Quote:
Originally Posted by dksuddeth
having served in the marines, i've known about 20% of the enlisted have issues with people who are gay. the other 80% only care about making sure you got their back in a combat zone.
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And that's kind of my issue. Everyone else has made very valid points about getting over it, that the military are trained to handle incredible amounts of stress, that years ago (and quite possibly still today) many whites had the same sort of issue with blacks.
And
I don't have any issues with gays. They should have all the rights and responsibilities of any other person. But the military, for better or worse, is a different situation. I do not want my team being torn from the inside. A major part of the basic training is to break down resistance to the team concept and to put the trainees through such an intense indoctrination that there is a mutual sense of overcoming something, an initiation into a fraternity. No matter what your service, you know all your companions endured the same thing. But if you're still worried the next guy might be gay, then a good part of the psychological impact of the basic training is wasted.
Being black (or Hispanic, Asian, or some visually identifiable group) is NOT the same thing as being gay. At least part of the discomfort with homosexuals is their invisibility (sort of like the Commies way back when
).
I think it's a silly, baseless fear that will fade with time. But in the meantime, when I go into battle, I want to know that all my unit is working as a cohesive team, and they will all be worried about protecting our collective backs.
Please note I didn't say that gays should leave the military... I said the ones who couldn't handle them being there should.