60 minutes on Don't Ask Don't Tell

Elizabeth — Fri, 27 Jun 2008 08:23:44 -0700

Just Wednesday, June 25, 60 Minutes ran a segment on Don't Ask Don't Tell (DADT). You know I don't think much of most mainstream media coverage of complicated topics, but this was good for at least exposing some of the contradictions in enforcement, some of the irrationality of the arguments against gays serving openly, and some of the unbelievable costs of the policy:

Army Major Daniel Davis - hurts unit cohesion. Can't compare to blacks and integration because this is a moral issue and you can't form cohesion with someone you find morally reprehensible.

British Admiral Sir Alan West says nothing bad happened to them when they integrated but U.S. Representative Duncan Hunter's response is "well the EU folks don't fight in the really dangerous places." Presumably accordidng to Hunter gays aren't suited for heavy combat. Brit counters that the Spartans were pretty macho and also homosexuals. (Hunter later says that it is wrong to ask families to "experiment" with their sons and daughters lives by changing the policy and asking them to serve with gays who are out.)

Army Sergeant Daniel Manzella, medical liason for his unit in Kuwait, tells about getting a letter warning him about being too open, then about going to his commanding officer and outing himself, providing photos of his boyfriend and a very sweetly romantic video of a road trip they took together. Essentially he invited an investigation, and the outcome of the investigation? They told him there was "no evidence that he was gay" and that he should go back to work.

Charlene Espinosa left the airforce after 8 years, and after being trained to fly fighter jets (and is now working as a pilot for a commercial airline), talks about the cost of her training ($2 million), the increasing enlistment bonus costs and the reduction of standards and then asks "are we any safer or more secure because we'vethrown out an Arabic linguist, thrown out a medic?"

Indeed.

tragic...

tracya — Wed, 29 Aug 2007 10:23:29 -0700

i am really saddened to read about this woman's tragic death, but thinking about it i'm not that surprised. i was in the US air force 1978-1982 and while most of the guys i worked with were very protective of me, i also have never felt more vulnerable and threatened. i can remember a few incidents where i felt sure that i was in danger of being raped and violently assaulted.

it's a difficult situation for people who have never in the military to understand, logic says men and women are equal and should be able to do the same job, but the military is an abherrant organization. it requires people to live and work in close proximity under very stressful conditions. normal social conditioning goes out the window.

there is no excuse for the violence that this woman has been subjected to...none at all... i plan to keep up on this case, she deserves justice.

Sex In The Public Square - military - Comments

60 minutes on Don't Ask Don't Tell

tragic...