Senate votes to end "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy

[Danger41]

Interested in hearing some opinions on the end of the "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy that has been used by the US military for 17 years.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/40715888...ill/?GT1=43001

[RabbitObsessed]

Re: Senate votes to end "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy

Don't think political talk is appreciated on here...

But I think the policy is ridiculous. Just because someone is gay, that has no effect on their ability to serve in the military.

[Nidaros]

Re: Senate votes to end "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy

Don't think political talk is appreciated on here...

But I think the policy is ridiculous. Just because someone is gay, that has no effect on their ability to serve in the military.

In general, I tend agree with RO. Again we found common ground again. How about that!!

I could write a book about this issue, but the first time I got the question, "Are you a homosexual?" was when I filled out my application form to enlist in the US Navy. I got this question again and again since I was headed towards a rating in the group of special Naval Communications that required a Top Secret Clearence. In addition we got lectures about this while receiving our indoctrination training in Penscola Florida. We are talking early 1966, forty-four years ago. At that time the thinking was that secret information could be comprimised by the enemy using this secret perversion as a weapon against the homosexual person to gain secret information about military operations. I do not know of any incident where this happened. I could be wrong though.

There are several books out by a guy whose name I forget, seems like Mumford was his last name, where he has mysteriously gotten into the National Security Agency, and learned a lot of things--things with my Top Secret Clearance I did not know. One of the things he mentioned in one of his books was the selling of top secret crypto information by two Sailors much like my self to Russia and they later defected to Russia. Interesting enough they served on the same facility as I did in Japan when they made their intial contact with the Russians. Were either of them gay? No. Also something that seems recent in my mind, the Walker brothers who sold a bunch of stuff to the Russians. Were any of them gay? No. They were just greedy and wanted a few bucks to pay some bills, and once you make one sale, the enemy has you by the gonads. I dont think the Russians bothered to checked to see if they were gay.

So from an espionage point of view, being a homosexual does NOT help the enemy. It possibly puts you in a compromising position as long as the Military policy is against homosexuals from serving. Removing DADT, actually strengthens those who might be put in compromising positions relating to those who serve and serve with a military security clearance.

I may have served with gays, but never knew it. Our personnel representative at the Rural Utilities Servise Agency an agency in the US Depr of Agriculture, turned out to be gay and had a private wedding. Everyone was a little shocked but once we got over the shock, we still respected the guy.

My own local congregation in the ELCA, Evangelicall Lutheran Church in America, voted this summer to ban the call of any same gender pastor and to prohibit gay weddings in our church.
This congregation vote was held this summer when most of the young people were not present. The largest Lutheran group in America, is the result of mergers of two large bodies with aging membership. The older members are having a hard time accepting the action of the Convention Wide Assembly action of allowing same gender clergy to be reinstated to the roster of bonified clergy. With older Lutherans calling the shots in a number of individual congregations, one should not be surprised with the backlash. Those younger Lutherans who strongly oppose this action, probably have not been informed and are rather closed minded about this issue.

I see this as a generation issue where the young do not often agree with their elders.

As far as DADT policy which in about 90 days will be offically history, I dont see any harm and certain individuals will be restored to dignity. I caught the press conference on CSPAN last evening that included a former Air Force Major. He told about what he had went through in being washed out from active duty. Its a real shame. He thought he had deleted certain emails that were private. He did not say if they were on his private computer or the governments computer. If it was a gov computer, they should have taken action for using gov property in an unauthorized manner, but instead the content of the emails was the issue.

Now that the Senate has voted down this policy, its workable in my mind. We need every person who is willing to serve in our military.

[Danger41]

Re: Senate votes to end "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy

Don't think political talk is appreciated on here...

Not even in "The Lounge"? If so, delete away.

[Nidaros]

Re: Senate votes to end "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy

James Bamford is the name of the author that I mentioned in my first post. His big book was the Puzzle Palace.

[JackJD]

Re: Senate votes to end "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy

Yeah, political discussions have nothing to do with the purpose of this board. This particular discussion, it seems to me, is political in a sense although not strictly one party vs another party etc. I'd prefer such discussion take place on other boards set up for such discussions.

[West-River_Jack]

Re: Senate votes to end "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy

I know a soldier currently serving in Afganistan. He was recently home on leave. While home, someone asked him his opinion on the subject. His answer was that he really didn't care. The questioner, thinking he had been instructed by superiors not to comment on the subject, asked the question with the comment that since they were family that he could speak openly. He replied that he was serious. He really didn't care.

[Rabbitden]

Re: Senate votes to end "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy

The majority of us serving were asked to fill out a survey on this subject over the last year and I believe the percentage was pretty high that most service members do not care one way or the other.

[Nidaros]

Re: Senate votes to end "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy

There are some threads on this subject on the Argus Forums threads. One is dated since the house passed this legislation on Friday.

http://www.argusleader.com/apps/pbcs...c-74784b54d727