Don't ask, Don't tell

[skitud]

President Obama has again pledged to end this policy, however hasn't said anything regarding a time frame for doing so. Do you think it's time to end this policy and let gays serve openly in the military?

[Gramawmaw]

 In a perfect world, this would be a good idea.  We all know that this is not a perfect world tho.  I'm really not sure how I feel about this.  I wouldn't want this to disrupt the military in any way or make things more dangerous for anyone serving. Like if someone resented having a gay in their troop and didn't feel the need to "have their back" or something like that.  Myself, if I were in the military, I don't think I would mind having gays serving with me--and we all know that there have always been gays in the military--everyone just didn't know who they were.  So, like I said, I'm sorta up in the air on this one.

[1966momto2]

Being a retired military wife and hearing and seeing what happens in areas of the military...its a hard topic to discuss. What the future holds for the service is a scary sight. My husband is from what he would say is the OLD NAVY...and the changes they are making for the future..are questionable.

[Bonnie_]

   Well... I don't think our society  has progressed enough to do away with the 'Don't ask - Don't tell'.  I mean I guess it's meant to be a noble idea and all,  but there are still  a lot of  Old Ways servicemen  who would have a hard  time dealing with it.    Ya see in  a regular setting  say,  white collar  or blue collar  You would  go to work  work side by side  with another person  and  them  being  gay wouldn't  bother anyone  for the most part  because  at the end of the work period you go  to your own home.  But take a ship for instance...  out on a 6 month deployment.  If there is a straight guy  in a shower  and a known gay guy walks in  it would be awkward.   He would wonder if he was being checked out.   I also  think  that  the gays would be ostracized.  It's not  like they are that huge a population in the military.   You are not going to change  these  older  people's  way of thinking.   Not gonna happen.  So  maybe  not this generation   but  another one or two  down the road  there might be more acceptance.

[mosaickathy1]

i dont think he was talking about gays being open in the military, i think what he was saying is the higher ranks or recruiters can no longer ask them if they are gay or not,. which i think is insane, why not ask a straight person what they do in there bedrooms, i am sure that some of them do some really weird stuff, because that is what it comes down to, asking people what they do in the privacy of their bedrooms,  or hows this, ask every one of them , do you think of children in a sexual way, how many do you think are going to tell the truth about their sick preverted secret feelings? or what will this do for the higher rank of homosexuals.   I think obama is opening a can of worms that will harm homosexuals in the military. I feel if they want to live openely then so be it, But what is going to happen, other military persons will harm and bash them, and i think that will be wrong, he is going to create a war among his own soldiers, , How about he do some thing good for our troops and get them out of other countries, and  stop the bloodshed of our poeple, because regardless of who you sleep with, their blood is still red, and everyone dies the  same .... Families loss members..

[skitud]

The thought that gays serving openly in the military will cause problems, and retaliations and will destroy morale is not a new one. To use an old expression, "that tree doesn't bear fruit". The same arguments were made when the military was integrated, and made again when debating whether or not women should be allowed to serve. There have been several high profile cases recently where very highly decorated soldiers who served in Iraq came out and were, or are in the process of being discharged and I think that it's truly shameful that in order to serve their country they have to pretend to be something that they're not. Canada has allowed gays to serve openly for awhile now. The same arguments were made here as to why they shouldn't be allowed to, and studies have shown that nothing that was feared would happen has.

[extreme1965]

     The way I understood the news reports was that like one mom said, the recruiters wouldn't be able to ask about sexual orientation, but neither would the recruit be able to discuss his sexual orientation. So the way I see it, nothing is being changed at all really. And do you really think that you can stick a bunch of gay men and a bunch of straight men in close quarters together, living together, for extended peroids of time and expect for there not to be problems or awkward situations?

[Marinemom03]

I think " Don't ask don't tell" is fair the way it is. it doesn't say , gays are not allowed in the military ,it just says no one NEEDS to know what goes on behind closed doors. Wheather straight or gay, it should not be anyones business. I must be misunderstanding or something...But I do also agree that serving openly,your sexual orientation will cause problems that we really don't need.And may put everyone in harms way if we can't put all that aside.