Friday, May 8, 2009

You can risk your life, but you can't.....

I had to sleep on this before posting it because it made me so angry.
But I have to say that sleeping on it didn't really help.

If any of you watch Rachel Maddow, you know about this. She interviewed a National Guard Platoon Leader named Dan Choi on her show in March. He said "I am gay" on TV and said he could be fired for it because of the "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy.

Well sure enough, today he got a letter saying that is going to be discharged because he broke that policy.

Who in the world could have possibly thought that was a good idea? We ask these people to possibly GIVE UP THEIR LIVES to protect us and they can't admit to who they REALLY are? This is shameful and it needs to be remedied RIGHT NOW. I am so truly pissed about this. We owe this to them... They are expected to be honest, truthful, loyal while in the armed services but how can they be, when they can't even admit to who they are.

Let's lose valuable servicemen and women for this??????

4 comments:

Charlotte said...

Very stupid! My bro is a Navy Seal and is totally fine with gays in the military.
Once he told me that there was a guy that went around grabbing guys asses and making lewd comments and being suggestive all of the time. My brother turned him in and the guy was discharged. My brother felt bad. I had to explain to my brother that guy's behavior wasn't gay but sexually predatory! If he was doing that to women would you have still turned him in? My brother said Yes but then went on to say, but if man did that to women he wouldn't be discharged from the military. Good point.

monkey girl said...

What just makes me fume is that this uber-christian puritanical attitude our country seems to propagate.
Our 'don't ask don't tell' policy is ridiculous and hypocritical.

Charlotte,
Your story is disturbing on so many levels. First, I have to say, I've never known any gay who would go around grabbing asses and making lewd comments. I'm not saying it can't happen, however, it doesn't ring true. Our military services are some of the most sexist, homophobic, racist work places I've ever known.
And as far as the statement that if it had been a man doing that to a woman, he wouldn't be discharged...you're 100% correct on that part.
Some of the most egregious sexist (sexual) battery cases happen in the military and 9 times out of 10, the women is the one who is penalized...either that or told to keep her mouth shut.

What a great representation of our country. But then when Bush started allowing criminals to serve...that's what you're going to get.

Charlotte said...

Didn't ring true for me as well. That man's behavior had nothing to do with his sexual orientation, he was a sexual predator or at least a disturbed individual.

mommapolitico said...

I'm pissed off, too. Sleeping did not help me, either! It is the ultimate in hypocrisy to ask folks to follow an honor code and live deceitfully, and to ask them to give their lives for our country but to deny who they are. As a Navy brat, it does not, however, surprise me in the least. This is a policy that hast to change, that must change. We need more corageous folks like Choi to step forward and band together publically. Easier said than done, I am sure, but seeing so many fine individuals who are great soldiers and gay come forward might finally be the tipping point for the issue. Writing our President and representatives might help, too - the more voices, the better.