The poll findings are the latest to indicate public support for a repeal of the 17-year-old "don't ask, don't tell" policy banning gays from openly serving in the U.S. military and come a day before a long-awaited Pentagon report on the matter.
In the poll, 58 percent of those surveyed favored allowing gays to serve openly in the military with 27 percent opposed, and the remainder offering no opinion. The nationwide survey of 1,255 adults was conducted from November 4-7.
"These opinions have changed little in recent years. Since 2005 -- including three surveys this year -- roughly 60 percent have consistently favored permitting homosexuals to serve openly in the military," Pew said.
You know it is great that most Americans are cool with the idea of homosexuals serving openly in our military. That shows that the country is finally becoming a more welcoming and open society. (Thank God the 80's are over!)
However I am one who really does not give a shit whether the majority of Americans think this is okay or not. Simply put, it is the right thing to do regardless of public opinion!
What do we think the prevailing sentiment was in 1950 when President Truman chose to desegregate the military? Did the fact that the majority of Americans might be against it stop him? Hell no, he was in the middle of a war and needed every able bodied soldier willing to fight that he could get.
How is THAT time any different then what we are facing today?
We need these soldiers. And they have every right to provide service to this country just like any other patriotic American man or woman. Period.
It is well past a time where we should be allowed to punish a person, and make them feel shame, because of who they love.
Aren't we better than that?
And if we aren't, don't you think we should be?
Bravo, Gryphen. I am hopeful that I will see equal rights for ALL Americans soon.
ReplyDeleteOT. Keith Olberman just named Bristol Palin Worst Person in the World for her stance on "abstinence." Maybe he's just made a preemptive strike. He showed the lame assed clip of her and "the situation."
ReplyDeleteYes, it is the right thing to do regardless of public opinion!
ReplyDeleteYou would THINK that all the supposed "fiscal conservatives" -- after hearing that some of the folks being bounced out of the military, have had a MILLION or more spent on their training, would have them reinstated before you could say "you betcha."
ReplyDeleteThe ignoramouses have this terrible fear that some queer is gonna ogle them in the shower, grope them in their bunk, or try to make them gay too. Dumbshitz.
ReplyDeleteWell said, Gryphen, well and truly said.
ReplyDeleteI love the scene from "Milk" where Harvey (Sean Penn) is debating the politician about a (now past) proposition in state of CA that would have fired all openly gay teachers. The politician says that the concern is that the gay teachers will *teach* the students to be gay. Harvey's come-back was, "And how do you teach homosexuality? Is it like French?"
ReplyDeleteLOL It was my favorite line of the whole movie!
You are absolutely right, Gryphen. This is one of those times where the polls should not drive the decision. But it is cool that America would be just fine with it.
ReplyDeleteThere will always be that 27%.
If the question of slavery had been decided by polls, it never would have been abolished. Abolition was NEVER a popular cause. So screw the polls. Since when are our rights determined by polls?
ReplyDeleteThis is a civil rights issue, pure and simple. The bullshit farce that is DADT does NOT keep gays out of the military, even the Marines. It simply forces them to lie about their sexuality.
Only homophobic bigoted neanderthals maintain that DADT is worth perpetuating.
What I don't understand is, if some people are so homophobic, why wouldn't they absolutely WANT gays in the military, and IN THE FRONT LINE!?
Jesus Christ, gays have served honorably for CENTURIES, under the most repressive and hostile situations. Isn't about damn time we let them serve openly and honestly?
Oh no! Maybe they'll catch THE GAY!
We need the military to remove the stigma from gays and put it on the xtian warriors where it belongs.
ReplyDeletewell gryphen, i am totally against your comment about ooh 80's is over. ithink the society of america is going from straightness towards abnormality......this is against nature and the thing which is against nature is eventually the disaster....in 80's to talk about homosexuality was taboo.....now its fashion.....give it a thought...with open mind.....more you free the society more the concept of equality dies.....no body can have his right inthis kind of a society.......
ReplyDeleteAs I recall, many of these 'arguments' against gays serving openly in the military echo the racist sentiments against African Americans integrating. . .oh, Some People will be distressed at having to sleep in the same barracks, sit at the dining table, share the showers. . .with, horrors, Black people. It will 'demoralize' Some People.
ReplyDeleteAs for the comments of the above poster, both homosexuality AND heterosexuality are NORMAL, not abnormal. This is the way human beings are made, have been since the dawn of time.
It's time for people to stop being so cruel to each other. Denying love and family rights to a significant portion of our citizenry is cruel. You don't have to agree with the sexuality, you can continue to express your disagreement, but you must allow all Americans the same civil rights under law as any other.
If you don't agree with that, perhaps you should consider moving to another country where religion is the rule of law, and minorities are persecuted. . .Iran, perhaps?
MicMac
Well, gee... I don't know...
ReplyDeleteI think that probly 75% of gays are born that way but the other 25% get sucked into it.
So...
Maybe we would be better off if the military consisted of only straight, white, fundamentalist Christians.
To 9:59 p.m.
ReplyDeleteWell, anonymous, I am totally against your improper sentence structure, lack of appropriate punctuation, and subjective use of capitalization.
The "society of America" has always had a percentage of people who are homosexual. We are not trending toward it, nor are the numbers increasing; it is simply being acknowledged.
I can't even comment on your next sentence. Simply reading that world salad gives me an incredible headache.
I'm sure you don't see the irony, let alone the hypocrisy of Urging Gryphen to "give it a thought" and "keep an open mind".
Your final comments, "more you free society more the Concept of equality dies" and "Nobody can have his right in this kind of society" reminds me of the specious arguments made against desegregation.
Basically, what you are telling us is that America is headed towards disaster because we don't all think like you. You are so sure of your own "rightness" you never stop to think that people of differing sexual orientation can co-exist in society.
Guess what, anonymous! That bank teller who's so helpful to you, that waitress who brought supper to your table at your favorite restaurant, that crossing guard who helps small children cross the street safely, any one of them may be homosexual. You interact with homosexuals on a daily basis. You just aren't aware of it. Get used to it. They're not going away and they're not going to lie about who they are just so you can be comfortable.