Comments on: Gays in the Military – Rethinking Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell

By: jerry robertson

jerry robertson — Wed, 03 Jan 2007 07:31:48 +0000

Homosexuals make up a very very small percentage of the American population....2 to 5 percent at best...sorry, I don't believe Hollywierd sets any policy worth paying attention too...they are actors....ACTORS...they don't know how to stand, sit, or, talk without someone telling them what and how to do it....sorry..Hollywierd is one of the reasons the muslims can point to the degredation of society....and they are right...
Let Hollywierd set policy and the USA is down the drain....
Keep gays OUT of the service...there are not enough of them to make that much of a difference....
Keep the military as the elite..the best...the best trained and most motivated.....the armed services are still meeting their recruiting goals...let the government enlarge the size of our fighting force...(thanks Bill Clinton for dismantiling the services)....more money, more men and women....NO GAYS.....sorry you are all wet on this subject....

By: William d\'Inger

William d\'Inger — Wed, 03 Jan 2007 07:24:35 +0000

I find the timing of his pronouncement in sync with the Democratic Party takeover in Congress to be suspicious. I suspect it's some kind of propaganda coup rather than a genuine shift in his attitude. I fully expect the Democrats to reward him with something big in the near future.

By: floyd

floyd — Wed, 03 Jan 2007 02:41:26 +0000

that's America today... shout down the opposition , then swear they've changed sides!

By: just me

just me — Wed, 03 Jan 2007 00:33:22 +0000

I think it is time to ditch don't ask don't tell.

I do agree that it is probably not going to be an easy ditch, and I think the upper ranks of the US military are the ones who are going to have to advocate the change, because I suspect congress isn't going to be willing to take this on otherwise.

But there isn't really a compelling reason in my opinion to restrict gays from serving, and the concerns that are legitimate can be dealt with in the UCMJ.

By: yetanotherjohn

yetanotherjohn — Tue, 02 Jan 2007 21:07:38 +0000

Only Nixon could go to China. And likewise, Rudy would not be a president to implement this smoothly. I can't think of any democrat who could do it with out the firestorm. It would take a republican of Reaganesque stature to make the change smoothly, but I can't think who that would be.

By: Anderson

Anderson — Tue, 02 Jan 2007 20:18:33 +0000

I think more openness would *help* straight/gay soldiers get along. If you're showering with some guys & you worry that one of them might be gay & looking at you, that can be bothersome & hurt morale. As opposed to showering with guys, one of whom everyone knows is gay & who's open about it, so that there can be joking, etc. to relieve any tension. "Too bad you can't have some of THIS, Smithers!" "Dream on, breeder!" (Probably much more scatological than OTB quality standards can bear, but you get the idea.)

By: mike

mike — Tue, 02 Jan 2007 18:58:41 +0000

I am still in and I personally would like to see us get rid of the policy but I don't see this working in the military right now - esp now with such close quarters in the deployed environment - while Hollywood may be changing the perception and a lot of folks are more accepting I think we are years away - ask the same folks who said they were fine with serving with homosexuals whether that included group showers and the like and the answer would change to no way - again, I am not saying this is the correct view but i think it is still the reality - perhaps the former chairman of hte joint chiefs has not served in a line unit in a while (like in at least 20 years due to his rank)

By: James Joyner

James Joyner — Tue, 02 Jan 2007 18:45:13 +0000

The Hollywood and esprit issues are only tangentially related. I'm just saying that the general culture has shifted and the military culture is shifting with it.

By: LJD

LJD — Tue, 02 Jan 2007 18:41:32 +0000

The general public is quickly coming to accept homosexuality, probably owing largely to Hollywood’s positive portrayals of gay characters and the increasing number of public figures (again, mostly entertainers) who are out.

I think Hollywood makes a very weak case that the 'Esprit' issue has gone away in the military. I don't really care what 'openly gay' people do, as I think it is their responsibility at work to do their job, which may not include 'openness'. If they are exhibiting appropriate workplace behavior, their 'sexuality' should not be all that evident. Certainly sex between any troops is neither open nor condoned anywhere in a combat zone. My only concern is one of logistics. If troops are showering, sleeping, working in close quarters, is there still a case for seperation by sexual orientation? I assume female troops have been traditionally seperated from male for this reason. Do we now have another category, or two? Or do we remove the lines and put all troops in the same barracks regardless.

By: Moderate Voters.org - An Alternative to the Far Right and Far Left.

Moderate Voters.org - An Alternative to the Far Right and Far Left. — Wed, 31 Dec 1969 18:00:00 +0000

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