Reducing service members to things
One thing that's been oddly missing from the debate in the Senate over repealing Don't Ask Don't Tell is any discussion of the moral and human dimensions of this story, at least as it concerns the gay service-members themselves. The discussion has mostly focused on how straight troops will be impacted, and has otherwise been bone dry: It's all about what the statistics in the Pentagon report actually reveal and whether Robert Gates will implement repeal on a sufficiently flexible timetable.
Indeed, when Senator James Webb today asked the Service Chiefs a simple question about the gay human beings impacted by this discriminatory policy, everyone at the hearing acted a bit startled. Webb asked: What should we do with gay patriotic Americans who have already served our country for years, and want to lead free and open lives? Everyone looked uncomfortable, as if Webb had gone way off topic.
You are so right! They have totally focused our attention on those "poor" straight guys! Plus, no one is talking about how women have had to deal with "unwanted romantic advances" all their lives.
ReplyDeleteNow, it's coming out about female soldiers and suicide. Often, a component of that is sexual harassment and even rape. So, I think those straight guys are experiencing psychological projection -- they're afraid the gay male soldiers will do to them what these straight guys have been doing to women. Anti-gay hysteria!
well said! Come back often!
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