Comments on: Gays in the military, part two http://americasfuture.org/conventionalfolly/2009/07/05/gays-in-the-military-part-two/ Sun, 21 Mar 2010 04:34:41 -0400 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.4 hourly 1 By: Mikeybackwards http://americasfuture.org/conventionalfolly/2009/07/05/gays-in-the-military-part-two/comment-page-1/#comment-2195 Mikeybackwards Tue, 07 Jul 2009 00:28:42 +0000 http://americasfuture.org/conventionalfolly/?p=4730#comment-2195 How about treating them like most of the industrialized world does? Let them serve openly. Make clear the policies on fraternization and conduct, and enforce those policies. Of course since we can't seem to deal with sexual assault of women serving in non-combat roles, that would also require dealing with that issue as well. Gays are Americans, and lest anyone forget (although I believe far too many have already) this country owes its existence to a gay service member. Specifically Baron Friedrich von Steuben, who was forced into exile after an affair with another nobleman's son came to this country and was credited with creating an army from the forces at Valley Forge. He was credited with saving the Continental Army by George Washington and ultimately was awarded a $2,500/year pension (worth approximately $75,000/year in current dollars) and a grant of 16,000 acres in upstate New York. We see the consequences of the current policy in the recent murder of a <a href="http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/lanow/2009/07/congressman-asked-pentagon-to-probe-whether-sailors-death-was-hate-crime.html" rel="nofollow">gay black serviceman in San Diego</a>. The time has come to expect better of our military as well as allowing all Americans who are willing and able to serve to do so with distinction. How about treating them like most of the industrialized world does? Let them serve openly. Make clear the policies on fraternization and conduct, and enforce those policies. Of course since we can’t seem to deal with sexual assault of women serving in non-combat roles, that would also require dealing with that issue as well.

Gays are Americans, and lest anyone forget (although I believe far too many have already) this country owes its existence to a gay service member. Specifically Baron Friedrich von Steuben, who was forced into exile after an affair with another nobleman’s son came to this country and was credited with creating an army from the forces at Valley Forge. He was credited with saving the Continental Army by George Washington and ultimately was awarded a $2,500/year pension (worth approximately $75,000/year in current dollars) and a grant of 16,000 acres in upstate New York.

We see the consequences of the current policy in the recent murder of a gay black serviceman in San Diego.

The time has come to expect better of our military as well as allowing all Americans who are willing and able to serve to do so with distinction.

]]> By: E.D. Kain http://americasfuture.org/conventionalfolly/2009/07/05/gays-in-the-military-part-two/comment-page-1/#comment-2193 E.D. Kain Mon, 06 Jul 2009 21:42:52 +0000 http://americasfuture.org/conventionalfolly/?p=4730#comment-2193 Not a bad idea, actually. I wonder, though, what happens to gay soldiers in combat units? Do they get transferred? I suppose that's much more sensible than discharging them... Not a bad idea, actually. I wonder, though, what happens to gay soldiers in combat units? Do they get transferred? I suppose that’s much more sensible than discharging them…

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