Wednesday, May 20, 2009

Gays in the Military: Don't Ask/It Smells

So....I'm watching Rachel last night and finding out about yet another member of our military being ousted for being gay. (see video below)

It isn't enough that they lay their lives down for us, or for wars of choice. It isn't enough that they are exposed to horror, blood and death almost every day of their lives. It isn't enough that we demand that they carry with them the knowledge that as they are preserving our freedoms or fighting to preserve other's lives, that they are killing.

Nor is it enough that we repay them with degraded healthcare. It isn't enough that Veterans had to fight tooth and nail for a modernized GI bill last year (That John McCain "friend to veterans" fought tooth and nail against, only to take credit for its passing}.

No...none of that is enough. We have to tell them who they can and cannot love or they lose the "right" to protect us.

Barack Obama promised to deal with Don't Ask/Don't Tell when he was campaigning. We are still waiting for him to at least take some small action so that our forces aren't diminished for stupidity.

In this time when we need every single willing and able bodied person to serve. What the fuck are we thinking? Who the fuck are we and what the fuck do we stand for when we actually FIRE people from the military?

As has been asked before by John Stewart, "So...we can waterboard a guy 187 times but the other guy that can interpret and understand what the hell that jerk we're waterboarding is saying can't have a boyfriend?"

As a near middle aged straight male I am beyond offended by this. I am outraged. I don't give a flying rat's ass who you love, why you love or HOW you love. If you love, that's good enough for me. Love As Thou Wilt, a phrase from a favorite series of books, is something that I will eventually have tattooed on my arm this year. I believe its how we ought to approach life and each other.

If we find out a soldier is gay, the response should be "We are grateful for your service" not "you're fired".

This isn't a game, this is life and death. Grow the fuck up.

It's time we stopped letting backwards thinking dumbasses run shit in this country.

President Obama, STEP UP! This is one of the many reasons I voted for you.

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