You really can’t say it better than this.
There is still hope that Obama will get rid of Bill Clinton’s “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy that sacrificed principle for politics. The policy has resulted in many patriotic and proud Americans from being discharged — even as the military lowered its standards to allow people with records to fill its ranks. However, after initial optimism, Obama officials downplayed any rush to change the policy.
The tombstone belongs to Technical Sergeant Leonard Matlovich (1943–1988) who received the Purple Heart and the Bronze Star. He appeared on the cover of Time magazine. 
Buddha,
Tharn is also a fictional word used to describe an animal frozen in terror. In Richard Adams’ novel “Watership Down” the term is used when the main characters, which are rabbits, see the headlights of oncoming cars and are frozen in place.
stolen from WIKI.
It irks me and I know that is the intent, to irk. But this was and is a fairly serious issue. And because some people have issues with “Queers” in the service, can’t they just not comment and detract from the main theme?
AY,
Dude, you’ll scare the trolls with words like “lexicologist”. Nice work and all, but a term like that against a brain like that is a bit unsporting, don’t ya think? It confuses them. Makes them go all “tharn” (if you’re familiar with Watership Down). A bit like hunting in a baited field or playing “Confuse a Cat” before administering the swat.
Carl,
Get a dictionary or a lexicologist to help you with this word:
sui generis [( sooh -ee, sooh -eye jen -uh-ris)]
A person or thing that is unique, in a class by itself: “She is an original artist; each of her paintings is sui generis.” From Latin, meaning “of its own kind.”
with that said. Have respect and troll on another page.
I’m sure Alexander the Great had “unit cohesion problems” when he conquered most of the world.
The only problem with that is he didn’t nor did he hide his sexuality. His army followed him into and out of the gates of Hell. And he was as gay as they come, partner. Matthew is right. The only thing that matters when the bullets are flying is competence.
You need a better excuse to justify your homophobia, because “unit cohesion” is a disingenuous smokescreen, or in jarhead parlance, plain old bullshit.
It would be nice to see a citation for your 97-98% of the military would object to serving with openly gay members. If you’re going to object to gays serving openly because it will reduce organizational capability, then we should probably get rid of women in the military. It has been shown through numerous studies that the presence of both sexes has a tendency to disrupt decision making, not to mention the animosity that many soldiers/Marines/airmen feel when serving under a female officer (who are, more often than not, stricter disciplinarians than their male counterparts). Personally, I’ve seen the effects of women in the military first hand. I’ve seen female Marines have sexual relationships with multiple Marines in the same unit, destroying unit cohesion. I’ve seen female Marines with a critical skill/billet get pregnant and be unable to deploy, reducing unit cohesion and effectiveness.
I’m not saying we should get rid of women in the military. Women, even before they were allowed to serve, have always filled critical needs and, in many respects, perform just as well or better than men. Personally, I know one female Marine who I would choose to fight alongside over about 95% of male Marines. I also know service members who were gay, and I can say, without reservation, that I would want my friend Nick with me anywhere I went.
There is an old saying: “There are no atheists in foxholes.” Truth is, no one cares about sexual preference when rounds are coming down on you. Most people’s (your) fears are from a lack of knowledge. I would venture to say that most Americans probably don’t have anything other than a casual relationship with a homosexual. Anyone who has gay friends or has experience with gay coworkers would know that a competent soldier is a competent soldier.
You tell me who is worse, a gay Marine who is squared away in all regards, the pregnant female Marine unable to perform her duty, the southern white straight Marine who gets in fights out in town every few months because he drinks and runs his mouth too much, the young Hispanic straight Marine who has a few kids and a wife who tries to get out of every non-essential unit function to spend time with his family? I’ve seen all of these and I think you know which one I’d rather have on my side.
Bottom line: Competence is competence and warriors are warriors. Being gay or straight has nothing to do with unit cohesion, except maybe to the most extreme bigots. If you can’t get past someone else’s sexual preference, then maybe you shouldn’t take the oath to protect the freedom of all mankind:
“I will never forget that I am an American fighting for freedom, responsible for my actions, and dedicated to the principles which made my country free. I will trust in my God and in the United States of America.”
-US Military Code of Conduct
Mespo wrote earlier on another topic:
mespo727272
1, April 19, 2009 at 8:21 am
korn:
How about this rant: The cost of tort litigation adds a whopping 1.8 percent to the costs of goods in this Country as determined by that great friend of plaintiffs George W. Bush via his Council of Economic Advisers. That figure was echoed by the admitted flawed Tillinghast-Towers Perrin Study which again was financed by that other great benefactor of plaintiffs, the insurance industry. While that study did measure the costs of litigation it did not credit it with its primary benefit namely the reduction death and injuries and the associated medical costs. The Congressional Budget Office estimates the costs of direct payments to be 1.02 percent, but let’s take the figures more favorable to your side. Here’s the information if you wants facts to base your opinions on. To this point your brain seems fueled by talking points:
http://www.epi.org/publications/entry/bp157/
http://www.cbo.gov/doc.cfm?index=4641&type=0&sequence=5
MESPO YOU STUPID JERK; HOW ABOUT INCLUDING INDIRECT COSTS WHICH MOST EXPERTS ADMIT ARE NEAR OR EXCEED DIRECT COSTS!
MESPO YOU STUPID JERK; HOW ABOUT INCLUDING INDIRECT COSTS WHICH MOST EXPERTS ADMIT ARE NEAR OR EXCEED DIRECT COSTS!
SO THAT WOULD PUT THE COST OF LITIGATION IN THE 4 TO 5% range wouldn’t it soda jerk? Ok, so a family living on $60,000 in expendituves per year can expect that $3,000 of their hard earned income represents HIGHER COSTS because of jerk attorneys suing everybody!
You know, almost any properly trained person can pick up a rifle in combat and use it effectively. That is not the point of the don’t ask/don’t tell policy.
What we are talking about is unit cohesion. When a small (experts say very VERY small) percentage of a population have an attraction for the same sex are interspersed with a population that 97 to 98% (military population) object to their same sex activity, only trouble will result. Ask any honest officer of any nation’s military and they will tell you the reward is not worth the headache or the risk that their Nations military is at 100% 24/7.
Whine all you want, but I don’t want our troops safety jeopardized by a feel good bunch of two percenters that think there is some “right” to being in the military despite a habit that 98% of their compatriots find objectionable.
GOD BLESS THE 1.2 million service members and the 24,000 or so of them that are gay and are keeping it to themselves.
This story has already been proven to be a hoax. Wake up.
It must have taken a great amount of courage to come out publicly when he did. A true hero.
Thank you, Mr. Turley, for reminding people of this—both because it is so true, and because Leonard was my friend. For some time, I’ve been putting a Website together to, in addition to honoring him as the first person to have volunteered to challenge the ban on gays in the military, remind people that ban did not begin with DADT but 50 years before, dishonoring and discharging over 100,000 patriotic gay men and women.
Visitors can learn more about Leonard as well as many other gay vets, some who managed to serve in silence like Harvey Milk and Oliver Sipple who saved President Ford’s life, and others who were identified and kicked out. As you may know, Leonard chose not to have his name on the stone as he wanted it to be a memorial to all gay veterans.
Perhaps, one day, President Obama will not just inspire Congress to repeal DADT and place wreaths on the Tomb of the Unknowns, but place a wreath on Leonard’s grave, too.
rc & Gyges,
Seconded. Couldn’t have said it any better.
Thank you, Mr. Turley, for reminding people of this—both because it is so true, and because Leonard was my friend. For some time, I’ve been putting a Website together to, in addition to honoring him as the first person to have volunteered to challenge the ban on gays in the military, remind people that ban did not begin with DADT but 50 years before, dishonoring and discharging over 100,000 patriotic gay men and women.
Visitors can learn more about Leonard as well as many other gay vets, some who managed to serve in silence like Harvey Milk and Oliver Sipple who saved President Ford’s life, and others who were identified and kicked out. As you may know, Leonard chose not to have his name on the stone as he wanted it to be a memorial to all gay veterans.
Perhaps, one day, President Obama will not just inspire Congress to repeal DADT and place wreaths on the Tomb of the Unknowns, but place a wreath on Leonard’s grave, too.
http://www.leonardmatlovich.com
This man’s courage was amazing. Even after his death he strives to help his fellow man.
Thank you, Sergeant Leonard Matlovich, for your service to your country.
If you say so Jon I guess that’s what you see. To my mind though if you really were so solid in your sexuality it wouldn’t bother you that a guy was gay, why would you care, since it means more females for you? To me the guys that are always try to convince people about their toughness and manhood usually are hiding their own insecurity. Real tough men don’t have to act it and real heterosexual men don’t have to proclaim it. To put it another way “methinks you doth protest to much.”
Mike
why is that if a guy thinks being gay is queer, he has latent desires? maybe he just thinks that it isnt natural.
That line of thinking is the last refuge of a scoundrel.
I looked in the mirror and see a big hunk of heterosexual manhood.
Jon,
Christ had nothing to do with it. If you’re worried about gay people then perhaps you can’t let yourself see that your real worry is about you being gay, or at least man enough. Yes you’re right I am Jewish and if in your eyes that makes me a misfit, perhaps an ophthalmologist could be of assistance to you. By the way you faux conservative guys are usually just as poor, but it’s your overwhelming need to kiss the behinds of those who’ve got money in the mistaken belief that they might share some with you.
Takes the name of Jesus in vain.
Doesn’t like gay people.
Worried about his own manhood.
Needs help with his ability to see clearly.
Willing to lick behinds for monetary gain.
Remind you of anyone Jon? Look in the mirror.
Mike:
good to see the Hebrew misfit still commenting.
You liberal guys want us all to be poor and gay, Christ.
Not being gay but remembering times being called faggot in high school by some group that had just beat me up, I grew up on the side of homosexuals. Then I actually began to meet them from both sexes at work and socially. Lo and behold I discovered that my support was well placed in that they were just people with different sexual predilections. As I trained as a psychotherapist I began to see clearly that for gay people choice of sexuality is not an option, but a born trait.
I had friends and co-workers die from AIDS early on when there was no treatment, with some it never even occurred to me they were gay until the funeral. With it all though the entire import of gay marriage didn’t fully hit me until the Prop 8 fiasco in California. To see married people’s rights being taken away. To have alienated family members bar life partners from hospital visits and to not be able to cover your partner’s health insurance is intolerable. In my mind this issue ranks right up there as major with all the others. It is intolerable that gay people can’t serve openly in our military, when the world’s history has shown many great soldiers who were gay.
As a society we can no longer tolerate the fear and stupidity of religious fundamentalists and the others who fear homosexuality. Like Kennedy said it in Berlin on a different issue: Now we are all gay people.
One of my friends who was in the Air Force always had the best evaluations in his unit. He moved very quickly through the ranks and always got some of the most prestigious billets for his rank. This took place during the “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” days, and he didn’t. Over time, though, a few of his closest friends at work inevitably became aware of the truth. To be honest, it isn’t exactly hard to tell that my friend is a homosexual. He fits many of the stereotypes and does not try to hide it. One day, a drunken, male superior of his started to hit on him. My friend told him that it was inappropriate. Throughout the next few weeks, my friend continued to receive unnecessary sexual advances from this heterosexual (to the public and his wife, at least) man. Eventually, he reported the harassment to the chain of command. They promptly discharged my friend for being gay and slapped the other guy on the wrist. It is a pretty sad country we live in sometimes.