I've wanted to get this out...It's a thought about the push to repeal the military's "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy, which forbids gays from serving openly in the military, and it's been bugging me. It's on Congress' lame-duck agenda.
Our military has one focus: protect and preserve this country, our freedoms, and our ideals around the globe.
What happens when our military must turn away from that focus and instead have sensitivity training, or make special exceptions (like private living and restroom quarters) for it's gay members? What does that do to a troop's solidarity when some members are treated differently than others? What about their solidarity? How does that affect them in combat?? Does the change in this policy perhaps deflect the military's focus from it's true course?
I'm not sure...but I'm worried about it.
And since when does our government get to weigh in on a person's sexuality? As far as I'm concerned, the government should be neutral. If the government repeals this policy, it's obvious they are not neutral.
Right now, we have gay members of the military choosing to serve and I'm sure, serving well...and they are doing so under the current system. The evidence to overturn is NOT overwhelming. It appears there are far more pressing issues, including a decision on extending the Tax Cuts...that go into effect in T-minus 28 days. That seems a little more pressing to me.
Source: http://www.politico.com/news/stories/1210/45947.html
I agree with you about the focus of the military, and believe that we should do all we can to maintain that as the focus. You are absolutely right that if Don't Ask, Don't Tell is repealed, there will be some backlash as far as the soldiers are concerned. As an army wife, I hear a lot about what the soldiers think regardng this policy, and the general consensus is that it would be a bad idea to repeal it. As you said, there would suddenly need to be need to find different living spaces, etc. But one of the major issues is that the soldiers need to be able to count on each other and trust each other in battle. They really can't be worrying about whether the guy fighting next to them is gay. Honestly, I fear that it would cause a rift in the soldiers and that trust would diminish, which is truly a matter of life and death.
ReplyDeleteThat being said, I don't know if I agree with you about the neutrality of the government. It seems like if they would kick someone out of the Army for being gay, wouldn't that mean that they are basically saying that it is wrong, or not ok, to be gay? So, I think they are kind of choosing sides. If we are looking at it purely from the standpoint of being neutral, I would think that they would accept gays, which would mean a repeal of DADT. Are you seeing it differently?
The military does accept gay people into it's service - it just asks that they don't advertise it and expect special treatment. There are rules in place when it comes to sexuality for both gay and straight members of the armed forces, and those rules are there for a reason. Like Charise said, it interferes with the main mission of the military if personal relationships come into it. It distracts from solidarity, and takes away focus on what is truly important when it comes to our soldiers.
ReplyDeleteServing in the military is not about personal relationships or sexual orientation. It's about serving and defending your country - that's it. I have served in the military, and my husband is currently serving. I know first hand that even when you are straight, they still ask you to keep your personal stuff personal and focus on the mission.