Both the Washington Post in today's editorial, June 11, 2008 and this AP wire story confirm that gay men have the same capabilities to fight side by side with straight soldiers.
WASHINGTON (AP) -- Congress should repeal the "don't ask, don't tell" law because the presence of gays in the military is unlikely to undermine the ability to fight and win, according to a new study released by a California-based research center.
Protests in 2007 against a high ranking military official's comments that being gay is "immoral."
The study was conducted by four retired military officers, including the three-star Air Force lieutenant general who in early 1993 was tasked with implementing President Clinton's policy that the military stop questioning recruits on their sexual orientation.
Protests in 2007 against a high ranking military official's comments that being gay is "immoral."
The study was conducted by four retired military officers, including the three-star Air Force lieutenant general who in early 1993 was tasked with implementing President Clinton's policy that the military stop questioning recruits on their sexual orientation.
"Evidence shows that allowing gays and lesbians to serve openly is unlikely to pose any significant risk to morale, good order, discipline or cohesion," the officers states.
To support its contention, the panel points to the British and Israeli militaries, where it says gay people serve openly without hurting the effectiveness of combat operations.
Undermining unit cohesion was a determining factor when Congress passed the 1993 law, intended to keep the military from asking recruits their sexual orientation. In turn, service members can't say they are gay or bisexual, engage in homosexual activity or marry a member of the same sex.
Supporters of the ban contend there is still no empirical evidence that allowing gays to serve openly won't hurt combat effectiveness. BULLSHIT!!!!
"The issue is trust and confidence" among members of a unit, said Lt. Col. Robert Maginnis, who retired in 1993 after working on the issue for the Army. When some people with a different sexual orientation are "in a close combat environment, it results in a lack of trust," he said.
The study was sponsored by the Michael D. Palm Center at the University of California at Santa Barbara, which said it picked the panel members to portray a bipartisan representation of the different service branches.
According to its Web site, the Palm Center "is committed to keeping researchers, journalists and the general public informed of the latest developments in the 'don't ask, don't tell' policy debate."
Two of the officers on the panel have endorsed Democratic candidates since leaving the military -- Army Lt. Gen. Robert Gard, who supports Barack Obama, and Marine Corps Gen. Hugh Aitken, who backed Clinton in 1996.
Two of the officers on the panel have endorsed Democratic candidates since leaving the military -- Army Lt. Gen. Robert Gard, who supports Barack Obama, and Marine Corps Gen. Hugh Aitken, who backed Clinton in 1996.
Air Force Lt. Gen. Robert Minter Alexander, a Republican, was assigned in 1993 to a high-level panel established by the Defense Department to examine the issue of gays in the military. At one point, he signed an order that prohibited the military from asking a recruit's sexual orientation.
Alexander said at the time he was simply trying to carry out the president's orders and not take a position. But he now believes the law should be repealed because it assumes the existence of gays in the military is disruptive to units even though cultural attitudes are changing.
Further, the Defense Department and not Congress should be in charge of regulating sexual misconduct within the military, he said.
"Who else can better judge whether it's a threat to good order and discipline?" Alexander asked.
Navy Vice Adm. Jack Shanahan said he had no opinion on the issue when he joined the panel, having never confronted it in his 35-year military career. A self-described Republican who opposes the Bush administration's handling of the Iraq war, Shanahan said he was struck by the loss of personal integrity required by individuals to carry out "don't ask, don't tell."
"Everyone was living a big lie -- the homosexuals were trying to hide their sexual orientation and the commanders were looking the other way because they didn't want to disrupt operations by trying to enforce the law," he said.
DON'T ASK DON'T TELL SUCKS!!!!! It was more like Don't Ask, DO TELL.
The sooner this ban is lifted, the better our fighting military capability will be.
Mega hairy muscle hugs encouraging this nation's military and legislative leadership to correct a serious wrong, and strike down this most grievous kind of discrimination.
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7 comments:
They claim that "trust and confidence" are at stake among each unit's members. But the same people who are homophobic and would allegedly lack trust and confidence in their gay fellow soldiers when there are bullets flying also tend to be racist as well as intolerant of other religions. If there are no published studies showing that, it's simply because no one's bothered to perform them.
I haven't heard of too many soldiers failing to defend each other due to race or religion, at least not in my lifetime. So their claim is really not valid.
There's a big divergence of opinion between the young soldiers in the field who could give a sh** whether a fellow soldier is gay, and the creaky old brass in the Pentagon who act like frightened little sissies at the thought of gays in their midst.
Hey, thanks for your great comments on my blog. I added Tufftalk as a link.
It's true that the measure of a man is not his sexuality. Look at how long it took for women to serve equally (are they, though?). I understand the concern with openly gay men serving, and unfortunately there will be guys that let their horny, animalistic side take over, potentially leaving their mates in danger. I have a hard time imagining a time of war where the straight guys are seduced by the gay guys instead of firing back and they all just blow up haha... Even still, most people are pretty accurate with their gaydar. I know people who are gay and in armed forces, who are not out under the "don't ask, don't tell" policy, and who serve as equals. I'm torn b/t allowing the policy exist because it puts all of the soldiers on an even ground and technically nobody need worry about hormones and testosterone, but I don't see homosexuality as that big of a deal. If thousands are already serving that "no one" knows about, then why should it matter if a soldier openly serves?
I forgot to note that Jimmy Carter wrote a great open letter about gay troops. Among several good points, he notes, "America always has been a beacon of hope for those who believe in human rights and individual dignity. The brave and dedicated men and women of our armed services also must benefit from this fundamental ideal." Right?
Although I shouldn't be, I am dumbfounded that this is still even an issue!!!
Thanks for commenting. I love all your beefy pics! Especially this one of the two soldiers! I'll add a link to you on my blog.
I think this issue is one of those issues that is kept in the news by people and organizations who have a salient interest in keeping people occupied with hot-button emotion-provoking issues that ultimately serve no other goal other than to divide the nation purposely.
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