wnyc.org / 93.9fm / am 820

Comments

• [1] Jen from NYC June 11, 2007 - 11:12AM

  I served in the NY Army National Guard from 2000-2005 and am a lesbian. Serving under this archaic rule is damaging to all military members but most certainly the gay and lesbians ones.

  I was activated on 9/11 and being gay did not stop me from doing my job right. All it did was stop me from kissing my girlfriend goodbye like everyone was doing with their signifigant other.

  In the run up to war "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" discharges have dropped in half, which truly show the nature of the policy, one of pure discrimination. The policy is based on the supposed need for unit cohesion and troop morale, things you would think are needed even more during war. The policy's lack of implementation proves that gay people are capable of working along straight people and proves that its implementation is arbitrary.

  I however do not support lifting the ban to allow of flood of new gay recruits. We are still not provided with the same rights as everyone else in this country so we should not fight a war for "freedom" if we do not have it ourselves. The ban should be lifted for those honorably serving a country that does not honor them back.

  
  
• [2] margarita from flushing June 11, 2007 - 11:47AM

  I am so grateful that these men and women are protecting us. I do not care whether they are gay, everybody bleeds the same way when they die for our country! They don't care that i am hetero, we should just concentrate on what is important!

  
  
• [3] obi June 11, 2007 - 11:53AM

  Brian:

  I wonder what the demographics say about how many of the 3500 americans who have been killed and the thousands more that have been injured were gay. That's got to be a fairly large number. Why is no one saying anything about the sexuality of the killed and wounded. Maybe its just not as politically convenient.

  
  
• [4] Jen from NYC June 11, 2007 - 11:55AM

  http://www.palmcenter.org/press/dadt/releases/dont_ask_dont_

  tell_isnt_working_survey_reveals_shift_in_military_attitudes

  This poll is about what troops think about gay service members.

  78% said they would still join and not care if "Don't ask, Don't tell" was lifted.

  
  
• [5] Gabriel Hunter from NYC June 11, 2007 - 12:08PM

  If every gay service member came out and "told" at the same time it would immediately end the policy. The military couldn't possibly let go of all those soldiers at once. After General Pace's comments some months ago I think this would be an appropriate way to end this nonesense. The problem is homophobia plain and simple. We don't tolerate bigotry in other aspects of the military why should this be any different.