http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/us_obama_gays
The title of this article caught my eye right away since we just recently discussed the "don't ask, don't tell" policy for the military. In this article, Obama says, "We should not be punishing patriotic Americans who have stepped forward to serve the country. We should be celebrating their willingness to step forward and show such courage." I do not feel that these patriotic Americans are being punished. There are people in the military that are gay, but they keep it to themselves. In an atmosphere like the military, I believe that your sexual orientation is only your business.
One thing Obama says in the article that I agree with is that he wants to stop discrimination. It is important to accept people the way they are but it is hard to change the way people think and feel about these controversial issues.
I have a friend who is in the military, and we briefly discussed the "don't ask, don't tell" policy. He said that he got "hit on" by a gay guy in his unit, and after that, he felt awkward around him. He said that it was hard to have the same kind of unity and comradery with that guy as he did with the other guys. This had a negative effect on the unit. I'm not saying that it is okay for gays to be discriminated against, I'm just saying that it takes a lot of work to influence people to think and feel differently than what they are used to.
I don't mean to sound harsh but these controversial issues are difficult to deal with and to express in a way that will not offend people.
Sunday, October 11, 2009
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And then I ask the question: How DO we change perceptions and begin to overcome discriminatory attitudes? Is it by telling people to hide who they are just to maintain the norm? To me this seems like a "don't rock the boat" mentality that is never useful in realistically addressing social issues.
ReplyDeleteAnecdotally, some friends have told me that when they were in the military there were some guys who were even "out" and their officers knew about it. When asked why they did not pursue any action, the officers said that the individuals were good workers and good soldiers. Ultimately, that is the attitude we should be seeking. Hopefully, one day soon, women and men will be able to serve in the military while being open about their sexual orientation. The cited article stresses the important question of "When?"