Serving in the U.S. Air Force for nineteen years and being raised in Oklahoma people often find my stance on homosexuals in the military unusual. I can say with all honesty that how I feel today IS NOT how I felt in the past. However today, I am absolutely in support if the repeal of Don’t Ask/Don’t Tell (DADT). I know that there are military members in this class that may not agree, (but likely will not voice their opposition due to concerns of not supporting military policy) although if you do not agree with the repeal it that is understandable considering the culture we inhabit.
In my opinion there is nothing good about telling men and women that want to serve their country that they are not worthy because of their sexual orientation. As we know in the past African-American’s were not allowed to serve with whites simply because of the color of their skin. Obviously the struggle is not the same. Ivan Ware a retired Lt. Col and a retired Howard University Aeronautics Professor stated in an article for JET magazine. “Segregation was the law of the land everywhere against Black people. Not so for gays, who could eat at a lunch counter, use restroom facilities and sleep in hotels in the South.” (Nelson 14-15). However the main comparison is there, there is still hatred for who they are and that is bigotry. To not allow someone to serve because of who they are is simply wrong.
Any argument that one may have that they don’t want to serve with gays, too late we already are. Many of you may remember the rescue of PFC Jessica Lynch in 2003. What you may not know is that one of her rescuers was a Yale educated Army Sergeant that joined the military out of a sense of duty and left the military because he couldn’t serve openly because of DADT (Kesler 285). Who wouldn’t want to serve with someone that had such a sense of duty?
Works Cited
Kesler, Laura “Serving with Integrity: The Rationale for the Repeal of Don't Ask, Don't Tell and Its Ban on Acknowledged Homosexuals in the Armed Forces” Military Law Review Volume 203 (2010) : 285 LexisNexis Acedemic. Web. 29 Mar. 2011.
Nelson, Sophia. “The Repeal Of Don’t Ask Don’t Tell: Black Vets Compare Struggles” JET Vol. 119 Issue3/4 24 Jan. 2011: 14-15. Jet Online. Web. 29 March 2011.
I will start by saying that I know there are gays in the military and many serve openly with no repercussions. I think that don’t ask don’t tell repeal is not a bad idea, however it’s not a one size fit all like most people treat it. Being in the Navy I know many gay men and women that serve and have no problem as I am sure you have as well. My problem is the don’t ask don’t tell repeal is opposed widely in the Marines and Army due to it’s a testosterone driven, and only the strong survive mentality; many male do not feel good about a homosexual man in close quarters with their life in their hands. There is a fear that if the shit hit the fan then a gay man may not act in the same way as the rest of the group. This is not my view but I have never had to trust my life to someone else in a extreme circumstance. Gen. James Amos said he had heard that at Marine bases and in Marines' responses to an online survey, the feeling "is predominantly negative. (Keyes 1)
ReplyDeleteKeyes, Charley. "Marine general opposes repeal 'dont ask, dont tell'." CNN Politics 21 SEP 2010: 1. Web. 30 Mar 2011. .
As a fellow soldier myself, I can relate to what Brad Shaw is talking about when it comes to the Don’t Ask/Don’t Tell (DADT) Law. However, I don’t support this repeal disagree for a number of reasons. There have been gay, lesbian, or bisexual service members that have served this country for many years and it isn’t until just now that they can come out in the open. While it is true that open service members do not undermine military readiness, troop morale or national security, I do believe that it will affect job performance and cohesion. Understanding that we all have a job to do, having the right person at the right place is critical in my eyes.
ReplyDeleteI have been in the Army for 14 years and I have seen just about everything. I have had the experience in working with homosexual right beside me in both garrison and at war. Having to participate with training and real life and death situations you would think that it wouldn’t matter what their sexual orientation are, but trust me, it does. For an Infantry Soldier like myself, I have no time for the consideration of others when dealing with feelings and issues out of the ordinary. It is already hard to begin with just dealing with regular or soldier like problems, much less having to deal with same sex issues, living conditions, and considerations towards others. In all honesty, I don’t mind working with homosexuals, but if and only if we can accomplish the mission all the same. Couldn’t really get too involved with this topic since I am still on active duty. The only thing we can do is deal with the change that is here and make the best of it. I do believe in equal opportunity and respect towards others.
Regardless of whether service members today support the repeal of the DADT policy, the real question isn't if it's going to happen, it's when. After reading Brad Shaw's opinion, I agree with him on his view to support this repeal. Common perception of the armed forces of the United States is that the military is a reflection of our society. I was pretty naive when I enlisted into the Army in 1998 in reference to sexuality and was quite shocked of the amount of Soldiers that had an alternative lifestyle. Another example of society evolving was my time in recruiting seven years later. I quickly realized that a majority of young women in high school and college were openly bisexual. 12 years ago that was taboo, but today if you are dating your new girlfriend, she probably has had a girlfriend before and it's not a big deal to her. Quite frankly, service members with alternative sexual lifestyles have been effectively serving the whole time the Army has existed. This argument about not supporting the repeal is as pointless as not letting women join and serve in the armed forces in the early 1900's. We look back at those times when women weren't allowed and just shake our heads to the ignorance of those times. When I have a responsibility and a duty to perform and I have a female with me, I am not thinking about sexual activities with her. She and I are concentrating on our job . If I am getting ambushed and attacked sexual orientation does not matter. The same would go toward a service member of the same gender who leads an alternative lifestyle. One of my roommates in my earlier Army years was gay. He was without a doubt one of the best Soldiers that I have ever served with. I was nervous as hell when he first told me, but after awhile I didn't care and I looked at him as a good person. He never made me feel uncomfortable at all. I believe the great communication we had is what made the situation successful. I knew he wasn't thinking about making out with me when we were getting attacked. He was going to defend me and I was going to defend him. Bottom line, as long as the job is completed, I could care less whether they sexually prefer men, women or Barney the purple dinosaur. Brad Shaw is right when he stated
ReplyDelete"there is nothing good about telling men and women that want to serve their country that they are not worthy because of their sexual orientation".
Works Cited
bradshawinlasvegas [Brad Shaw]."Unit One Blog One".Blogspot.com.29 March 2011.Web. 31 March 2011.