American public opinion about gays in the military has shifted dramatically since President Bill Clinton unveiled the "don't ask, don't tell" policy 15 years ago.A Washington Post/ABC News poll reveals that 75 percent of Americans believe that gay people who are open about their sexual orientation should be allowed to serve in the U.S. military. That is up from 62 percent in 2001 and 44 percent in 1993.
2 comments:
...And?
I'm with ruokasi - ...And?
Having been in the military, you clearly misunderstand the context and reasons for the change in attitudes. Being "openly gay" in the military is a good thing for all of us - closet gays are excellent and easy targets for espionage. If we already know they're gay, they're far less likely to gather intelligence for an enemy out of fear of being 'outed'. We also get more professional soldiers (less likely to promote or protect 'lovers'), can better manage the medical risks, and as long as their conduct is professional, we (the other soldiers) are more than happy to look the other way.
This is better in every way. It used to be that you could call investigative services and report someone gay (even if they weren't). That person (gay or not) was subjected to days of interrogation in an effort to find who their lovers were, if they were gathering intel for anyone and so on, and would often end in a career ending notation in their record books - if not an outright dishonorable discharge (of someone who wasn't gay, but not well liked by some other jerk off). So yeah - our attitude's changed considerably over the past 15 years, and we're better for it.
Do you actually bother to look at the reasons behind these stories of 'moral decay', or do you just scan the headlines looking for something to support your position?
Post a Comment