Gays in the Military
It is often said that the throughout the Twentieth Century, the American military has brought together cultural, religious, and racial groups even when civilian life has been characterized by considerable prejudice towards such groups. Military integration has often proceeded at a faster pace than civilian integration. With ending the segregation of African American soldiers in the armed forces after World War II and recently allowing women to serve in aviation and nautical combat environments, the U.S. military has set a primacy that has supporters of gay rights looking to the military to lift the ban on homosexuals serving openly in the armed forces. The military's repudiation to make any advancement to remove the ban, other than an inept "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy, is infringing on the precise democratic civil rights they are charged to defend. Because our country protects the civil rights of groups with varying beliefs and values, as well as the rights of those of different cultural background, we need to drop the military ban against homosexuals. Gay and lesbian soldiers, like any soldiers, should be honored and respected for their dedication to this nation. The "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" is essentially a plea barg
ain. The policy is a result of a concession between conservative military and congressional leaders, and the Clinton Administration. The Clinton Administration originally sought to end the ban entirely but succeeded to a policy that allows gays and lesbians to serve in the military as long as they do not proclaim their homosexuality or engage in homosexual conduct. The policy markes a change from the previous ban in that simply being homosexual was no longer a disqualifier for military service. Liberals and gay-rights supporters are dissatisfied; as well they should be, because the new policy still allows the military to oust gays and lesbians if they reveal their orientation. Such religious based morals were demonstrated on July 21, 1993 in a hearing before the House of Representatives. The Military Forces and Personnel Subcommittee, of the Committee On Armed Services, met to review the proposed policy. During this hearing, the subcommittee chairman, Ike Skelton stated, "I want to support the president, but my family background is deeply rooted in religious values, and most of my constituents have said they believe the President is off track (Appendix D, 103rd Congress)." During the same hearing, a former Marine Corps Major named Charles Johnson affirmed, "The point is not that Middle America will not accept this, but that really a sup
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Approximate Word count = 913
Approximate Pages = 4 (250 words per page double spaced)
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