Comments | jonsonite: Gays in the Military and their Effect on Unit Cohesion

jonsonite

Gays in the Military and their Effect on Unit Cohesion

Feb 07, 2010 21:39

Steve Chapman is a generally conservative commentator, but he doesn't find much to like with arguments against gays openly serving in the military--largely because all of the concerns and predictions have turned out to be unfounded in other countries.

It's not completely implausible that in a military environment, open homosexuality might wreak ( Read more... )

Comments 8

ceallaighgirl February 8 2010, 20:44:38 UTC

A potential problem with DADT that I don't ever really see anybody mention is that someone could use it for blackmail. I don't know of any examples of this happening (of course, if it is being used, who would actually come out and say "hey I'm being blackmailed!"?). Guy "A" could find out that guy "B" is gay and say do this, this this, or I'll tell them that you're gay and your military career will be destroyed. I think it's totally plausible. There are a-holes out there who would do that. Just a thought. And I think crap like that could weaken the military.

jonsonite February 11 2010, 21:22:22 UTC

It does seem like that'd be a serious problem. I can't imagine that it doesn't happen now.

zabrahl February 9 2010, 22:36:10 UTC

Jon, I'm surprised at you. Government policy is never meddling in the first person.

jonsonite February 11 2010, 21:23:05 UTC

You've been in Japan too long. That sentence didn't make sense.

zabrahl February 11 2010, 22:46:35 UTC

Government policy is never meddling in the first person as in 'our tax cut' or 'my stimulus package'. It's only in the second and third person that it is ever meddling. 'Their health care reform' 'Your death panels'

I'm quoting from the character of Ben Franklin as portrayed in the musical 1776. He was talking about the legality of rebellion. :)

ryuguardian February 10 2010, 06:25:02 UTC

I imagine if there was a draft half the men would say, "Sorry, I'm gay, can't help."

jonsonite February 11 2010, 21:23:47 UTC

I'm sure that that happened all the time during the Vietnam War. It'd happen even more now that being gay is more socially acceptable.

zabrahl February 11 2010, 22:49:08 UTC

Sure. I'd be gay on paper if it meant not being sent away to die. I'm too awful at anything resembling a war game to believe that I could survive being sent to a war zone.