75% of Americans Oppose Don't Ask, Don't Tell
 

75% of Americans Oppose Don't Ask, Don't Tell - The country has changed a lot since 1993

The American public overwhelmingly supports allowing gay people to serve openly in the military, which wasn’t the case when “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” was introduced in 1993. In a new Washington Post-ABC News poll, three out of four respondents supported allowing openly gay service members. That’s about equal to last year’s results, and way up from the 44% who supported that position in 1993.

Support for gay troops was somewhat split, with Democrats more supportive than Republicans, women more supportive than men, and the young more supportive than the old, but solid majorities of all demographics favored lifting the ban. Another major dividing factor was whether the respondents knew a gay person: Among those who did, 81% supported lifting the ban; among those who didn’t, only 66% did.



So in this case ... should the American People get what they want?

IMHO, the Military is serious business, and only the manliest of men should represent and stand side by side on the battle grounds. That being said, I do realize a lot of women serve in the military, but I do not believe they should ever serve in combat situations. I say sure, let the gays in to shut them up - but only let them serve in the same capacity as we allow women. That should really be the end of the debate. Any more is just ridiculous. For God's sake this is the freaking Military! The last thing we need on the battle grounds is our enemies wondering if we're checking out their asses! They need to fear us, not laugh at us.

Cliff notes: Only Men in Combat, and Women and Gays in supporting roles.

Side note: If the Gays come in and get harassed, and start suing people, then we go back to don't ask don't tell. No one has time for that nonsense, and good soldiers don't need to get kicked out because someone's panties got bunched up.

Hate to disappoint you but, technically even though women are not assigned to combat roles, they are finding themself in combat because the front lines have change. I can almost guarantee the same is true for gays. They are serving and are just good at hidding it because of the "Dont Ask, Dont Tell" Policy.

I honestly don't care, if they want to serve then let them serve. I'm sure they can fight just as well as straight people but I have no doubt they will be harrassed and cause dissention amongst the other soilders which I believe is the real issue here. Is it pollitically correct, no. is it reality, I believe it is. Although DADT may seem archaic it's probably the best way to keep things running smoothly.

Oh, and don't under estimate them - women or gays - just because they don't fit in your "manliest of men" roles does not mean the outcome is different. They shoot you, you still die! Just sayin'....


:squirrelrun:

I can honestly say I don't care either way. The only thing I see being an issue is as stated above. Drama. No person should harassed don't get me wrong, but a single person bringing conflict to a unit should not be allowed. Truth is, if you are not comfortable with the guy or gal next to you if Sh)t hits the fan then they should not be there or you should not be there.

I'll admit I'm a bit confused by all this. I'm not gay, and not military, so I'm not a fountain of knowledge on this topic...


Known homosexuals were ALWAYS forbidden from military duty (upon discovery) prior to 1993, No?

The military branches were previously allowed to research and assess this on their own, and deny people to service as they saw fit, based solely on their sexual orientation, No?

The Clinton "DADT" policy, basically allowed those folks in, (as long as they kept it to themselves), and forbid military from "asking" or doing other research into an individual's background pertaining to this, No?

At the time this went into effect, I seem to recall this as being a big :hurray: for the gay folk wishing to serve. They could serve as long as they kept their mouths (and pants) shut while on duty, No?



So now what I don't get is why are people now referring to DADT policy as being "a ban on gays"? :bilmem:


If 75% of those polled favor the repeal of DADT, all that tells me is 75% still oppose a homosexual military, as was exactly the case in 1992.
It doesn't tell me 75% want "openly gay" folks to be allowed, and/or encouraged. That would be something completely different than just repealing DADT.


If I'm wrong in that assessment, so be it. I can't see a topic getting spun quite this badly, but that's how I read it.


:cheers:

Repealing it would eliminate a gay persons need to hide their sexual preference. They could serve openly. It not just about making it what it was before 93 its about getting rid of any regulations on gays in the military period.

I can understand people seeing DADT as gay bash I guess?? It discurages or discriminates against them.

Then I'll still contend the people polled probably aren't fully understanding the question being asked.

Eliminating DADT is a direct throwback to 1992, period. I'm OK with that.

Anything else would be completely NEW legislation. And that is the big difference that I perceive as trying to be quietly slipped by us by deception.

That, I am NOT OK with.

:cheers:

There was no rules on sexual preference before 93 that I know of.

75% of Americans probably think that kicking people out of the military for adultery is out of step with society as well. Guess what? No one cares what you think. The majority of the american public has never laced up a pair of military boots. **** off.

I understand that Wendy, but what man wants to shoot a woman? I just think it would mess up the mind of a soldier.

Tell that to Jessica Lynch. I am not Military nor am I gay, but really, if someone is shooting at you, are you that concerned whether or not he or she is hot or good in bed. I don;t care if the person shooting at me is male or female, if they shoot at me and I don't die, they damn sure are gonna die. Do you really think that while sitting in a bunker with explosions going off around a person, bullets flying over their heads or some enemy combatants trying to kill them they are thinking about sex?
How many heterosexual men have dropped out of boot camp or just not made it through because they can't handle the stress of training? I don't care if they are male, female or both, if they can handle the stress of warfare, let them serve. Who knows, maybe they will come up with some spiffy new uniform ideas.

I guess "rules" and "prohibited" were the wrong terms to use.

Prior to DADT, the Military screened specifically for homosexuals in the application process, so they were effectively weeded out prior to joining.

It seems there were 2 questions on the forms which specifically asked about sexual preference, which have since been removed, also under the advisement of Clinton. Hence the "don't ask" part of the equation.


The bottom line is it is my opinion that it's the military branches that should hold the ultimate decision of who is selected and who is denied on an individual basis, and not forced to under a widespread human rights policy that says this factor cannot be used against anyone.

Just like any job applicant, you can pretty much tell right away who will be a good fit for the position and who isn't.

So reality is it probably changes things very little. OK, say the Military MUST accept you if you're gay, little doubt they can easily find several other reasons to officially deny you (if they really don't want you serving because of your gayness that is). Goes right back to individual decisions.


:cheers:

Wow. I mean just wow :confused5:

Think about it this way Drop. Our new enemy does not care about our sex, or our sexual orientation. They see ALL Americans as INFIDALES! We all must die. 9 11 is proof of that. There were women and children on those aircraft they hijacked. There were women and childern in the Twin Towers, women in the Pentagon.
They have women strap on bombs to their bodies to walk up to our troops and kill themselves in order to kill Americans. The battle field and front lines have changed.
What makes American so great is that we have moral values. We hold women in high regard because they give life. Other men in other countries hold women in a different light. They dont respect them. They would have less problems killing them. Same as gays. They don't care - They want us all dead because they don't believe in our way of life - Freedom!!!!

:squirrelrun:

If ALL AMERICA can come together as AMERICANS; and stop separating as individuals on who worthy of being called an AMERICAN; maybe our so-called Moral High Ground Stance will be respectfully viewed as it should. :cheers:

It takes more than just saying so; you have to show it for anyone to take it seriously. It we’re going to spit in the eye of our own people, who going to respect us if we demand respect from others. :yesnod:

How can we all come together, when we're still puszy-footin' around and leaving our borders at risk, and not deporting those that need the boot? For Crying out loud, it wasn't until the company I work for started participating in E-Verify that we could get honest-to-goodness workers with valid SS numbers! I think real respect would come if we could keep our own house in check.

:o_o: Are you saying E-Verify Works …. ?

I wonder who wouldn’t support that? :D

Do you all actually know how many gay soldiers are fighting right now? I don't know the exact numbers, but living in Virginia Beach, home of a Master Jet Base, and just minutes away from NOB Norfolk, the world's largest naval base, I can tell you there are quite a few....I know several who are deployed right now, and quite a few that have done a couple tours on the front line.

The way I see it, is if they are man or woman enough to step up and risk their lives for their country, then let them serve. Who one finds attractive or decides to sleep with does not make them any more or less of a man.

Honestly, it is just as bad as saying someone is less of a man because he is black, or Asian, or red headed....seriously, it is 2010, aren't we passed stuff like this yet?

And for the record, last person to call me the "F" word (a marine), although I was a little bruised and had a busted lip, he was not able to walk out of there without a little help from his friends...don't stereotype, or misjudge us.