Letter to the Editor -- rejected
Just Don’t Tell
I differ with the article (in the April 14 Austin American Statesman) against the military’s “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy. Its main argument is that it is detrimental to the U.S. economy because of the training costs of some 10,000 soldiers discharged since 1993 on the basis of sexual orientation. It is a narrow argument and avoids the large picture.
Soldiers who sign up know about the policy. So why do they tell?
How many gays join with the intent to proselytize? How many claim to be gay just to get out of the military when disillusioned? What other reasons might there be?
The financial impact is not the policy’s fault but its deliberate violation.
Furthermore, the impact of 10,000 is insignificant because it is less than a half-percent of the more than 2 million dismissed for all reasons since 1993, according to the General Accounting Office as quoted by MSNBC. See http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/14052513/
Carl Schlaepfer
Austin
cschlaepfer@austin.rr.com
Letter submitted 4/21/08 but not published
Posts
1 comment:
Carl I have some problems with your comments, and it may be just ignorance of the policy itself. I have had the distinction of being discharged under the policy twice, and work with SLDN who are battling Don't Ask, Don't Tell.
"Soldiers who sign up know about the policy. So why do they tell?"
Service members that sign up to the military go through a rigorous process where thousands of pages are reviewed and signed, the homosexual policy is grazed over like a lot of other information and members are not fully aware the laws extent.
What most people do not understand is that telling ANYONE, ANYTIME, ANYWHERE can be grounds for dismissal. This means, that if GI Joe sees a questionable photo on GI Jane's myspace page and turns her in, this is considered "telling".
The law known as Don't Ask, Don't Tell does not protect anyone from being, or even being PERCeiVED as being lesbian, gay, or bisexual from being discharged. Even straight people have been discharged solely based on rumors.
"How many gays join with the intent to proselytize? How many claim to be gay just to get out of the military when disillusioned? What other reasons might there be?"
I won't even touch the first comment because it is just absurd. LGB individuals join the military for the same reasons their straight counterparts do. The other two comments just show how ignorant people are on what is truly an un-American law.
"The financial impact is not the policy’s fault but its deliberate violation."
When nearly 4 billion dollars has been spent to discharge, retrain, and redeploy troops, there is something to be said. When our military is stretched as this as it is, and when we are now allowing convicted felons in, why are we getting rid of capable person because of who they happen to be?
"Furthermore, the impact of 10,000 is insignificant because it is less than a half-percent of the more than 2 million dismissed for all reasons since 1993, according to the General Accounting Office as quoted by MSNBC."
You may want to recheck that figure because as of the end of 2006 the number of discharges was 11,704. The numbers for 2007 will raise that to over 12,000.
Even 1 capable medic, or pilot, or linguist discharged for being who they are is more than it should be.
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