Professor I have to say that I can't understand what these people are saying. Being in the military and being a homosexual are two completely different topics. They have nothing whatsovever to do with eachother. It's like saying a person can't vote because they like the color red. What's the connection? Nothing. Exactly my point.
There is no point in keeping this policy in effect. To begin with there are many gays in the military as it is. Quite possibly, some high ranking officers along with some of the most decorated soldiers are gay as well. Another thing to think about is that this policy makes no logical sense; when did sexual orientation begin to affect a soldiers performance in the battle field. The military was made to defend the freedom, rights, and liberties of Americans. So, why then deny them to our countries soldiers. The United States of America is a nation made up of people from diverse backgrounds and cultures, and yes, sexual orientations. Would it only be logical if the military force defending such a nation to resembled it. Besides, if the military is constantly going to complain about not having enough people who are willing and able to serve in the military then they don't the luxury to deny anyone.
The General who was speaking is blowing nothing but hot air....The army is not fighting on the front line just becaause the gays want have to0...they are fighting for there county.Now I don't agree with letting gays fight in the army because,reason why is that if they wanted gays to be in the army then there wouldn't be a don't ask police.You see why have that police if you know there are people that do not like gays....What happen when they find out. I know that we like to think that this country have over turned there out look on racist but we haven't. The moment someone finds out that the man they share a room with is gay is going to have it!!!!. In the army there is a code of conduct..you look out for your man..what happens when you are at war and your partner or partners doesn't care for gays and you are out on the battle field what makes you think they will have or watch your back.So why do we should care for a don't ask don't tell police. It just shows that you have something to hind and then your cover is blown.All it takes is for one soldier to have doubt about you ..just one.
This is something I did not know about. I don't think it's right to pretend to call them delicate or precious, because in my opinion that's them just trying to sugar coat the reality. They just don't want gay people in the army for whatever else it is but please don't say that's it's because they love them and all that! I don't care who likes who or who is with who as long as it doesn't affect me I'm fine and people being gay has no effect on me. Prohibiting someone the right to fight for their country is just sad! That's discrimination but ofcourse they put it all cute and cuddly so people don't see the reality I say that's BRAIN WASHING!!!
I believe that gays should not be allowed in the military. At the same time, the soldiers might just be sitting, or sharing a room next to or with a gay person. They should keep the don't ask and don't tell policy. Some people are brought up with very strict people that completely despise gay people. While other people have never seen a gay person. If you put a gay person next to them they will probably want to beat them up. You will most likely have a war within a military battalion. The don't ask, don't tell policy should stay. No one needs to know what your sexual preferences are. As long as humans respect one another, that's all that matters. Most of the time is best not to know things like this, it just complicates things more.
The premises being used to not allow homosexuals to serve in the military are completely absurd and illogical. Sexual orientation and military effectiveness do not affect each other at all. If it can be shown that a persons sexual preference is a detriment to a military group affecting their moral or togetherness then there would be a reason to exempt gays from the military, but if this is not the case then what is left is unrighteous hatred towards homosexual and illogically impeding them from protecting their country just like everyone else.
Usually when someone is against homosexuality, it's because of either religion or just personal aversion. Those two reasons are not justified for stopping gays from joiningbthe army. If I don't like red heads, or if my religion thinks that people with green eyes are evil, can I really stop them from doing what they love? In the news we see many horrendous acts done by heterosexuals, yet they're permitted to enscribe. If there's a homosexual that joins the army and causes some kind of disturbance, it's completely fine that they are discharged. Homosexuality is not equivalent to bad or evil. Don't believe me? Check the dictionary. Society needs to get over these kind of things, they'll have to eventually so why not now?
I will try to make my opinion brief and concise being that this issue is one a thesis could be written on. Background: I was I was enlisted in the United States Army for 5 years and served with a Military Intelligence Unit as an analyst. One of my best friends, a member of my platoon both at Ft. Hood and during our deployment to Iraq, is bisexual. His orientation was known to the members of my platoon who knew him best but not to the rest of the unit. During my tour in Iraq I dealt with units of different compositions (combat soldiers, interrogators, engineers, etc.). Opinion: While I would like the homosexual/bisexual soldiers in our service to be able to serve openly, I don’t think this time is the right time. I believe that time will only come following the death of a generation of ideas and at a time without war. 1) Allowing homosexuals to openly serve in the military is not the same as allowing women to serve in the military because the armed forces are allowed to segregate them. i.e. Women don’t shower, change, etc, in the same areas that the men do. Women have separate living quarters as well as separate bathroom facilities. 2) I believe it would more closely resemble (but not parallel) when our nation tried to integrate African Americans into the armed forces. For a time there was segregation within the armed forces. This was because most of the old generation was part of the armed forces and refused (because of their antiquated ideas) to serve next to African American men. It wasn’t until the old generations of thought had passed away and lost hold of their control of society that integration was truly possible. 3) Segregation is not something that will be tolerated when homosexuals/bisexuals are allowed to openly serve. “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell,” some might argue, was segregation in its purest form: Be like us, or don’t serve. As such the transition from “Don’t ask, Don’t tell” will not be a gradual one with the death of one way of thinking and the allowed blossoming of a newer way. It will be an immediate slap in the face to army system while at a time of war. 4) This would present many immediate and pressing issues. Do you have seperate living arrangements? How do you prevent the influx of false sexual harassment charges against homosexuals/bisexuals by homophobes? How do you prevent the breakdown of team cohesion in units which happen to contain homophobes during a time of war? I know homosexuals aren’t predators. However, you would allow a woman to bathe in front of a man. No matter how non predatory he might be, he has his instinctual desires and would likely evaluate her even if he didn’t present his opinions. I would like to believe that hate for someone on your team would be superseded by the mission focus and the enemy at your front, but squad cohesion, efficiency, and effectiveness are all broken there is tension within a squad. I will take more than one Equal Opportunity briefing to change long standing and deep seeded ignorance. Being a member of the United States military is unlike anything else. It is like Nagel’s Bat. You cannot not truly understand what it is to be to train with your squad, your platoon and your company, go to war, and live through each day knowing that you depend on the people to your right and left to survive. There is no room for distrust, disrespect, or second guessing. If just one of these elements is present an entire mission can be compromised. I understand the “Don’t ask, Don’t tell” policy has had casualties, but I fear that a change at this time would cause too many more. I don’t deny this is an issue, I hold that this is the wrong time for such abrupt change.
26 comments:
I never clearly understand th concept of being gay. I have been told since I was a kid that it was not a good thing and many years later I still think there is something abnormal about it . For me , being gay is like an Hormone error or a some sort of genetic problem that occurs in some people.
Gay serving in the military is not and will never be a problem . The fact that someone is gay doesn't mean that it is a sexual predator . people have to understand the concept . Gays are not Bad person they are only people who have different sexual orientation than the majority of people .
Steeve Philippe
I for one respect people’s sexual orientation. I feel that everyone is in their right to choose who they would like to spend their life with. But I think that homosexuals should be allowed into the military but with the requirement that they cannot express their homosexuality while enlisted. In my opinion if they express their homosexuality there will be a lot of casualties because many other soldiers would not appreciate that very much. I believe everyone should have the right to enlist and defend their country but everyone needs to have a standard code of conduct which in this case would be a soldier’s code of conduct.
- Madelayne Cisneros
Personally, I respect the sexual orientation of other people. But I have just one little question to Madelayne: How will a homosexual revealing his/her sexual preference ultimately cause more casualties?
On the other hand, no one should give a damn about what someone's sexual orientation is, and I don't think that someone's ability to perform in the military is hindered (or affected in any way) by their sexual preference. I know a homosexual who is more than capable of performing a heterosexual's job in the military. After all, he is ranked pretty high in the Air Force.
Well, isn't it true? Gays do not belong in combat they say "Oh they are capable and can do the job," or "Oh I know people who are gay and do it." Pffh, I do not care if you're gay, you do not belong there. If real man can't handle it most of the time, than who says that you can? Who are we to critize who goes? Well the hell, I don't want to spend my tax money on a failure who can't even decide for a fact what his orientation is.
gays are too precious? lets ponder on what that means... too precious to risk serving in the military? everyone(civil rights activists) is talking about giving gays equal rights and all that good stuff, but if that's really the case then why should they be exempt from enlisting? In the end, we're only taking more of their rights away and in no way does homosexuality allude to weakness and lack of manhood...Silvia -_-
Medelayne: how would someones sexual orientation cause more casualties? and you cannot restrict one group from expressing themselves. no one should have to express their orientation.
I don't think there was anything wrong with the don't ask don't tell policy. What should it matter if some one his homosexual or straight, theres not even a reason to ask/bring it up. the only thing that should matter is that the person cares about his/hers country and what it stands for and they want to show their patriotism.
I disagree with the military's rule of "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" because to my opinion that fall under the freedom of speech right.Do they actually have anything that makes it impossible for them to perform better than a heterosexual? Gays are humans wether people agree with their sexuality or not they should respect it and allow them to express their feelings, in any type of jobs without them being scared of losing their jobs.
-Liony Arzu
I'm all for equal rights. Labeling homosexuals as "precious" is not equal. If they want to join the military they have every right. What is the difference between a straight man in the army and a homosexual in the army? are they not fighting for the same cause? are they not defending the same country? and since when did one's sexual orientation become an importance in war? Frankly, I think the fact that this is even an issue just shows how much American's love to CREATE issues.
Madelayne, please do elaborate. How would someone's sexual orientation cause casualties?
I have always had great respect for what society considers "minorities" regardless of it being sex, sexual orientation, race, ethnicity, culture ect... the personal values or worth for me truly lie within the individual's principles that define what a person's value is in essence. We, as prof. triff said have been brainwash by society, i am not saying it because i heard it from him, no! actually that is my point pesicely; why do we think certain things about certain people? repeat what we hear, appeal to the masses, adopt society's perceptions, prejudices and judgements as our own? sadly, they become engraved in us and is an eternal cycle of prejudice and false, unproved, information lacking real justifications, at least for the most part. My point is who are we to judge a person's sexual orientation? who are we truly to judge at all? like slavery and religious medieval tortures, these judgements based on "ignorance" have caused our society enough grieve through the centuries. I am not trying to be bias, however i do not agree with the united states military regarding this particular matter and furthermore am disgusted by the sarcasm and cynical attitude of the general; i am heterosexual and the reason being is because it happens that is my sexual preference had i liked women instead of men, i would have not cared about society; in conclusion this action by the military is even less logical taking into consideration the science of sexual orientation which indeed proves to be more certain. homosexuals are for the most part born with that gene and chromosomes, that should be respected, not doing so is ignorant and much worst, violates human rights.
I agree that you shouldn't ask or tell when enlisting in the military what your sexual orientation is, it's nobody's concern straight people don't go around saying what preference they have and neither should gay if you happen to tell your orientation that's up to you and the people you communicate with to know. The military is a job field like any other where sexual encounters or showing affection is not allowed in a work field. I don't think is right to judge people for being gay they are doing their job in the military to serve their country and that shouldn't be taken away to anyone it's an honor as a job to do. Still I believe behavior for anyone as to show their orientation of any sort should be regulated unless you decide to show what you are in private to a partner or anyone is your business why your already happy to be out the closet, why tell the world.
I have found a very interesting post on a "military" blog (link at the bottom of my post) in which a gay woman has to talk about her personal life through the internet because if she would talk about it on the military she would be discharged, doesn't that looks unreal? How a fighter of the country has to hide from it's own defender?
To be gay and in the military in US sounds as a contradiction or an "invalid argument" for many people. Others, unhappy with the government law consider it unfair, and others really don't care.
Me on my behalf has the right to say that weather you are gay or straight your strength and enthusiasm to defend the country won't change.
In fact, the fact that gay people has to lie to defend their country probably reduce their moral and opinion of the values of their country, but still fight.
I sincerely consider the law that forbids gay people to assist on the military as bad as racism, there is no physical difference, neither mental, on the goals required to fight. To allow gay people in the military would in fact increase the american army.
We have seen through movies how a "gay in the military would be "dangerous" and capable of harassment to other men. But truth is that there is harassment to woman every other day already, the fact that gay people are or not there doesn't mean there is not going to be rape or intent of it.
("A 2003 survey of more than 550 female veterans who served in wars from Vietnam to the first Gulf war found that 30 per cent said they suffered from rape or attempted rape and 79 per cent reported being sexually harassed...")
Furthermore, and that is the saddest part, if a gay fighter dies, their children or partner wouldn't be notified of their death unless a family member as father or mother would tell them. Isn't that cruel? To know that your partner is fighting for a country that won't even let your "family" know that you've lost your life on the field?
In addition, the social environment that exist right now on the military is, as the woman from the blog let us know, very unfair. Heterosexual fighters talk with their buddy's about their son, daughter, wife and husband with a happy smile in their face, while gay fighters can't mention anything else than "friend" or "nephew" since otherwise they could be reported and discharged.
To end my comment i just wanted to add a fact, we allow people with a criminal record and/or with past drug abuse and we do not allow someone attracted to someone the same sex?
Sincerely, if they can do their job, which it is proven they can, in my behalf, their welcome to participate!
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/worldnews/article-1170559/How-female-U-S-soldiers-Iraq-growing-risk-raped-assaulted--male-colleagues.html (SEXUAL HARASSMENT IN THE MILITARY)
http://blogs.stripes.com/blogs/stripes-central/adm-mullens-surprising-endorsement-gays-in-military (MILITARY DISCUSSION BLOG)
I don't agree with the "don't ask don't tell" policy. Homosexuals that want to serve our country should have the same rights as any regular person. They should be allowed to serve openly. It is no ones business if a person is gay or not, is not like it will affect their life. This policy is not effective and I find it that it is disrespectful to the homosexuals that do want to serve our country but have to lie about who they really are.
"Well the hell, I don't want to spend my tax money on a failure who can't even decide for a fact what his orientation is."
I'm sorry, but holy crap, that is the stupidest statement I've heard in a REALLY long time. HELLO, the whole point is that they know they're gay. They have every right to express themselves. I mean, seriously, homosexuality incites more casualties? What, is it like being gay makes you magnetic and attracts more bullets?
Thanks for posting that link on the Onion by the way, that was hilarious.
With the way that history has developed, we've made efforts to silence blacks and women; but it seems like the new minority recently has become gay people. It's ridiculous, and this is why Europe laughs at us as a nation -- we're too religious to be taken seriously. Anyway, I find this all to be seriously ridiculous and this is why I hate the topic of gay marriage in nearly every single class I have.
Julie McConnell
The idea of being "gay" has always had negative conotations. Sadly this is the world that we live in. I honestly do not see why this is such an important factor in the military. There are many "gay" men that are more masculine that "straight" men. I agree with the point made about gay men needing to be punished the same for sexual advances as men are if they make advances to women. "Gay" men are simply a minority and for such an "advanced" country we should be passed this stage. The United States are one three countried left to allow "gays" to join the military and I think it is a move that the country needs to make. One should not be stopped to serve his/her country based on sexual orientation that won't affect his/her performance.
The "don't ask don't tell" bill is one of the smartest one's brought before Congres and should be taken seriously. Discrimination is a serious thing and should not be taken lightly. Hopefully this bill will be passed and things will finally change.
In my opinion I understand that" don't ask ,don't tell "is a policy instated by the army to kick gays and lesbiens out since 1947. I do not think it make any difference whatsoever, in a sense i am sure that your sexual preference can not interfere with your judgement when it comes to right or wrong. When your are an homosexual you still have the same capabilities with an heterosexual.I think" don't ask, don't tell "is very a discriminitory policy, it is time for a change.Every one should get equal treatment.
We always tend to classify things as normal or abnormal basing our selves in majorities. The big common mistake is to confound what is different with what is wrong. What is hard to realize is how wrong we are sometimes, following a routine, a pattern, a line that doesn’t even exist and really, do majorities do the right things? Who are we to judge?
I used to believe that homosexuality was wrong, growing up in a country where only few has the strength to show up their sexual desires, and being raised in a way were being homosexual wasn’t the correct option. Now, after opening up my mind and getting to know some special people around me, (people I never thought could be homosexuals) I know how gays should feel, and what a hard time they are having being the black sheep in the farm without doing anything wrong. Hiding inside their own worlds and suffering critiques, jokes, being the gossip in their places, being DIFFERENT.
They should have all the rights we posses. I shouldn’t even talk about it as “them” and discriminate from “we” (heterosexuals). All human beings unfortunately have the same abilities to FIGHT in WAR, sexual preferences have nothing to do with it; what matters is a person willingness to go to war. The whole theme is absurd and I am sure everyone is aware of this. It is just too scary for some people to accept what is different and confront changes.
ANDREA MONTERO
If you knew for a fact that you were gay, you would know where you belong ;)
Being gay has been taboo for quiet sometime now. Even today in the 21st century, it is still taboo for a person to be homosexual. Now think back, ( please don't take this out of context, I am not racist, or discriminating of any sort. And I am not bias to any side whatsoever.) Now when you think back to the slave days, where White Americans would take in African-Americans as their slaves. When a white person would take in a slave, they would treat the black person as an animal, thinking they are not far from being animal, and that a slave would never be a person. Isn't that something? So being an African-American was foreign, if then not even thought of as a person. That reality is not far from being gay. The white plantation owners would own up to God, saying that it's okay to take in slaves, and that it is the right thing to do. They would use religion as a safety factor. With that in mind, religion has conquered the world ,( again don't think I am against anyone's views or disrespecting anyone for that matter), What are the 2 most common religions in the world? Christianity, and Catholicism. When a person first thinks about it, its not entirely true, but when you this fact to different countries around the world, this of how many countries Spin has conquered,think of how worldly respected the Vatican is, and how it is it's own province, with its own capital, not being part of Italy. all Hispanic countries in Central, and South America are either Catholic, or Christian. Now think of other countries that are not Hispanic, but have the influence of Catholicism. The Philippines have the majority of being Catholic, so does Thailand, Taiwan, even China is growing into it. But coming back to the matters of homosexuals in society, its a preference. its not a disease, or disorder, its just simply a preference. Just because its not what one likes doesn't mean its bad. Different has never been bad. its just outside the box. as for homosexuals being predators, males who rape women don't get as much credit as for priest molesting young boys. Whats wrong with that picture?
Shantell Meneses
I feel that we have to analyze this more to understand what exactly is going on.
Being in the military is something a person does to represent something that they are believing in. They are fighting for something that means something to them.
Now let's talk about homosexuals. These are people who have certain interests that is basically different than the norm.
These two topics are both depending on each person seperately depending on the situation they are in or who exactly they are.
Now reading your post Professor I have to say that I can't understand what these people are saying. Being in the military and being a homosexual are two completely different topics. They have nothing whatsovever to do with eachother. It's like saying a person can't vote because they like the color red. What's the connection? Nothing. Exactly my point.
-Jacqueline Saka-
There is no point in keeping this policy in effect. To begin with there are many gays in the military as it is. Quite possibly, some high ranking officers along with some of the most decorated soldiers are gay as well. Another thing to think about is that this policy makes no logical sense; when did sexual orientation begin to affect a soldiers performance in the battle field. The military was made to defend the freedom, rights, and liberties of Americans. So, why then deny them to our countries soldiers. The United States of America is a nation made up of people from diverse backgrounds and cultures, and yes, sexual orientations. Would it only be logical if the military force defending such a nation to resembled it. Besides, if the military is constantly going to complain about not having enough people who are willing and able to serve in the military then they don't the luxury to deny anyone.
The General who was speaking is blowing nothing but hot air....The army is not fighting on the front line just becaause the gays want have to0...they are fighting for there county.Now I don't agree with letting gays fight in the army because,reason why is that if they wanted gays to be in the army then there wouldn't be a don't ask police.You see why have that police if you know there are people that do not like gays....What happen when they find out. I know that we like to think that this country have over turned there out look on racist but we haven't. The moment someone finds out that the man they share a room with is gay is going to have it!!!!. In the army there is a code of conduct..you look out for your man..what happens when you are at war and your partner or partners doesn't care for gays and you are out on the battle field what makes you think they will have or watch your back.So why do we should care for a don't ask don't tell police. It just shows that you have something to hind and then your cover is blown.All it takes is for one soldier to have doubt about you ..just one.
This is something I did not know about. I don't think it's right to pretend to call them delicate or precious, because in my opinion that's them just trying to sugar coat the reality. They just don't want gay people in the army for whatever else it is but please don't say that's it's because they love them and all that! I don't care who likes who or who is with who as long as it doesn't affect me I'm fine and people being gay has no effect on me. Prohibiting someone the right to fight for their country is just sad! That's discrimination but ofcourse they put it all cute and cuddly so people don't see the reality I say that's BRAIN WASHING!!!
I believe that gays should not be allowed in the military. At the same time, the soldiers might just be sitting, or sharing a room next to or with a gay person. They should keep the don't ask and don't tell policy. Some people are brought up with very strict people that completely despise gay people. While other people have never seen a gay person. If you put a gay person next to them they will probably want to beat them up. You will most likely have a war within a military battalion. The don't ask, don't tell policy should stay. No one needs to know what your sexual preferences are. As long as humans respect one another, that's all that matters. Most of the time is best not to know things like this, it just complicates things more.
The premises being used to not allow homosexuals to serve in the military are completely absurd and illogical. Sexual orientation and military effectiveness do not affect each other at all. If it can be shown that a persons sexual preference is a detriment to a military group affecting their moral or togetherness then there would be a reason to exempt gays from the military, but if this is not the case then what is left is unrighteous hatred towards homosexual and illogically impeding them from protecting their country just like everyone else.
Usually when someone is against homosexuality, it's because of either religion or just personal aversion. Those two reasons are not justified for stopping gays from joiningbthe army.
If I don't like red heads, or if my religion thinks that
people with green eyes are
evil, can I really stop them from doing what they love?
In the news we see many horrendous acts done by heterosexuals, yet they're permitted to enscribe. If there's a homosexual that joins the army and causes
some kind of disturbance, it's completely fine that they
are discharged.
Homosexuality is not equivalent to bad or evil. Don't believe me? Check the dictionary.
Society needs to get over these kind of things, they'll have to eventually so why not now?
I will try to make my opinion brief and concise being that this issue is one a thesis could be written on.
Background: I was I was enlisted in the United States Army for 5 years and served with a Military Intelligence Unit as an analyst. One of my best friends, a member of my platoon both at Ft. Hood and during our deployment to Iraq, is bisexual. His orientation was known to the members of my platoon who knew him best but not to the rest of the unit. During my tour in Iraq I dealt with units of different compositions (combat soldiers, interrogators, engineers, etc.).
Opinion: While I would like the homosexual/bisexual soldiers in our service to be able to serve openly, I don’t think this time is the right time. I believe that time will only come following the death of a generation of ideas and at a time without war.
1) Allowing homosexuals to openly serve in the military is not the same as allowing women to serve in the military because the armed forces are allowed to segregate them. i.e. Women don’t shower, change, etc, in the same areas that the men do. Women have separate living quarters as well as separate bathroom facilities.
2) I believe it would more closely resemble (but not parallel) when our nation tried to integrate African Americans into the armed forces. For a time there was segregation within the armed forces. This was because most of the old generation was part of the armed forces and refused (because of their antiquated ideas) to serve next to African American men. It wasn’t until the old generations of thought had passed away and lost hold of their control of society that integration was truly possible.
3) Segregation is not something that will be tolerated when homosexuals/bisexuals are allowed to openly serve. “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell,” some might argue, was segregation in its purest form: Be like us, or don’t serve. As such the transition from “Don’t ask, Don’t tell” will not be a gradual one with the death of one way of thinking and the allowed blossoming of a newer way. It will be an immediate slap in the face to army system while at a time of war.
4) This would present many immediate and pressing issues. Do you have seperate living arrangements? How do you prevent the influx of false sexual harassment charges against homosexuals/bisexuals by homophobes? How do you prevent the breakdown of team cohesion in units which happen to contain homophobes during a time of war?
I know homosexuals aren’t predators. However, you would allow a woman to bathe in front of a man. No matter how non predatory he might be, he has his instinctual desires and would likely evaluate her even if he didn’t present his opinions. I would like to believe that hate for someone on your team would be superseded by the mission focus and the enemy at your front, but squad cohesion, efficiency, and effectiveness are all broken there is tension within a squad. I will take more than one Equal Opportunity briefing to change long standing and deep seeded ignorance.
Being a member of the United States military is unlike anything else. It is like Nagel’s Bat. You cannot not truly understand what it is to be to train with your squad, your platoon and your company, go to war, and live through each day knowing that you depend on the people to your right and left to survive. There is no room for distrust, disrespect, or second guessing. If just one of these elements is present an entire mission can be compromised. I understand the “Don’t ask, Don’t tell” policy has had casualties, but I fear that a change at this time would cause too many more. I don’t deny this is an issue, I hold that this is the wrong time for such abrupt change.
Post a Comment