GreyWolf
Should Gay people be allowed to serve in the military……….of course they should. Gay people should be allowed to do anything and everything the rest of the population can do.
Should Gay people be allowed to serve “openly” in the military….I think not. We have to remember that the armed forces are not meant to be treated as a test tube to see how our social culture can evolve and change. These warriors train together, kill together, survive together, and live in very close proximity………..together.
The problem, as I see it, is the morale and comfort of the overwhelming majority of the men and women in our armed forces. There is no reason why each soldier needs to know the sexuality of their comrades. Sharing barracks, communal showers are all places where these men and women should be able to let their guards down and relax. Even if a gay soldier doesn’t act out in a lascivious way towards the straight soldiers…the mere fact that they are openly gay causes tension. I don’t see “don’t ask…don’t tell” as an abridgement of gays rights but rather an affirmation of the rights of the majority of our men and women that serve us so well.
There are those that will say that there are many countries where gay men and woman serve opening in their armed forces. This is true but ask these same people….when it is time for armed conflict….which army they want to do the heavy lifting…..there is no contest. America has THE best army on earth. Don’t ask….don’t tell has worked for over 230 years and has served America well. I see no reason to change this policy now.
Over the years there have been many gay soldiers, sailors, marines and airmen that have served this country with distinction. Their accomplishments have been as valorous people and there has been no need categorize them into gay or straight…they have been American patriots all.
If it ain’t broken….don’t fix it!
What do you think….Talk to me.
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The point you seem to be missing is that it’s time gay people were allowed to be EXACTLY who they are in any environment – the military, a corporate office, or anywhere else – without fear of reprisals or criticism or being ostracized. If we do not permit people to be open about who they are, gay or straight, a member of any political opinion, any religion, and so on, then we are asking them to hide and misrepresent themselves, and the result of that is a sense of shame and embarrassment. Just because gay people are members of a team – be it a basketball team or an armed forces unit – and live and eat and shower and whatever together is no reason why those people should have to pretend to be someone other than who they truly are.