VIDEO LINK: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/26315908/vp/35190871#35190871
"It was the strongest statement yet from the Pentagon on this volatile issue...Adm. Mike Mullen told the Senate Armed Services Committee he is deeply troubled by a policy that forces people to 'lie about who they are in order to defend their fellow citizens.'"
"It was the strongest statement yet from the Pentagon on this volatile issue...Adm. Mike Mullen told the Senate Armed Services Committee he is deeply troubled by a policy that forces people to 'lie about who they are in order to defend their fellow citizens.'"
I know we've been discussing homosexuality and how it affects those within our circle of family, friends, and acquaintances. What about in the military? This was news as of 2/2/10 that discussed our top military official's opinion that changing the policy is "the right thing to do." Watch the video for just a little bit to get an idea of what is recent, more relevant news in our society today.
Oh man, this is difficult. My main concern here is maintaining high standard of morality in the armed forces. We all know that sexual actions bring some of the strongest emotions and I could just imagine complex relationships taking place in the army that would degrade moral and only bring feelings of distrust, anger, and jealousy. I don't feel there is anything wrong with being gay and openly serving in the military. Having those tendencies does not mean your a bad person, But openly acting on those tendencies in the army could most definitely lead to trouble. That's why it troubles me to hear about this because generally being gay and identifying yourself as that and not being a member of the church means your are actively seeking and acting on your feelings. So, should homosexuals be allowed to serve in the military, I don't know. I suppose they could do a pilot program to see what happens to the moral of the unit. What do you guys think?
ReplyDeleteI think you contradict yourself. You say that you don't see anything wrong with being gay and openly serving in the military, but a few sentences later question whether homosexuals should even be allowed to serve in the military. Moreover, I think it interesting that you question the morality of homosexual servicemen and women, yet what about promiscuous heterosexual soldiers degrading morality within the armed forces and bringing in feelings of distrust, anger and jealousy. Is promiscuity only immoral when it involves homosexuality. I think not, I think the lecture on Wednesday mentioned that immorality is problematic regardless of sexual orientation and that in a religious sense is what jeopardizes the moral fiber of society. Just because someone has same-sex attractions does not mean that they are immoral. I don't think we need a pilot program, but an open mind and heart. People join the military for mostly the same reasons, and I don't think sex is one of them, so why should orientation matter.
ReplyDeleteI have to agree with Grant. I don't see a direct correlation between sexual orientation and sexual activity.
ReplyDeleteI think what happens with the military is that they have to set the standard somewhere, and problems with homosexuals could be more prevalent in the military when they are in close proximity to other people of the gender they are attracted to.
ReplyDeleteWhich is, perhaps, why they have segregated living quarters, to attempt to cut down on wanton sexual promiscuity.
Could it be possible that military people are still uninformed about homosexuality?
Honestly, have you seen many homosexual men being portrayed as masculine, and stereotypically what the military looks for, in the media? I sure haven't...and I think this is a big part of it, that it is easier to not have to deal with it, than to confront the issue.
I disagree with setting up a pilot program.
This has been implemented in the past with Blacks and Indians, and in both instances, other members of the military looked down upon them as being "inferior" units.
If someone is willing to go, potentially, put their life on the line in defense of America, I feel they should be able to do so and not be segregated in a "special" program; however, I do feel strongly that sexual preference needs to be disclosed, not on the basis to negatively discriminate, but as a means to maintain better control on potentially hazardous situations which could affect the standards the military tries to uphold.
Also, as a side note, typically it seems that most persons who engage in volunteer military service are from lower-income areas...This may be an unfair assertion, but a large amount of people I grew up with were from broken homes, lower income families, etc., and were less tolerant of ANYONE who was different than they--be in monetarily, sexual preference, race, etc.
That being said, if these views are widespread among the majority of areas in which military persons are coming from, perhaps this is why the military handles the situation the way they do.
Not everyone is as accepting as we would like to think, and perhaps the military has found that those who are involved and employed by the various services harbor derogatory and even more hazardous feelings/thoughts about those who are homosexual.
I may be off base in my assertion, but to be honest, most people I know who are in military service do not like wealthy people, do not like to eat their vegetables, and do not like homosexuals.
I think if a person want so serve their country they should be able to. Gays are still human and shouldn't be discriminated against just as other races shouldn't be discriminated against. A lot of people don't understand gays and do treat them badly, so I think that not letting them in the military is protecting them. I think they would get hurt and there would be lots of problems if they were able to come out, but at the same time they are needed to help the country. If the military was giving some sort of human resource training where they learned about gays maybe that could help, if the people were more informed they'd be less discriminatory.
ReplyDeleteI have no problem with gays being in the military. They have as much as a right as we do to serve our country. I can see a potential moral problem with them openly saying they are homosexual, and I agree with the military's policy. Although they are "living a lie," ultimately this is for the best as there could be violence against them due to some discrimination against gays in America.
ReplyDeleteAlso, gays in the military should not have a problem with not being open to who they are. If they are serving in the military, there focus probably isn't on sex. They are most likely focused on serving our country as everyone has a right to do. I think that the military has an acceptable policy that creates the best environment for those in service of the military.