I appreciate your patience while I put together my thoughts in my head on this topic. It has been difficult because I wanted to make sure I had a couple sources to use to back up my thoughts, and of course, that I had really thought about it from all angles.
So, here goes.
My first reaction to it is why the heck can't they serve in the military, freely and openly?
We don't have a draft.
No-one is FORCED to serve in our military.
And God knows I don't want to do what many of our service-members do.
So, if someone selflessly offers their service to our country, their sexual orientation is the LAST thing I'm thinking about.
But, does it affect the other service-members?
I don't think it does, or at least, should. I look at it this way. Sometimes you'll serve alongside someone with a different religion, a different family life or background, or a different culture or nationality...
Does that affect their skill as a soldier, sailor, marine? Not usually.
Does that affect how well you work with them? No.
In fact, you probably give the guy a little shit 'cause he's Jewish and not Catholic and then you pick up your rifle, head to chow and do your job together. With love and respect.
Why should sexual orientation be different?
Because it's icky. At least that's some views.
And it's fine if you feel that way.
I was raised in a religious home and I was raised to believe the homosexuality is a sin.
And for a long time I believed that. I know many people in my life who still do.
Those people are entitled to their opinions (as long as they have them respectfully) just as sure as I'm entitled to mine.
Good people should be able to look past something they think is "wrong" or "icky" and look to a person. Especially if that person is defending our great nation.
(And defending the very right to love who we love and live how we live.)
I know there are logistical concerns. This will probably cost the department of defense a lot of money in military contracts by allowing people out early or allowing early retirement. I definitely think it's appropriate for the military to allow service-members and families who are no longer comfortable serving under the new rules to get out. Just like it's not OK to force gay service-members to hide their sexual orientation, it's not OK to force others to accept it.
(Especially since the military runs on required contracts that the members often have little control over during the in-between periods.)
This repeal (which isn't guaranteed as of yet) might even cost resources, time and lives. I don't know how hard those sacrifices will be, but I tend to think they're worth it.
The bottom line: you love who you love.
And what-the-hell good is a strong military fighting for our freedoms when our freedoms are contingent on your sexual orientation. Not really what we're fighting for, is it?
Whether you agree with the lifestyle or support the decision, being gay should not matter when it comes to giving your heart, time and life to our great military and even greater nation.
Resources:
Wikipedia (a good overview)
4 comments:
I honestly could care less (ha, then again, I am not serving), but I think it is silly to do this while we are fighting two wars, Korea is heating up and China is starting to be more aggressive. Don't we have bigger fish to fry at the moment? And, like you said, it isn't fair to force the military members who do disagree to stay in if they really feel that convicted about the issue and don't want to serve with openly homosexual servicemembers. (Mental image of some totally stereotypical jarhead comes to mind). And do we want people fleeing the military right now??
I don't know. It seems a non-issue at the moment, but it also seems like poor timing.
But hey, no one asked me :)
I'm with DAR-- but you already knew that.
I'm confused though, you said it's not "guaranteed as of yet." Obama signed it, pretty sure that was final?? :)
Well written!
Very well thought-out post. I agree, and I worry about what the "growing pains" of (potentially) enacting this legislation might entail. It seems unlikely that the military will transition without seeing some sort of senseless violence. At this point it's not uncommon for servicemembers who are outed to receive death threats, and the type of person who would make them won't stop just because a new law has been signed.
Post a Comment