 "Photo: David Kaplan")
It has taken America a long time. We're not a completely colorblind nation that has fixed the preponderance of its social problems. We've made plenty of strides to fulfill the Declaration of Independence's "all men are created equal" promise.
We are a nation that has implemented countless policies to enable blacks, Latinos, women, the disabled and several other minorities' equal opportunities to contribute positively to American society.
However, there is still one debate going on right now that is denying the rights of gay Americans, and that is the "don't ask, don't tell" policy. President Obama is working to abolish the policy while Army Secretary John McHugh, as well as Army Chief of Staff Gen. George Casey, have testified against it.
The fact that we have established a policy to deny any able-bodied human being who wants to protect this country is absolutely ludicrous.
When President Truman implemented an executive order in 1948 to desegregate the military, he knew it would be unpopular. However, Truman recognized the need for this step toward equality because he understood the value of patriotism and recognized that patriotism has no face and no skin color. Patriotism shouldn't discriminate, it should empower.
The executive order says, "It is essential that there be maintained in the armed services of the U.S. the highest standards of democracy, with equality of treatment and opportunity for all those who serve in our country's defense."
The theory behind Truman's executive order does not reign completely true today.
While I understand that "don't ask, don't tell" was established as a protection of homosexuals who wish to serve in the military, this does not mean that there should be an outright ban on allowing them to serve in the military. Several experts, from sociologists to psychologists, have said that scientifically there is nothing wrong with having openly gay people serve in the military from any standpoint.
The prejudices presented against the gay community in the U.S. through "don't ask, don't tell" seem to represent all too well how the U.S. hasn't come around to the idea yet. It baffles me how we can live in a country where "all men are created equal" but that isn't represented in our "excessively liberal" society today. That's not to say that this should even be a partisan issue. No soldier in our great military is any more or less important than any other, and that should be reflected universally. Any person who wants to dedicate their life for American freedom, especially in the tumultuous world we live in today, should be allowed to do so.
It's also a shame that we force homosexuals already serving in the military to be scared to represent themselves honestly. They're dedicating their lives to our ultimate cause, but we have created a culture where we cannot recognize their individuality.
This country is great, and our military is a large reason why. It's hard to forget sometimes that these heroes voluntarily put themselves on the front lines, but secretly we're just trying to push them to the back.
David Kaplan is a sophomore broadcast journalism and political science major. His column appears weekly, and he can be reached at dhkaplan@syr.edu.
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5 comments
No one "created a culture where we cannot recogonize individuality", this concept is the foundation of a military. There are no individuals in a professional army. Ten thousand individuals running around on a battlefield quickly become ten thousand dead individuals. This is about a team where no one is better or worse than the others, but all have each other covered. I know this concept is difficult for some like you who needs to identify individuals based on color or gender before determining their value as people. There is also no policy denying able bodied individuals from joining the military. What the military says is check your sexuality and stereotypes at the door, we have no time for it or care. Again, a difficult concept for someone who needs to identify themselves as part of a group in order to gain victim status. I would guess that 95% of gays that join the army don't really care about the policy which is well known, as long as they can serve. I also guess that 95% of the "hetros" don't care if someone is gay serving with them as long as they are part of the team and pull their weight.
Your comparison to intergrating blacks during WWII is demeaning to minorities. The situation is so different it hardly deserves a response. Comparing the struggles of blacks in the 40's to homosexuals in 2010, you're kidding right.
Bottomline the issue is sexual and the complications a natural response could create. I would expect you to now be in favor of women and men serving, sleeping, showering together in the same unit.