Military BS or.... "don't ask, don't tell, don't pursue, don't harass yada yada yada"....

I think that I may be getting to a point in my life where I have very little tolerance or use for BS. BS.... I see a lot of that every time we get close to a presidential election. Everyone promises things they have no intention of delivering. Remember when Bill Clinton promised to completely do away with the expulsion of gays in the military? When he became president, he tried to do that. They came up with "don't ask, don't tell, don't pursue". Well, we ended up with something that allowed far more abuse than the simple expulsion of homosexuals from the military. We ended up with a policy that was fraught with abuse and allowed commanders to pretty much do whatever they wanted to do with military personnel who they suspected of being gay. And, in many cases, they did pursue. Many years later, we are still stuck with "don't ask, don't tell...", with apparently no one with the testicular fortitude to kill this stupid policy. All it would take is the stroke of a pen. That's all.

I suppose as a free American I can buy into the notion that we are free because our troops keep us free. BULL SHIT! I'm sick of hearing that crap. I have lost respect for our military leaders and our commander in chief. They want us to buy the notion that these men will suffer being around gay men and women. They want us to "trust" them when they say that the presense of gay soldiers would have a negative effect on "unit cohesion". My answer: REAL soldiers wouldn't give a damn about that. REAL MEN would be confident in themselves to do the job at hand. Let's pose it this way: you are going into battle. You and the men around you encounter fire from your enemy. You are watching out for each other in an extremely tense and dangerous situation. How comfortable would you feel with someone who was watching your back if you knew that person was worried about something as small as a gay guy in the platoon? This really has nothing to do with the gay guy in the platoon at this point. It has everything to do with the character of the soldier having the problem with the gay guy. He's not focused. How many other issues in his life will cause him not to be focused? How many lives will that cost on the battle field?

Maybe because of this, gay people are in danger in the military, but it has nothing to do with them. The real problem is character of the military. Do military personnel follow orders, or don't they? If they do, and were ordered to get over their issues with sexual orientation, it shouldn't be a problem. But apparently, they don't follow orders. Apparently, they aren't good soldiers. And this is what is protecting our freedom.

Do you realize how many gay soldiers have sacraficed their lives for our freedom and our country? They deserve better than "don't ask, don't tell". Young gay men and women who become openly gay in the military are discharged under "don't ask, don't tell", when it is convenient to do so. In times of war, stop gap measures are enforced to keep them from leaving the military. If they are good enough to be forced to fight while knowing they are gay, they are good enough to serve openly in the military! The fact that they are forced to stay during war conditions pretty much shoots the hell out of the idea that openly gay personnel nagatively effect "unit cohesion", wouldn't you say?

Many reading this will be offended by my attitude on the military. I stick by it. I've never been in the military, not should I have to be to understand a very simple problem. It is simple homophobia. Get over it! People in the military will say "you don't understand the close living quarters... the conditions... etc. we are forced to live in..." So? Why is that an issue? Do your freakin job already! If the gay guy next to you makes a pass at you (heaven forbid), it means that he isn't a good soldier and is breaking general rules that have nothing to do with "don't ask, don't tell". He should be reported for not doing his job. That simple. I belong to a gym. After I work out I take a shower. I'm in a common shower with other men (I'm sure most all straight men). Their sexual orientation or mine is not the issue. The issue at hand is getting clean. If I happen to see what other guys have (their "equipment", if you will), so what? I say nothing and think nothing of it. A straight male friend once said to me, "but it's not fair because I can't shower with women". I told him, "well, it wouldn't matter to me. I wouldn't have a problem showering with men or women. To me you are there to get clean, and that's the end of it". Apparently, he had something more in mind.