On September 9, 2010, the 1993 “don’t ask, don’t tell” military policy was ruled unconstitutional. The rule had allowed homosexuals to serve in the military as long as they did not speak about their sexual orientation. United States District Judge Virginia A. Philips said that this was a violation of the First and Fifth amendment rights of homosexual soldiers, and the only way that the law would be found acceptable, is if the military could prove that it strengthened the military in some way. However, Judge Philips decided that the government could not prove this, thereby making the rule unconstitutional.
Isn’t it about time that this rule was looked at again? If every soldier is putting their life on the line to fight for their country, should it really matter if they are gay, lesbian, or straight? If heterosexual soldiers can be open about their sexual orientation, why should homosexual soldiers have to hide part of who they really are? Isn’t that unfair?
Some gay soldiers have attested they felt stressed trying to continually conceal their relationships from the military. First Lieutenant Dan Choi said that he even made up a female name for his boyfriend, in order to talk about his relationship with his fellow soldiers. Eventually however, lying became too much for Choi and he opened up about his personal life on an MSNBC television show. Choi was then discharged from the army.
Other soldiers have felt the same way as Choi. The army speaks about integrity and honesty, yet it forces a great number of their soldiers to lie about who they truly are in order to keep their job. Many soldiers who have faced the unfortunate reality of being discharged due to their sexual orientation, have then also been faced with large financial burdens as well. Mara Boyd and Sara Isaacson were discharged, and then were expected to pay the education costs that the army had previously paid for them. Therefore, on top of losing their jobs, they were also then in thousands of dollars of debt. The discharged soldiers run the risk of losing their pensions as well if they have not served in the military for at least 20 years. How is it fair that gay soldiers have to deal with all of these stresses and have to constantly worry about their secret being found out, but heterosexual soldiers do not have any of these worries? By getting rid of the “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy, many of these unfair stresses will be alleviated.
To read more on the recent ruling, go to http://www.boston.com/news/nation/washington/articles/2010/09/10/dont_ask_dont_tell_called_unconstitutional/?p1=News_links, and to read more about gay soldiers personal experiences with the “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy, visit http://www.politicsdaily.com/2010/06/17/dont-ask-dont-tell-policy-conflicted-gay-soldiers-also-fac/.
I personally believe that ruling the “don't ask, don't tell” military policy as unconstitutional was the proper choice for the United States District Judge. It is completely unfair that homosexual soldiers have to hide part of their identity. If an individual is willing to fight for their country, why should voicing their sexual orientation be a determinant of their right to serve? In the article, one homosexual soldier was noted in stating, “If the act were repealed, [I] wouldn’t hesitate to rejoin the service.” Despite being discharged, losing pensions, and losing careers, many homosexual soldiers would still return to the military to serve. Are these not the type of people a country's military wants on their side? These soldiers have lost so much due to how others perceive them and yet they are so passionate about serving their country that they are willing to return.
ReplyDeleteMany soldiers probably entered the military knowing their sexual orientation yet wanted to serve to such an extent that they put up with the policy. Just because many do put up with it, however, does not mean they should have to or it is right to force them to do so. Even a First Lieutenant spoke about hiding his significant other of the same sex. People of all ranks in the military have to conceal their orientation when this stressor could easily not exist. I think it is also unfair that some discharged soldiers have the stress of paying college costs that had already been paid by the military, since I see this as the military denying paying for education based on sexual orientation. I strongly believe that it does not matter if an individual wants to voice that they are gay, lesbian, or straight especially if they are still dedicated to protecting and serving a country that is partially made up of people who let them down.
I agree that the "don't as don't tell" policy is wrong because all soilders are the same, whether thay are gay or straight, and trying to keep something a secret can impact the way they perform as soilders. If a soilder is worried about keeping his sexual status a secret, it could cause him to not perform his duties as a soilder as well, and possibly get hurt.
ReplyDeleteAlthough I disagree with this act, I can see why it is in effect. Not everyone is in support of gay marriage, and some people protest and become violent in order to keep out gay marriage and relationships. For this reason, I think the "don't act don't tell" policy is a good way to protect the soilders because if another soilder were to find out someone is gay and they are aginst it, they could harass and possibly hurt that soilder. I do not think this act should be viewed as trying to go agisnt gay soilders, but instead as trying to protect them in the army during this time where gay marriage is a issue where people have their own strong, separate views.
Considering discrimination is unconstitutional, the ruling on this act is correct. The military has always represented the strength of our nation with its stong integral values. These values are blatantly undermined with the "don't ask, don't tell" policy. Omission compares closely with dishonesty. If a soldier does not truly know who is training or fighting alongside them then it would be difficult to build trust between the members of our country's defense. Without trust, the basis of any type of relationship, the front lines would begin to weaken and could lead to a vulnerable America.
ReplyDeleteIf a person is willing to defend their country and the laws set for it why should they then be discriminated against because of their sexual orientation?
This controversy is a testament to the changing times. Though acceptance is not always easy, it needs to happen or our nation will always be divided. Some people believe that allowing homosexuals to fight will distort the values of the American military. In reality, refusing to allow those with heart and courage to be a part of the military simply because they are not heterosexual is erodding the country's integrity.
I believe that ruling the “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy unconstitutional was right, and I am happy that finally a change has been made. I think it is unfair that soldiers have had to hide their sexuality and be dishonest about who they are in order to stay in the military. Just because someone may be gay or lesbian does not mean they are unfit to fight or any different from the rest. We often associate soldiers with being honest, so therefore I think they should be allowed to open up about their sexuality and not be afraid of discrimination or being discharged. Soldiers are taking a life threatening risk by serving in the military, and therefore they should be allowed to be exactly who they are. Sexuality should not matter because all soldiers have the same purpose, to serve and fight for their country. The story of Choi, mentioned in the blog, and the fact that he had to refer to his boyfriend as a girl’s name upset me. I believe everyone should be respected for who they are. The blogger reports that, “some gay soldiers have attested they felt stressed trying to continually conceal their relationships from the military,” and I believe this could affect their performance. Having to lie all the time can cause one to become unfocused and stressed. Ruling the “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy unconstitutional was a step in the right direction.
ReplyDeleteAlthough I can understand where the military is coming from when they discriminate against homosexuals, I absolutely do not feel that it is right. A lot of the military is conservative with their beliefs, but that should not interfere with military protocols. These people are citizens of America. They are not only citizens, they're citizens serving for our country, which is a lot more than most of us can say. It is not ethically fair and it is not constitutional to discriminate against these soldiers. They're here to fight for us, they shouldn't have to hide their sexuality. they have done enough for this country and it's time we do something for them.
ReplyDeleteI strongly agree that the "don't ask don't tell" policy is unconstitutional and I am very warmed to know that another act of discrimination has been eliminated from our nation. These homosexuals are willing to risk their lives for a country that not only acculturates a world of same-sex discrimination, but also hinders them from marrying their significant others due to their sexual orientation. But these homosexuals put the politics and discrimination behind them and join regardless because they so strongly hold a desire to serve for their country. Homosexuals join the military for the same reason any other man or woman joins-to do a service for their nation. All who join the service are there to fight and make a difference regardless of their sexuality. No one person should ever be judged because of such a personal decision, especially a person who is risking their life for the benefit of the nation. How can the military be trusted if they are forcing such a large portion of their soldiers to be dishonest with not only their fellow soldiers but themselves? It really is a conspiracy, an unethical injustice to put it lightly. It's pathetic to think that an organization so highly ranked in this country was home to such unconstitutional discrimination. Now here is my question: How can these political people (who created the "don't ask don't tell" policy) and who do not have enough courage to join the military themselves, judge another man or woman who chooses to serve their country, on their sexuality?
ReplyDeleteI am thankful that the "don't ask, don't tell" military policy was ruled unconstitutional. I feel it is wrong that homosexual soldiers are not allowed to speak openly about their sexuality. It isn't fair that heterosexual soldiers can speak freely about their partners, and the homosexual soldiers have to lie and create fake identities for theirs. It takes a loyal, confident, and strong individual to become a solider and fight for our country. It shouldn't matter the sexuality of the individual because he or she is out on the battlefield risking his/her own life while fighting for our freedom. It shouldn't be our choice to judge someone by their sexuality who is protecting not only our country, but us as individuals. When a solider is discharged because of their sexuality, it is as if he/she is losing his/her job and becoming a number in our unemployment rate. It is all because of their sexual identity that soldiers can be left with debt, denial and regret, and no one fighting for our homeland should experience any of those feelings. With the "don't ask, don't tell" policy, hopefully changes will be made and all individuals, especially soldiers, will be treated equally.
ReplyDeleteAlthough it is obvious that the "don't ask don't tell" policy is wrong, we also have to consider why some might believe that it is the "right" thing to do. Homophobia is a prevalent issue in our society. while we may believe that everyone should be respected and treated equally despite their sexual orientation, the reality is that they are not. In schools for example, homophobia may result in bullying, but in the military homophobia may result in something far more dangerous and tragic. While bullying in a school can be controlled, in the military it is much more harder to deal with. While at war, commanding officers do not want to mediate soldiers, they want to focus on the ongoing war the not conflicts within. They do not want to worry about a soldier threatening another just because he/she is gay. While i do understand that the military may not be the best place to address the issue of discrimination against homosexuals because of the hostile environment they are in, the truth is that it has to happen eventually. Why not now? As a society we are constantly fighting for equality, and discrimination against homosexuals is an issue of equality that has to be addressed by everyone in order for society to progress. Eliminating the "don't ask don't tell" policy may not be the easies thing but it is the right thing to do and it is something that has to be addressed now not later.
ReplyDeleteI am glad the "don't ask don't tell" military policy is being deemed unconstitutional. Soldiers in the army should be able to express their true identity. These men put their life on the line for this country. The least we can do is accept them for who they are. I am appalled that these soldiers can be dischargesd from the military just for their sexual orientation. The fact that they would deprive them of their pensions is sad and unnacceptable. Making these men pay for their schooling that the military promised to pay for is horrible. These men do not deserve to lose their job and gain thousands of dollars of debt just because of thier sexual orientation. Soldiers have enough stress to worry about, and we do not need to add secrecy to the list for homosexuals. I can not see why anyone in the military would complain about having a homosexual in their unit as long as they do not hold everyone back or put people in danger. Overall, I think ruling the "don't ask don't tell" policy is a great step in the right direction of homosexual rights.
ReplyDelete