Morality and the National Defense

[finnkveldulfr]

A comment I made in reference to something in someone else's journal:

"In that sense, btw-- yes, I question the morality of every citizen in the USA who believes that the USA should be defended against all enemies, foreign and domestic, but who will not volunteer him/her-self to serve in that defense. In some regards, the insurgents we are fighting

Comments

[drewkitty]

1) I volunteered several times and they wouldn't take me (eyesight).

2) Not sure I buy the argument. Defending against enemies, foreign and domestic, is not the same as going out and making more. I have as much respect for someone who works in the Peace Corps or as a USAID development volunteer as I do for soldiers and sailors and air force personnel.

If we ever do re-institute the draft (which should be applied to both genders), I feel that the option of being a conscientious objector should be preserved -- with the clear understanding that objectors WILL be trained and deployed to the battlefield as combat medics.

I feel that the key point is service. I am also troubled that so many Americans have withdrawn themselves from participation in the body politic and in our future.

[finnkveldulfr]

I'm not defending this argument as rational. Merely pointing out that sometimes this is my gut reaction after running into various "sunshine patriots" who are full of fire about all the things we need to be doing around the world, but who have never served (in any way-- military, peace corps, civilian support, etc).

And, I agree with you-- I think the key point is service, and the folks who serve in the Peace Corps and in USAID are definitely doing their part for our country. Likewise, I agree with you about there being a difference between defending against enemies, and going out and making more-- and I do think we need to do more to make peace, not more wars, around the world.

BTW-- since we've discussed it before-- you volunteered to serve-- that they wouldn't take you for medical reasons is not your fault. You proved your willingness to go, so your lack of military time for reasons beyond your control is something I'll never hold against you.

[aerowolf]

I didn't volunteer because my rights to free association and privacy would be violated by the UCMJ. I didn't volunteer because I would have been sent to prison if they'd figured out that I prefer guys.

I didn't volunteer because some of the most basic rights that everyone who does fight in the armed forces to protect -- and I think that those who do should be lauded -- are denied to those same forces.

I didn't volunteer because I have a right to avoid self-incrimination. I didn't volunteer because there's no equal (legal) privilege between same-gender partners who want to form a family unit and non-same-gender partners who wish to do the same -- the latter has much more privilege.

Until this is fixed, and because it has never been... if I had volunteered, I would have gone to prison, and nobody would ever have known.

[finnkveldulfr]

Actually, they merely discharge people who prefer guys-- that's been the policy and the actual action for the last 30 or so years (except in time of war-- when they frequently ignore the homosexuality issue and would send you off to combat anyway