...I'll just tell.The 60 Minutes episode entitled, "Military Soft On Don't Ask, Don't Tell?
Is Military More Tolerant Of Gay Members In Wartime?" was a real disappointment. First, in the inimitable words of Stephen Sondheim, "It's intolerable, being tolerated." The U.S.military has become "more tolerant...and...soft," by allowing convicted felons, lowering intelligence standards, increasing age limits (42) and literally paying people to join and stay.
Why? Because George W. Bush and his legions of cronies have broken the military -- not to mention the country as a whole. The military have "relaxed" the witch hunts of previous years precisely because the current servicemembers are overworked with war on two fronts and another one looming.
The 60 Minutes piece was a joke. Representing the government was the infamous tool Duncan Hunter (R-CA). Leslie Stahl doesn't bother to call him on much, most particularly when asked about why Gay persons can't serve and he responds, "It's wartime..."and he goes on to intimate that Gays won't or can't fight. "We need hardened warriors, " says Hunter. Leslie Stahl just lets it go as if it's a given that Gays can't or won't fight.
I am sick to death of listening to Gay-bashers in and out of the service. Others agree. JOHN M. SHALIKASHVILI, former Joint-Chiefs-of-Staff says in a NYT article, "I now believe that if gay men and lesbians served openly in the United States military, they would not undermine the efficacy of the armed forces." Watch the segment and then let CBS know that 75% of the public do not agree with DADT or the "60 Minute" treatment of such an important topic.
6 comments:
Did they ask Hunter if he had to choose between criminals and gays, which he'd prefer being in the military? False choice, I suppose, but an interesting question nonetheless, given the circumstances.
P.S. I always thought that Gen. Shali was one of the smart ones.
Yea, me too about Shal...and yes false choice, not to mention insulting. Compare replacing "Gay" with "Black."
Interesting...I had a hunch that many lesbians and gays were serving more and more openly. I have a couple of friends in the military that say their platoons, or whatever grouping they're in pretty much know who's who and what's what. They become family and as family they support all the members for the most part is pretty much how it was described. Hopefully, laws will be passed in the next administration getting rid of don't ask, don't tell and make open service the accepted practice. Now if we could just give peace a chance...
Honestly, I can't express how angry this makes me. we are the only western nation still not allowing Gays and Lesbians to serve openly. I think the thing that most concerns the military brass about allowing Gay service is the 60-65% republican servicemembers will shift to something more representative of the American public as a whole. With that shift comes the loss of the stranglehold on the military as part of their base.
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