 "Photo: The Olympian")
Members of the U.S. House of Representatives have approved a new defense bill which includes a repeal of the controversial “don’t ask, don’t tell” law. Now headed for the Senate, where debate will begin. Supporters hope to see it passed before a critical mid-term election in November.
“Don’t ask, don’t tell” has been a bit of a hot-button topic for gay rights groups and military members since its adoption in 1993. The opposition says its discriminatory while supporters of the law say it helps prevent discrimination and violence among service members. The question is, in 2010 and going forward, which argument is going to continue to be more relevant?
As a veteran of the U.S. Army, I had the distinct privilege of serving alongside men and women from all walks of life.
I even knew some soldiers who were gay, and carefully, if not reluctantly, hid their “dirty little secret” from their fellow soldiers. But I never noticed any behavior that may have been discriminatory or hateful toward anybody.
It always appeared that the people in my unit accepted everyone, because we were all the same. We all chose to serve, we all wore the same uniform, and we all had pledged to fight and die for our country and each other.
It may be that I had blinders on, ignoring certain telltale signs. It could possibly be that I was just fortunate that I didn’t have any prejudicial idiots in my unit.
But I would rather think that those of us who have served have the honor and integrity to avoid such ignorance.
Yes, there are bigots and homophobic people out there. And yes, I’m sure there are some in the military. But should the government really be able to step in and say that you can serve, but you can’t tell anyone about whom you truly are?
One of the core beliefs that current and past service members come right from our Declaration of Independence, “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.”
We hold this document up as the foundation of how we as a country should be. As such, shouldn’t these words be as concrete and sturdy as the foundation of any skyscraper?
If everyone is created equal, and our military is charged with defending that belief, it stands to reason that it should also be an example of the belief in practice.
Look, we’re all the same in our uniqueness. What makes us equal is that nobody is a carbon copy of another. Our individuality unites us everyday as a country.
How great could we be if we were finally able to forge through one of the last real self-imposed separations we as a people have placed on ourselves?
How righteous could we truly be if we could eliminate this paradigm of inequality and instill a new one where we could all live and serve together as equals, accepting and loving without preconditions?
If Congress can make this repeal happen, and the different branches can properly implement policies to support an open military, allowing for benefits for same-sex couples, could we be near the threshold of these freedoms coming to fruition nationwide?
I suppose one can only hope.
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