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DADT: the 'separate but equal' of our time
Despite public and military support for overturning Don't Ask, Don't Tell, the legislation which bans openly gay service members, political, military and religious leaders cite a variety of objections to changing the law.
Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) worries that allowing gays to serve openly would impact troop "morale;" Marine Corp Commandant Gen. James Amos says that a policy change may affect "unit cohesion" and "combat effectiveness." Among the religious leaders opposed to overturning Don't Ask, Don't Tell is Catholic Archbishop for the Military Services Timothy J. Broglio, who fears that chaplains would be forced to compromise their principles in accepting "objectively disordered" homosexuality, adding that he "can never condone -even silently -homosexual behavior."
What beliefs are behind banning gays in the military? What's the role of religion in this debate?
It's time to out Don't Ask Don't Tell: it's nothing more than the Separate But Equal of our time. Both policies - ill-conceived and ill-fated - were designed to present elegant solutions to intractable problems, but in fact only perpetuated those problems. The reason that Separate But Equal failed is the same reason that Don't Ask Don't Tell must be repealed: they are both politically unsound and morally bankrupt. Most problems - personal, familial, political -- can only be solved through compromise. But some -- including the persistence of legal hurdles to full equality and dignity for all people -- are only exacerbated and prolonged by compromise.
If the full weight of the moral problem is not immediately apparent, we have only to consider the context within which the Hail Mary attempt to preserve Don't Ask Don't Tell has emerged. Last month, three young men in the Bronx were savagely attacked for being gay, politicians garnered support by claiming that homosexuals are plotting to brainwash our children, and a spate of tragic suicides led many to argue that we may be witnessing a gay teen suicide epidemic. This conversation is not an intellectual exercise or a political football. It's a high stakes game and human life is on the line. When military and political leadership resists change to a broken policy legitimizing discrimination, they become complicit in the tragic and often violent stripping away of the dignity of gay men and women.
My friend, Rabbi Brad Artson, likes to say "If you don't like gay sex, don't have any." People of conscience and faith have a right to disagree on homosexuality. I would love to hear a political, religious or military leader say "I believe that it is God's will that we strive to find ourselves in heterosexual relationships. But I will defend, with every ounce of strength, the rights of gays and lesbians to complete equality. My personal faith struggle should not deprive any child of God a full and dignified life." It is unreasonable and unacceptable for those who object to homosexuality to impede others' ability to serve their country, to love, to live a full and dignified life. Like segregation, the denial of equal rights to homosexuals threatens to corrupt the soul of America. There is only one moral response to discrimination: we must end it, and we must end it now.
By
Sharon Brous
|
November 17, 2010; 1:27 AM ET
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Posted by: cyberfool | November 18, 2010 10:30 AM
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1) The left cares not at all about access to the military they publicly despise
2) "Gays" in the military is to undercut the institution
...(just like Iraq was the wrong war and Afghanistan was the 'right' war to the left when Bush was in office, today Afghanistan is less loved by the left.....)
3) Homosexuality is as biologically normal as pedophilia or necrophilia.
4) Homosexuality was rightly classed as a mental illness until a 3 to 2 vote by the governing body of American psychiatry in the early 1970's at a convention where no papers on related topics were presented...a "global warming" bit of political science...
Posted by: georgedixon1 | November 18, 2010 10:28 AM
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Note: This Material is recycled from earlier Today.
"Amerika's [SECULAR] U.S. CONSTITUTION & U.S. LAW has a "Binding Nature" on EVERY Straight & none Straight, Advantaged & Disadvantaged CITIZEN, Aliens & Visitors BUT, not via Chalakah, Nor Sharia LAW.
Note: ALL ABEic & VEDic Are NOT-MADE-IN USA! iMPORTED! SO it hath come to pass THAT
The GAY/Fay-galay] Community/Ummah in Question is to-realize that Sweet Sweet U.S.A. is NO-Nazi Europe of 1930's+ that openly discriminated, pogromed & Mass SHOAH'd the GAY's, the GYPSYs et al by mostly Catholics, Ishlami's & Proxy's. So,
TODAY; America Can't Mass Murder The Gays here. Besides being Organized like a Religion?, that none-Straights appear in the Millions and in each State Of The UNION and Have Lots of Assets among their kind.. and also make-up a big VOTER & potential Charity-Giver/tithe block/source.
But Gay's need to know, Here or in Israel or Iran or Arabia or even Russia et al, that "LOOSE LIPS'" Sinks Ships. And that "PRIDE" [Being Openly queer'd] or "PROUD" that it can get one Killed. And
We all read Newspapers and or Watch T.V. or Internet etc.. about how GAYS commit Suicide brought on by Straights making Fun or Bullying Them, or Get Banged Around etc.. FOR BEING OPEN in PUBLIC/CIVIC. Not MILITARY! So,
U.S. "G" Military Personnel are Very Safe therein, more secure than in Public.! So "DADT" should be Left Alone.
And if one adheres the old saying, "If object is thrown Up it [surely] will come down; That it can or will be fatal if the DADT is 'Repealed'. Repeat; It Will SECURE the Safety of Military None-Straights. So,
All 3-Three SECTtions WIN!
1} None-Straights &
2} Their "CHAPLAINS" System {a CHURCH already Established, "iNSTEAD OF CONSTITUTION deep in our GOVERNMENT} and
3} and the STRAIGHTS will also benefit! Therefore Leave DADT ALONE!
Note: This is NOt the "Impatient 1980"s WHERE:
Question of the day as today was/is, "WHAT TO DO NEXT?" as shown by the Impatient Citizens of U.S.S.R. (Russian Union) who stirred themselves up into the"RUSSIAN HiGH 1980"S+ frenzy similar to America's "HIGH 1960's" driven by a 'Feeling' of an "APOCALYPSE" among them (Youth etc.) Justly as the 'Impatient 1960's Youth"s movement here will RISE-UP ANGRY against GOV like in the "IMPATIENT 1970's" & Hyper 1980's.
So America's & elsewhere are now going through their "POST 'PISCES-AGE' era Correction's moment includes correcting their Religions own Writings within to reflect the AQUARiUS-AGE.
Note: Most None-Straights are Tough & can Hit Back & hurt. But are Patient?
So DON't Repeal the DADT since gays (95%) don't go into th Military!i[WE] don't Need to Hear a Straight Soldier killing a None-Straight Soldier! And
Eventhough WE[i] Amerik's are a "BEACAN' of DEMOCRACY for all to see; That it does not mean that America should Welcom with open-Arms ALL None-Straights in America from Foreign Nations that Persecute or reject them therein or treated them as "Refuznick's.
A STRAIGHT LiFE WINS!
Posted by: woodstock-41 | November 17, 2010 1:57 PM
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DADT wasn't a terrible law in 1993, it was enlightened and controversial. It was opposed by many who defend it now and it was defended by many who oppose it now.
It did not enshrine some moral absolute for all time, but it wasn't bad law at the time it passed. It helped the transition to the point that we are today where most people, in and out of the military can accept openly gay service members.
It is time to repeal it.