Return To Don’t Ask Don’t Tell
Dear Editor,
I recently saw this headline: “Space Force general admits she lets ‘anti-LGBTQ+ laws’ impact hiring decisions — resulting in ‘less qualified’ personnel”.
I guess I don’t pay enough attention to some things but I would think “anti-LGBTQ+ laws” would have jumped out everywhere. I wasn’t aware there are such laws on the books, and with all the attention on the subject I would have thought they would be highlighting those very vocally.
Oh, BTW chris, Chris, whatever name you’re choosing to use, and all the others, my baby brother was gay and even though I don’t approve of the lifestyle and he knew it, he knew I still loved him and more than once stood up for him, but back to the subject.
This kind of garment rending, breast beating theatrics by a commissioned officer of the U.S. military – a general – makes me so glad I’m retired. Unfortunately, from what I’ve seen, Doddering Uncle Joe will hold a closed door “discussion” with all his military advisors and it will be interesting to see what comes of it. I have my own thoughts but I think everyone pretty much knows what they are.
There were gay/lesbian personnel in the military and I even knew a couple, but because they kept it very low key, they were not assigned to my units (infantry) and my only contact was non-military related. I maintained a live/let live attitude. Quite honestly, if they hadn’t told me I probably never would’ve known.
I cannot speak for all, but given the way combat units have to live and operate, I would not have been able to have someone gay assigned to my combat units. The reasons are numerous and knowing how combat soldiers are, I believe 99 percent would think as I did.
This general was making statements and veiled accusations about how this could cost them “highly qualified personnel” either through their actions or actions by their dependents. I realize I was only a dumb grunt NCO and she is a college educated general, but how about this – don’t ask, don’t tell.
The military has the duty and responsibility of protecting and defending the United States, or as we would put it, break things and kill people if necessary. The scary thing is we have high ranking officers (aka political animals in uniform) who seen to have forgotten the oath they took when commissioned.
Carpe diem,
Alan Marshall
Alan, I don’t approve of you or the way you use alarmist language and name calling when addressing subjects, you to villainize people who have different political points of view. With that said, I could not really care less about you.
I see no difference in what I wrote about my feelings for you than what you wrote about your feeling for your baby brother. There is a good chance, he would have read it the same way because at the end of the day…How can you love someone you don’t approve of just for being and living as God made them? Weird way to show love.
But you be you.
Hate the sin, love the sinner
Can’t make it any plainer or do I need to draw pictures?
But what you consider his sin, is who he is, you present as hating him.
Some excerpts from a really good article written by Heather Riggleman:
When a watching world says Christians are hypocrites full of hate, it’s not really a good approach to say we love them, but we hate what they’re doing. In theory, this Christian cliche sounds good and virtuous but it often ends up being more beneficial to the person saying the words than the person hearing them. It gets us off the hook of having to have hard conversations or put ourselves in the “sinners” shoes.
The phrase implies, “I’m a good person because I am showing you love in spite of your sin.” This phrase is conveniently placing ourselves in superiority over the ‘sinner.’ Beth Woolsey says it best, “We will love you BUT we will call you Sinner and watch you carefully to determine which of your actions are Sin so we can call you out and Hate those things.”
Jesus would call this behavior hypocritical, in Matthew 7:3-5: “Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? How can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when all the time there is a plank in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye.”
The truth is the Bible never really gave us permission to judge others or their sin. In fact, when we judge others, we are sinning in the eyes of God because when we sit in judgment on the sins of others, we are playing God, and that is idolatry.
Rember that life is never as simple as the cliches you quote. Sad you used a cliche to judge your brother while claiming to love him. What do you think he felt more. The love or your judgement? Which was louder in his ears?
But you be you.
Well, I am wary of speaking for Jesus, but it seems to me that he is asking us not to condemn others.
Judging them is fine, in fact we all do it, on every level, in every way, on every day.
But condemning them is “above our pay grade”, as Alan might say.
There’s a big difference.
Aww… Carping Chris wants to complain about “alarmist language”, “name calling”, and “villainizing people”.
This from the guy who habitually refers to us as nutters, bigots, fools, and moonshine swilling rednecks !
What a hypocrite.
This would really confuse Chris, he or she will not know whether to not ask or not tell. In case you’re wondering Chris a “real” redneck would have no reason to even consider the situation
The best crack Russian and Chinese regiments would annihilate a regiment of “Nancy Boys”, as they were called by the British army in world War II.
Some of these men are tough and brave… but not all.
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In a racial context rather than a sexual one (that wasn’t even on the horizon then), my grandfather used to ask : If you knew you were going up against a battalion of crack German troops, or a battalion of Ethiopians, which would you choose…?” Everyone chose the Ethiopians.
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It was a different era, but there was some truth therein.
Race and sexual orientation has nothing to do with the effectiveness of a military force. Training and equipment define the ability of military force. Just look at Alan. He is a small little guy with an ugly mustache. But with the right training and equipment, I don’t doubt for a minute he was an effective soldier for the US military. Heck, some of the women in the Ukranian military have stood up well against the Russian military.
But I fully understand your bigoted views. You seem to find a way to remind us every time you post a comment here.
Chris a “real redneck” you will never be so shovel a big scoop of pig poop from your small farm up your arse, fly your rainbow flag and move on.
Nothing bigoted in my remarks, you ineffably obtuse idiot.
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But if you want to refer to every single remark, let me tell you something about your own imbecilic comments. Every single one of yours contains a solecism or a laughable spelling error.
So you provide proof of your ignorance and idiocy every time you open your mouth.
You’re so thick that you won’t even be able to identify the error in your latest drivel, above (2023/6/21 09:44).
Come on Einstein, let’s see how smart you REALLY are. Point out the error in your own comment.
Bet you can’t.
Awww more juvenile name calling from little Austin. What will I ever do? LOL
So…. you are completely clueless about your own errors.
In other words, you’re so stupid that you don’t even know how stupid you are.
You’re a variation of the Dunning-Kruger effect.
Race I agree with, sexual sexual orientation not so much How long were you in the military and what was your MOS/job description.