The "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" concept in the military is taking on new meaning after President Obama came out with a request that Defense Secretary Robert Gates convene a study to determine how lifting the ban on openly gay service members would affect the military. Gates has complied with the request by assigning his chief legal adviser and a four-star Army General. It is being reported that "Pentagon counsel Jeh Johnson and Gen. Carter Ham, who lead Army forces in Europe, will conduct the yearlong assessment" (http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/35197645/ns/us_news-military/). The policy has been hotly discussed.
While I do not care if the person at post is straight or gay, my own only concern is that they do their job to the military standards already established. On the Chris Baker radio show a caller brought up the point of how many people are not going into the military because they cannot be openly gay versus the number of people who may leave or will not go into the military because of openly gay people. Is this a valid point especially in light of the difficulty recruitment has been? I am not sure. As I said, I do not care if the tank commander prefers blonde women or blonde men just as long that person does the job and follows the commands of their superiors.
I have not been involved in the military so I am unsure how the change will affect morale or even if it will have one at all. Is the change of "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" needed? How might the change affect the makeup of the military? As I said, I do not care one way or the other as all I expect is that the standards are the same for all and the job is done. Plus, do we need to spend money to change the current policy? Couldn't the money be used for other things like the deficit?
I was in the military around the time of the first policy change. Around my ship they paraded around politicians to ask us of what we thought of the policy of letting gays into the military. Naturally most of the people thought it was the worst idea ever. But, in reality, if they were asked whether they could do the job, most would say yes. The idea of someone being gay is really the reason most people don't like it.
ReplyDeleteTo me, it still kind of plays on the gay marriage thing. If you boil it all down to gravy, it is really because they don't like gay people. There is no proof that would show that gay people are any less able to perform their duties like straight ones. Fundamentally religious people are united because their dogma tells them to be, macho guys are because of the stigma, it goes on and on. If the policy was enacted, that gays could openly serve, would their be problems? Maybe at first some discontent would follow. However, most people are used to gay people now. The military tries to recruit everyone, mind you, but today most of the military is very technologically advanced that educated people who perhaps are used to gay people are also just as recruited (given the state of todays economy)
Within 2-3 years, we won't notice a difference. In fact, I am willing to bet that we won't even pay attention to the fact that gays used to have to hide who they were. And as far as money is concerned, we already pay too much for the military, gays or not.
I do agree with you Anon that this issue is much like the gay marriage issue where most objection is coming from those that see it through religious dogma. To me, in either case, I do not care in so far as the person is doing their job and standards are not changed to accomodate them. As I said before I have not been in the military so I cannot attest to the conditions one will endure by being openly gay or being around an openly gay person.
ReplyDeleteI just do not understand why the Pentagon needs to spend money and a year to study the affects of the change. Enact the change and allow the men and women in the Armed Forces adapt to the change. I believe our soldiers are trained to adapt and overcome and feel they will do the same in this situation. I am hoping more military people will chime in as I know this is a sticking political hot potato.